Dr. Dre is one of the most iconic hip-hop artists of all time, with numerous awards and accolades under his belt-that honor and prestige come with several perks, like the opportunity to collaborate with some of the music industry's giants.
So when he turned down the opportunity to work with Michael Jackson, Prince, and even Stevie Wonder, fans were confused and a little disgruntled.
"They just asked me to work with them and I just was like, 'What the fuck am I going to do with them?'" Dr. Dre shared during his appearance at the "Hart to Heart" podcast with actor Kevin Heart.
He admitted that one of the biggest reasons why he decided against collaborating with them is because he idolized them so much.
"Those are my fucking heroes," he continued. I like the idea of what I grew up listening to and I want to keep it like that. And I don't want to fuck up that idea and that look."
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This is not the first time Dr. Dre has addressed why he turned down a collab with the King of Pop, in favor of collaborating with then-lesser-known artists who were just starting out at the time.
Somebody approached me about working with Michael Jackson, and I did say no because I like working with new artists or people that I've worked with in the past," Dr. Dre explained.
"I can develop them from the ground up. There's no set standard that I have to live up to or anything like that."
In another interview, the Grammy Award-winning rapper stressed it again, comparing the new artists to "balls of clay."
"You can just form it and do what you want. That's what I want. Everybody else, especially my heroes, they're coming in and there's a set plan as to how the s--- should sound. I can't explore."
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"Unless it's just somebody that, you know, I'm really feeling comfortable with in the studio. I can't picture myself in the studio like, 'Yo Mike, do that again.," Dr. Dre continued, referring to Jackson.
Although it should be noted that despite shying away from collaborating with his favorite artists, he is quite friendly with them. He was spotted having dinner with Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.
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