Jamie Mosher

ENG 112
Ron Brown
6 March 2015

Dr. Dre and Eminem have strived tremendously in the hip-hop music industry,
selling millions of records and becoming two of the greatest-known rappers. Although
they both have been extremely successful, the rappers had a difficult time getting to
the top of the charts.
One of the topics that Dr. Dre and Eminem often sing about is the life on the
streets. Several of their solo songs are regarding the struggle of getting to where they
are now. These artists take experiences from their lives and pour the memories into
their music.
This paper will unveil how Dr. Dre and Eminem pushed each other through the
hard times in Dr. Dres well-known song, I Need a Doctor, featuring Eminem and
Skylar Grey.
In concern of historical context, Dr. Dre did not just rap about violence and
reckless conduct, he actually lived through it. In the beginning, Dr. Dre had moved a
lot with his mom, focused most of his interests into music, and worked turntables at
nightclubs to get his career going. He started reflecting about his life on the streets in
a rap group called N.W.A., formed by Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Arabian
Prince, The D.O.C., and DJ Yella.

Dr. Dre left the N.W.A. group in 1992, started his own recording label, Death
Row Records, and released his first solo album The Chronic. He continued to succeed
by establishing his second recording label, Aftermath Entertainment.
In addition, the famous rapper has suffered through a few tragic events. In
1995, Dr. Dres former N.W.A. group member, Eazy-E, died from an AIDS related issue.
Following in 2008, the artists second son, Andre R. Young Jr., passed away from a
drug overdose. These depressing moments that Dr. Dre went through caused him to
feel down and discouraged.
Eminem did not have an easy life either. As a child, Eminems father abandoned
his family, so he was left with his abusive mother, moving from school to school
frequently. Although he was an outcast in his schools, he found a way to gain the
reputation of being a white rapper. Eminem had a difficult point in time where he
worked unusual jobs just to make ends meet, but still found a way to participate in
Detroit rap battles. A recruiter from the label, Interscope Records, received a demo
CD from Eminem, which was later discovered by Dr. Dre.
After listening to the demo CD, Dr. Dre was so impressed with Eminems talent
that he took a chance, flew Eminem out to Los Angeles, California, and signed him to
his Aftermath Entertainment record label. Because rappers were exclusively black
individuals, several people had doubts about Eminem. But, Dr. Dre took Eminem in as
his prodigy, building Eminem up to become one of the most popular rappers today.
The relationship that Dr. Dre and Eminem share is incredible. The artists share
a musical bond and similar life experiences that have brought them closer. The
authors provide plenty of evidence in the lyrics to prove their amity.

[Eminem]:
All I know is you came to me when I was at my lowest
You picked me up, breathed new life in me, I owe my life to you
But for the life of me, I don't see why you don't see like I do
But it just dawned on me you lost a son, demons fighting you, its dark
Let me turn on the lights and brighten me and enlighten you

Eminem uses the lyrics to show his appreciation to Dr. Dre for believing in his talent.

[Eminem]:
You saved my life, now maybe it's my turn to save yours
But I can never repay you, what you did for me is way more
But I ain't givin' up faith and you ain't givin' up on me
Get up Dre I'm dyin', I need you, come back for fucks sake
The description from the lyrics is clear and straightforward Dr. Dre affected
Eminems entire life and career by becoming his mentor, and Eminem is indebted to
him, hoping he can return the favor by encouraging Dr. Dre to push through a rough
patch in his life.
In succession, the rappers purpose is also apparent. Eminems goal of the song
was to motivate Dr. Dre to finish his album, Detox. In an interview with Extra,
Eminem tells the interviewer, Obviously, my whole career, especially in the beginning
but even until this day, is always to get a reaction out of Dre. He continues, The
reaction I wanted was to spark him even more than hes been sparked lately and get
him to finish the album. Eminem believes that helping Dr. Dre push through and
complete his album is substantially important because of the history and relationship
that the rappers share together.

When referring to the content of the song, Eminem and Dr. Dre distinctively
rapped about their relationship and argued about how they dont need any one else in
their lives.
[Dr. Dre]:
Went through friends, some of them I put on, but they just left
They said they was ridin' to the death, but where the fuck are they now?
Now that I need them, I don't see none of them
All I see is Slim, fuck all you fair-weather friends, all I need is him
Dr. Dre also incorporates into the lyrics that his former friends, who were once
particularly involved in his life, are backstabbers, and soon, they will start to feel
the wrath of Aftermath. The lyrics that Dr. Dre raps about are so important because
he wants to make the point that he was left without much support in his time of
need.
Additionally, Eminem relied immensely on Dr. Dre for the start of his career in
the music business.

[Eminem]:
I don't think you realize what you mean to me, not the slightest clue
Cause me and you were like a crew, I was like your sidekick
Plainly, the lyrics show that Eminem realizes what Dr. Dre has done for him, and also
includes in his lyrics, addressing Dr. Dre, You risked your career for me, I know it as
well as you. Eminem uses the lyrics to prove to Dr. Dre how indebted he is to him,
and how thankful he is for the opportunity he was given.

Needless to say, when the lyrics are matched up with the music itself, there
are more feelings to experience. With the lyrics being quite sincere, but also harsh at
the same time, the actual music does a remarkable job keeping the serious tone. As
well, the music makes it easier to understand how the rappers feel and what they've
gone through. The minor tone brings down the mood, so you can really comprehend
what is happening in the music.
In the beginning of the song, while Skylar Grey sings the chorus, the only
instrument is the piano, which is able to keep the song pretty simple, but also express
the depressing attitude of the lyrics. Just before Eminem begins his part of the song,
an electrocardiogram is the only sound heard, which builds up suspense. As Eminem
starts to rap, the piano continues to play, but the bass qualities are much more
intense. I think that the artists chose to use the louder, more extreme voice in the
music to match the drastic lyrics of Eminem and Dr. Dre.
As a whole, the music is entirely about emotional appeals. The artists are able
to get their audience to feel the deep, depressing kind of tone of the song. The bass
and tone of voice incorporated represents how times were hard for the authors, but
the piano and lyrics blend with the intensity to manifest the heartfelt component too.
To debate about how well the authors succeed, I believe that the artists
attained their goal of creating a song that appealed to their audience, who could then
make a connection with the music. These rappers made a lot of choices when creating
this song, and they achieved amazing musical qualities. Dr. Dre and Eminem strive to
spark their audience, encourage each other to accomplish goals, and continue to
leave an unforgettable impression in the music industry.