Dr. Dre

Today in Apple history: Apple battles Eminem in court

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Eminem sues Apple over digital music sales. Will the real rights holder please stand up!
Will the real rights holder please stand up!
Photo: Apple

September 24: Today in Apple history: Apple battles Eminem in court September 24, 2009: Apple lawyers head to court to defend the company against rapper Eminem’s music publisher, Eight Mile Style.

The lawsuit alleges that Apple unlawfully sold 93 of Eminem’s songs on the iTunes Music Store. This is the second time Apple finds itself on the opposite side of a courtroom from the Detroit rapper. (A previous lawsuit involved improper use of Eminem’s hit single “Lose Yourself” in an iTunes ad.)

Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre are searching for the ‘next Steve Jobs’

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Iovine
Jimmy Iovine on stage at an Apple event.
Photo: Apple

Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Drew, two of the high profile executives Apple brought in with its $3 billion purchase of Beats, are profiled in the new issue of GQ. While both have stepped back from their daily involvement with Apple, the article nonetheless briefly touches on Cupertino’s 2014 Beats purchase — and why Iovine says it made total sense for Apple.

Iovine, who stepped aside as head of Apple Music in 2018, said that he and Dre now spend their time searching for the next Steve Jobs, via a focus on education.

Beats become the official headphones of the NBA

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Beats
2018 Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons with his Beats.
Photo: Beats by Dre

NBA players have rocked Beats by Dre before games for years but now the company is about to have an even larger presence in the world of basketball.

Beats by Dre revealed today that it has struck a deal that will make it the official headphone, wireless speaker and audio partner of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and USA Basketball starting when the preseason tips off in October.

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine ordered to pay $25 million for Beats royalties

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Jimmy Iovine, Tim Cook, Andre Young, and Eddie Cue. Photo: Apple
Dre and Jimmy can afford it.
Photo: Apple

Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre have been ordered by a court to pay over $25 million to their former business partner Steven Lamar.

The legal battle between the two parties has been going on since 2014 when Iovine and Dre first sued Lamar for falsely advertising that he was a co-founder of Beats. Now a jury has ruled in favor of Lamar’s claim that he should receive more royalties from the company’s headphone sales.

Jimmy Iovine will step back from Apple Music this summer

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Iovine
Jimmy Iovine’s days at Apple are numbered.
Photo: Apple

Jimmy Iovine will step back from his role at Apple and transition into a consultancy position this August, according to a new report.

Sources say he will “support” Apple executive Eddy Cue while spending more time with his family. It’s the second time we’ve heard that the Beats co-founder will leave Apple this year, but Iovine has previously labeled the claims “fake news.

Jimmy Iovine might be leaving Apple

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Beats Music's Jimmy Iovine, Tim Cook, Dr. Dre, and Eddy Cue at Apple HQ
Beats Music's Jimmy Iovine, Tim Cook, Dr. Dre, and Eddy Cue at Apple HQ

Music industry legend and Apple Music boss Jimmy Iovine is planning to leave Apple later this year.

According to reports, Iovine is set to leave Apple in August this year after joining the company in 2014 as part of Apple’s acquisition of Beats.

Rare photo shows Steve Jobs rocking Beats headphones

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Photo: Beats
Did Steve Jobs like Beats headphones?
Photo: Beats

Apple acquired Beats a few years after co-founder Steve Jobs’ death, but a rare photo has surfaced showing the former Apple CEO rocking a pair of ugly Beats headphones.

Jobs had some familiarity with the Beats brand before Apple eventually bought it. As part of the new HBO documentary, “The Defiant Ones”, Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine says he insisted all his friends test out the new headphones his company was developing. One of those friends was Steve Jobs, who was photographed wearing the headphones in a rarely seen picture:

Check out Jobs rocking the ugly headphones:

Apple hires YouTube vet to shape video strategy

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Planet of the Apps
Not a high point for Apple.
Photo: Apple

In another sign that Apple is gearing up to make a big push into video, the company has hired former YouTube executive Shiva Rajaraman.

The hire comes as Apple is beginning to launch its own efforts to create original video content for Apple Music subscribers, but the addition of Rajaraman could mean Apple is looking to explore other avenues for its video content too.

Dr. Dre is leading Apple’s video charge

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
No, Apple hasn't forgot about Dre.
Photo: Beats

Dr. Dre is a major force in Apple’s push toward offering original video content, according to a new report from Variety.

“Dre’s purpose in life is to come up with something that moves the needle,” co-founder Jimmy Iovine says. “He’s done that really seriously a bunch of times. And now he’s experimenting with video. And what he does will be unique, and he will get there. My responsibility to Apple and to him is to put him in that position where he can.”

Jimmy Iovine reiterates Apple’s interest in original TV content

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Iovine
Iovine says Apple Music isn't just about music.
Photo: Apple

Jimmy Iovine is hinting that Apple may indeed be looking to follow Amazon and Netflix down the original TV programming route, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the company is “going to do whatever hits popular culture smack on the nose.”

“At Apple Music, what we’re trying to create is an entire cultural, pop cultural experience, and that happens to include audio and video,” Iovine said.

The weirdest Apple stories of 2016

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Wierdest Stories 2016
It's been a weird year. And Apple's no exception.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac Covering Cupertino is more than just statistics and rumors about upcoming products. There’s plenty of weird Apple news, whether it be a Chinese billionaire buying iPhones for his pet dog or the revelation that, in some alternate universe, Tim Cook could become vice president of the United States.

With that in mind, here are the weirdest Apple news stories of 2016.

Apple drops the beat in its first documentary, 808: The Movie

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The 808 drum machine changed music forever.
The 808 drum machine changed music forever.
Photo: Beats 1

The first documentary from Apple has finally arrived — and it has nothing to do with iPhones or Macs. The film, titled 808: The Movie, chronicles Roland’s legendary TR-808 drum machine and how it influenced the music industry from the ’80s all the way up to today.

Narrated by Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe, the Apple Music exclusive features appearances by Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Rick Rubin, Diplo, Questlove, Phil Collins, Beastie Boys and more.

Check out the trailer:

Suge Knight claims Dr. Dre tried to kill him over Apple money

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Suge Knight has not forget about Dre.
Photo: Beats

Beats co-founder and Apple employee Andre Young, aka Dr. Dre, allegedly hired a hitman to kill Suge Knight, according to a lawsuit filed by Knight.

The former hip-hop mogul who co-founded Death Row Records claims Dre tried to have him murdered because Knight was owed a $300 million payout after Apple’s $3.4 billion acquisition of Beats Electronics in 2014. That deal made Dr. Dre the first billionaire in hip-hop.

Apple’s first original TV series will be a Dr. Dre production

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Dre's onto the next episode. TV.
Photo: Beats

The first piece of original programming to come out of Apple may star none other than the company’s own employee: Andre Young, aka, Dr. Dre.

The hip-hop mogul turned Beats co-founder is reportedly starring and executive producing the first-ever scripted TV series bankrolled by Apple, but it’s still unclear how Dre’s production will be distributed.

The 10 best albums of 2015

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2015 was packed with incredible albums
2015 was packed with incredible albums
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac's Best of 2015 2015 has been a big year for brilliant albums, with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Adele blasting out savory songs that changed the landscape of music. We saw Jamie XX arise as an incredible solo act, Ben Gibbard got his emo-groove back, and Drake dominated the rap world with brutal rap battles and meme-tastic music videos.

It was tough to narrow down the amazing albums of 2015 to just 10, but here are our favorite albums of the year.

Apple’s iPhone 6s event will blow up the Internet

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The nondescript exterior of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium doesn't give an inkling what Apple's up to inside.
The nondescript exterior of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium doesn't give an inkling what Apple's up to inside.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

SAN FRANCISCO — Just how big is Apple’s next product reveal going to be? All signs point to it being a massive blowout of an event — far bigger than the standard iPhone “s” upgrade the world is expecting.

Apple’s grab for street cred could bite it in the ass

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Apple has its fair share of controversial characters.
Photo: Beats

Apple might be unfairly painted as an aging company run by middle-aged white dudes with “dad dancing” moves, but it’s certainly not shying away from controversial characters.

Cupertino’s roster today includes employees like Dr. Dre — a man who was the epitome of gangsta rap before becoming “hip-hop’s first billionaire” — and Trent Reznor, aka the singer who once made public his desire to, erm, sleep with you in an animalistic fashion.

It’s a safe bet that Apple wants to be down with the kids, but this controversy-seeking behavior comes with a fair share of risk. And it’s only going to be a matter of time before Apple is hit by it.

Dr. Dre finally apologizes to women he beat up back in the ’90s

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Photo: Beats

Hip-hop producer and Apple employee Andre Young, aka Dr. Dre, has been all over the news the past week thanks to his hit new album Compton and the movie Straight Outta Compton, which chronicles his rap group NWA’s rise to fame in the late ’80s.

Not all the attention surrounding Dre has been positive though, as critics have lampooned the Dre-produced film for glossing over some of the less-savory bits of NWA’s history, like the time Dre beat up Dee Barnes and a few other women. In an effort to stem the backlash, the first billionaire in hip-hop released a statement this morning, apologizing to the women he’s hurt.

Here what the doc had to say about the past:

Jimmy Iovine is still worried about the future of music

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Jimmy Iovine, Bono, Steve Jobs and The Edge
Jimmy Iovine, Bono, Steve Jobs and The Edge
Photo: Apple

With the purchase of Beats Electronics and the subsequent launch of Apple Music, Jimmy Iovine quickly became Apple’s best hope for saving the music industry. But in a new interview, the Beats co-founder says it’s just not cool to be into music anymore.

To help ignite the scene, Iovine and Dre created an Academy for Arts Technology and the Business of Innovation at USC, and while the music and tech mogul says the program has already become ultra-competitive to get into, it might not be enough to change young people’s minds from wanting to become the next Larry Page instead of the next Jimmy Page.

Dr. Dre donates new album profits to Compton art center

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Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Dre's finally apologizing for his misogyny.
Photo: Beats

Dr. Dre hasn’t given us a new album in over 15 years, but he just gave us another great reason to scoop up his upcoming album, Compton, when it drops tomorrow, after the doc has promised to donate his proceeds from the album to build a performing-arts center for kids in his hometown.

During an appearance on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 Radio show, Dre called in to talk about the project, and confirmed that he has been working with Compton mayor Aja Brown to develop a community arts center as a way to give back to his city.

Listen to the interview below:

Dr. Dre’s first album in 16 years will be an Apple Music exclusive

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Apple's most eagerly-anticipated exclusive yet?
Apple's most eagerly-anticipated exclusive yet?
Photo: Apple/Dr. Dre

Apple Music may have come under fire from big-name Apple commentators but you can’t say that the service hasn’t delivered when it comes to artist exclusives.

Over the weekend, Dr. Dre announced on his Beats 1 show The Pharmacy what, for long-time hip-hop fans, may be the most exciting exclusive of all: His first album since 1999’s The Chronic 2001 is debuting on Apple Music and iTunes this Friday.

Drake, Elton John, and Pharrell will have their own Beats 1 shows

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Beats 1 will be the first channel to announce MTV's 2015 VMA nominees.
Beats 1 delivers 24/7 internet radio.
Photo: Apple

Apple is planning to launch its new streaming music service in less than a week and the company plans to pack a lot of star power to get iOS users to tune in.

As part of the new Apple Music service, Beats 1 Radio will use a host of celebrities to plan and host their own music shows that will touch on everything from golden oldies brought to you by Elton John, to hip new Millennial songs with teen Jaden Smith spinning the discs.