Dr. Dre Admits To Turning Down Opportunities To Work w/ Michael Jackson & Prince Over Fear Of Ruining Their Musical Legacies: ‘I Like The Idea Of What I Grew Up Listening To & I Want To Keep It Like That’

Dr. Dre Admits To Turning Down Opportunities To Work w/ Michael Jackson & Prince Over Fear Of Ruining Their Musical Legacies: ‘I Like The Idea Of What I Grew Up Listening To & I Want To Keep It Like That’

Dr. Dre laid it all on the line during a recent ‘Hart to Heart’ with actor/comedian Kevin Hart!

In an episode of Kevin Hart’s Peacock-exclusive series, superproducer Dr. Dre sat down for a candid conversation and opened up about “bowing out” of potential collaborations with legends Michael Jackson and Prince.

Dr. Dre

When naming the iconic artists, who he’s turned down opportunities to work with throughout his career, Dr. Dre told a shocked Kevin Hart,

“They just asked me to work with them and I was just like, ‘What the f*ck am I going to do with them?'”

The music master later proceeded:

“Those are my heroes!”

Although (for many) the idea of saying “no” to Michael Jackson and Prince seems unbelievable, Dre alluded that his refusal to team up with them stemmed from a feeling of not being able to be creatively in sync with their demands.

Michael Jackson

Because of that, the 58-year-old expressed his decision to stick with upcoming musicians whose expectations are easier to meet.

He comically said,

“My entire life and career has been dealing with and working with new artists. That’s what I like. Nobody comes in with an agenda. These motherf*ckers show up on time!”

Prince

Dre continued:

“It’s a ball of clay when they walk in the room. You can just form it and do what you want. That’s what I want.”

Additionally, the ‘Aftermath’ rapper elaborated on the lack of having a chance to “explore” when having a veteran on his hands.

He confessed,

“Everybody else, especially my heroes, they’re coming in and there’s a set plan as to how the sh*t should sound. I can’t explore.”

Dr. Dre

Aware of the legacy that late powerhouses Michael Jackson and Prince, among others, held then (and even to this day), Dre also shied away from the partnerships because he didn’t want to tamper with what he “grew up listening to” from them.

The hip-hop tycoon added,

“I like the way I feel about them, and that could change by working with them.”

He detailed:

“These are my heroes. I like the idea of what I grew up listening to, and I want to keep it like that. I don’t want to f*ck up that idea and that look.”

Jackson and Prince aren’t the only “goats” Dre has waved off; the honorable Stevie Wonder happens to be one of them as well.

According to the Compton native, Stevie Wonder asked him to co-write a song after they connected while working on a song with singer Marsha Ambrosius.

Stevie Wonder

Upon recalling that he didn’t show up, Dre indicated that his fear kept him from doing so again.

He concluded,

“What the f*ck am I gonna do in the studio with Stevie Wonder? Huh? Touch the drums? No. Touch the keyboard? No. What the f*ck? Nah.”

With an illustrious catalog that spans decades, Dr. Dre is often deemed one of the greatest beatmakers of all time.

Subsequent to finding success with the West Coast phenomenon N.W.A. in the late ’80s, the Death Row Records’ co-founder went on to build his own influence in the industry, birthing some of today’s most-respected entertainers in the game.

Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre

What’s your favorite project by Dr. Dre? Let us know in the comments below!

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