@ASCAP #DrDre
Its shaping up to be a very memorable week for Dr. Dre.  Early last week he was at New York’s Union Square to launch the brand new line of Beats By Dr. Dre, a collaborative project with Diddy called “Diddy Beats.”  While its not very creative it was only the beginning.  On Tuesday of this week it was announced that Dre’s former Death Row (in)mate and friend, the late Tupac Shakur would be immortalized on the big screen with the official announcement of his bioflick and the signing of Antione Fuqua to direct.  Then just yesterday, we told you that the readers at Vibe.com elected Dr. Dre the “Greatest Producer of All-Time” in their tournament bracket style single elimination challenge.

And late yesterday we learned via Billboard.com that Dre would be honored with the ASCAP Founders Award during the organization’s 23rd annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. The accolade is given to “songwriters and composers whose musical legacies have inspired and influenced fellow music creators.”

Dr. Dre joins such previous honorees as Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Paul McCartney, Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson.

“Dre is one of the most important voices in modern music,” said ASCAP president/chairman Paul Williams in a statement. “He created a unique, recognizable sound that dominated rap music in the early ’90s…and continues to inspire artists and producers across all genres with his musical techniques.”

You’ve gotta truly respect Dre’s gangsta and importance in Hip Hop history.  Just think without him there would probably be no N.W.A., certainly no Snoop Dogg or Eminem and 50 Cent might have still been rocking mixtapes telling cats how to rob.   Although I’m disappointed he beat out my boy Premo for the top spot in the Vibe.com contest, sitting back and considering his wealth of work, he deserves it all.  Salute.