Dr. Dre is among many Hip Hop legends who are honoring a California radio station that played a pivotal role in elevating the genre during its early days.
On Tuesday (December 12), Xzibit shared a video of the N.W.A. founder on his Instagram in which the latter thanks Greater Los Angeles broadcast outlet KDAY (now known as KBLA) on its 40-year anniversary.
“I have so many reasons to thank KDAY, but I’ll just give you a couple of them right now,” Dre began. “KDAY was the first station that gave me an opportunity when I was a young and up-and-coming DJ. They gave me my own radio show, which was called The Traffic Jam, and I showed up every weekday at 5 o’clock, and every artist out there knows what this is like … the first time you hear your shit on the radio — the feeling is amazing.
“Not only that, KDAY was the first station to play the first song I ever produced on my own, which was ‘Boyz-N-The-Hood,’ so I can’t thank them enough. So I’d like to say happy 40th anniversary, KDAY, and I really, really appreciate this honor. You’re a part of my history, a part of my legacy and you’re the springboard to what I’ve become today. Thank you!”
Watch the 58-year-old’s tribute to the first-ever LA station to play Hip Hop during the early ’80s below:
Dr. Dre has an undeniable legacy that traces back to years and years of hard work. Yet, he did come close to quitting music in 1992, but an improvement in the quality of his work kept him going.
LL COOL J’s new book, The Streets Win: 50 Years of Hip Hop Greatness, was released in early October. Among countless other feats, it features a section written by the veteran producer about the start of his music career.
In the passage, he reflects on a time in the early ’90s when he wasn’t getting paid and the music he was making was going stagnant, leaving him uncertain and doubtful about his future in the business.
Just one week after those feelings began to creep in, though, the beatmaker hit a creative spurt and began crafting “the best music [he] had ever made,” which he considers a pivotal moment in his life to this very day.
“In 1992, I had just bought a new house,” Dre wrote, per Rock the Bells. “Eazy-E and Jerry Heller were trying to starve me out and refused to pay the money they owed me. I was driving on the 101 freeway headed to the studio and, on that drive, I was thinking about quitting.
“I had been working on music for The Chronic for at least a month, and everything I was doing either sounded like what I had already done or not as good as what I had already done.”
He continued: “I started second-guessing my ability and whether music was what I was supposed to be doing, but I pushed those doubts aside and persevered. A week later, I started making the best music I had ever made. That moment was crucial to helping me solidify my determination to be a success. It also confirmed that I possessed everything I needed, and all I had to do was stay patient and persistent.”
“If I had listened to that little thing that told me to quit, my entire life would be different now,” he reflected. “People are either pushing or pulling, and I wish I had known the difference early on in my career. I could’ve saved myself a lot of heartache in that area.
“At this point in my life, I see the value of surrounding myself with people who push me forward. I don’t want to be around anyone I can’t learn something from.”
