FLINT, MI--Producer Dr. Dre has helped rap artists such as Eminem, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg become superstars, and recently, he's been hanging out with Flint's Jon Connor.
On July 18, days after he Connor performed with Lyric Da Queen at Lansing's Common Ground Music Festival, Connor's business partner Mateen Cleaves posted a photo of him, Connor and Dre on Twitter. In a phone call with Flint Journal, Connor spoke candidly about the experience.
"He was excited about the respect he had for my artistry. Dre is a very particular person. He knows what he wants to hear," Connor said. "...I made it through Dr. Dre's chopping block of potential. Just to know he sees something in me, or that he respects what I do, or has an appreciation for what I bring to hip-hop, is something I put on my mantle."
Connor went on tour with Xzibit, another California rapper and frequent Dr. Dre collaborator (and the host of MTV's "Pimp My Ride), last fall. The two built rapport after the tour, Connor said, and Xzibit "connected the dots" to Dr. Dre.
Dr. Dre is widely regarded as one the most important producers in the history of rap music. Between the mid-1980s and now, he has served as the key producer or mentor to several of the genre's most important acts: N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Eminem, 50 Cent, and most recently, Kendrick Lamar. As a solo artist, his albums "The Chronic" and "2001," which feature songs such as "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" and "Forgot About Dre," have sold more than 10 million copies.
These days, he is most popular for his wildly successful "Beats By Dre" line of headphones.
With so many years of success and experience, Connor said, Dre has plenty of advice to give--and Connor has been all-ears.
"Any time I'm around him is constant growth for me. ... He's an inspirational person, he truly is. Anything and everything out his mouth is something to learn from," Connor said. "...It's constant learning in so many areas of life: how to be a better artist, to be a better producer, to be a better man, to be a better human."
Dr. Dre's alleged final album, "Detox," has developed a sort of mythical status because of years of release delays and limited output. Since Dre announced the title for the record in 2001, only two official singles have released: "Kush" featuring Akon and Snoop Dogg, and "I Need A Doctor," featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey. Otherwise, the Internet has seen several unfinished songs leak, with rappers such as T.I., Eminem and Ludacris performing lyrics they presumably wrote for Dre to perform.
Connor remained tight-lipped when answering questions about if he was contributing his talents "Detox."
"'Detox' is going to come out whenever it's ready for him to put it out," Connor said. "It's not as mythical as people think. I don't know what people think, but 'Detox' is definitely real."
Jon Connor talks time with six-time Grammy winner Dr. Dre and 'Detox' | MLive.com
On July 18, days after he Connor performed with Lyric Da Queen at Lansing's Common Ground Music Festival, Connor's business partner Mateen Cleaves posted a photo of him, Connor and Dre on Twitter. In a phone call with Flint Journal, Connor spoke candidly about the experience.
"He was excited about the respect he had for my artistry. Dre is a very particular person. He knows what he wants to hear," Connor said. "...I made it through Dr. Dre's chopping block of potential. Just to know he sees something in me, or that he respects what I do, or has an appreciation for what I bring to hip-hop, is something I put on my mantle."
Connor went on tour with Xzibit, another California rapper and frequent Dr. Dre collaborator (and the host of MTV's "Pimp My Ride), last fall. The two built rapport after the tour, Connor said, and Xzibit "connected the dots" to Dr. Dre.
Dr. Dre is widely regarded as one the most important producers in the history of rap music. Between the mid-1980s and now, he has served as the key producer or mentor to several of the genre's most important acts: N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Eminem, 50 Cent, and most recently, Kendrick Lamar. As a solo artist, his albums "The Chronic" and "2001," which feature songs such as "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" and "Forgot About Dre," have sold more than 10 million copies.
These days, he is most popular for his wildly successful "Beats By Dre" line of headphones.
With so many years of success and experience, Connor said, Dre has plenty of advice to give--and Connor has been all-ears.
"Any time I'm around him is constant growth for me. ... He's an inspirational person, he truly is. Anything and everything out his mouth is something to learn from," Connor said. "...It's constant learning in so many areas of life: how to be a better artist, to be a better producer, to be a better man, to be a better human."
Dr. Dre's alleged final album, "Detox," has developed a sort of mythical status because of years of release delays and limited output. Since Dre announced the title for the record in 2001, only two official singles have released: "Kush" featuring Akon and Snoop Dogg, and "I Need A Doctor," featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey. Otherwise, the Internet has seen several unfinished songs leak, with rappers such as T.I., Eminem and Ludacris performing lyrics they presumably wrote for Dre to perform.
Connor remained tight-lipped when answering questions about if he was contributing his talents "Detox."
"'Detox' is going to come out whenever it's ready for him to put it out," Connor said. "It's not as mythical as people think. I don't know what people think, but 'Detox' is definitely real."
Jon Connor talks time with six-time Grammy winner Dr. Dre and 'Detox' | MLive.com
Year 2013 and no one still ain't hacked into dre's vault to release some piff 
