Dr. Dre Honored With ASCAP Founders Award

Dr. Dre is going to have to make a bit more room in his trophy case. The N.W.A. founder is set to receive the ASCAP Founders Award on June 25th during the organization's invite-only 23rd annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, where he will be honored with the award whose previous recipients include Berry Gordy, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Ashford & Simpson and more.

The accolade, which is given songwriters and composers who have influenced and inspired their contemporary creators, is just another prestigious honor for Andre Romelle Young, who has received five Grammy Awards including Producer of the Year in 2001. In addition to selling more than 120 million albums worldwide, he has worked with nearly every major musician in hip-hop over the past few decades, recently making the transition into an entrepreneur with the release of his Beats by Dre headphones and becoming a spokesperson for Dr. Pepper and Hewlett-Packard.

'Dre is one of the most important voices in modern music,' said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. 'He created a unique, recognizable sound that dominated rap music in the early 1990s, and has played a major role in developing and launching the careers of some of the biggest names in the business. He continues to inspire artists and producers across all genres with his musical techniques, and we are very proud to honor him with ASCAP's Founders Award.'

Dr. Dre has released two solo albums throughout his career, including 1992's 'The Chronic' and its sequel '2001' in '99. His long-awaited follow-up, 'Detox', is slated to be his final album and is promised to be released this year.