Dr. Dre Announces Rap Retirement, “Going Into The Mic Booth, That Sh*t Is Over”

Written By S. Samuel

West Coast legend Dr. Dre has announced his intention to hang up the microphone for good after the release of his highly-anticipated solo album, Detox.

1.1k Views Comments Off on Dr. Dre Announces Rap Retirement, “Going Into The Mic Booth, That Sh*t Is Over”

Although Dre vows his rapping days are numbered, the Doc said he will always be involved with the music industry.

“I don’t ever see myself retiring totally from music, because I have a genuine love and passion for it,” he said. “But as far as me going into the mic booth, that sh*t is over. I’m always going to talent scout and try to find new artists to work with. But, yeah, that’s it. I don’t see myself doing it the way I’m doing it now. I’m in the studio at least five or six days a week for 16, 18 hours. I think I’m going to back off a little bit and spend some time with the family.” (XXL Mag)

Earlier this year, The LOX’s Styles P opened up about wanting to eventually deviating from rapping.

“I’m still in the [rap] game but eventually I gotta pass the baton but eventually I’ll be out of the relay. It’ll be all on them and I can just spot check when I want to. I think a lot of rappers and emcees forget to pass the torch and open the door for other people. So when I do do that and I’m not playing the whole game, I wanna do something where I ‘can’ play the whole game — around six, seven more years so I can relax and do the whole book thing…” (Mr. Peter Parker)

In 2009, hip-hop superstar Eminem contemplated when he would bid adieu to the rap game.

“We just haven’t found anything that’s been the right thing at the right time,” Em explained in an interview about his film career. “I have to be finished with this album and then I’ll probably want to jump into something like that. I don’t know if there’s a movie where I’ll want to be in every single scene again, but something, yeah…It was, ‘I don’t want to be a rapper when I’m 40,’ and the next time we talk it will be, “I don’t want to be a rapper when I’m 50.” Sixty is the cut-off. I can’t be no 60-year-old rapper, son!” (Complex)

Hip-hop legend Rakim previously spoke with SOHH about when emcees should call it quits.

“Yeah, I think what’s happening is, rappers are becoming, especially for people that love a rapper, rap and hip-hop come to party,” Rakim explained. “You can’t just put it down. It’s not like sports where you know, you lose a step. You can lose skills in rapping of course, but it’s a little different man and I think sitting back and watching the R&B genre, you got, at any awards show and you see brothers like Al Green come out and tear it down. It’s longevity in R&B and I think if it’s done right, to an extent, I think we can have a little longer gevity in hip-hop, it don’t just have to be a young music anymore. You got people like myself, I’m in my 40’s now, early, early early like real early. I just touched 40, but still, I don’t plan on stop listening to rap anytime soon and I don’t plan to stop rhyming no time soon and it’s that tug-of-war with the fans.” (SOHH)

A release date for Detox has not yet been announced.

Check out Styles P speaking on rap retirement below:

Comments Off on Dr. Dre Announces Rap Retirement, “Going Into The Mic Booth, That Sh*t Is Over”

Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

Kanye West

Jay-Z Calls Out George W. Bush, “His Lowest Point Was [Kanye West] Talking About Him?”

DJ Premier Defends J. Cole & Drake Co-Signs, “You’re A Computer F*ck-Hole” [Video]