The 2023 Grammy Awards launched a brand new award titled the ‘Dr. Dre Global Impact Award,’ and you wouldn’t believe who won. That’s right, rapper and Beats by Dre creator, Dr. Dre won his eponymous award. While the reasons for his recent win were notable, music fans found the irony in giving someone an award named after him.
The rapper was recognized for his contributions to hip-hop as the genre celebrates its 50th anniversary. The award was also made to celebrate those who uplifted black music. Dr. Dre was described as someone who “defined west coast hip-hop” and found his rise-to-fame story impactful and inspirational.
Dr. Dre went on stage and told aspiring rappers and music producers, “Never compromise your vision at all. Pursue quality over quantity.”
What’s ironic is that the award was named after Dr. Dre due to his impact on Black music culture. So when it was announced that Dr. Dre won an award named after him, the memes came rolling in.
Despite his impact on the rap and hip-hop music industry, critics believed that he doesn’t deserve the award due to past controversies. The artist was accused of violence against women. And with all the musical firsts and milestones that were reached this year, like Kim Petra’s Grammy win and Beyoncé’s recent record-breaking milestone, they believe that Dr. Dre’s recent win took the award show a step backward from progress.
Dr. Dre won six Grammys in the past. His first win was in 1994 for “Best Rap Solo Performance.” He later won two “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” in 2001 and 2010, “Producer of the year, Non-Classical,” and 2010’s “Best Rap Album.” The last award that the rapper was nominated for prior to 2023 was ‘Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media’ in 2017.
To catch up on the 2023 Grammys, the show is currently broadcasted live on CBS and Paramount Plus.