One of the most notable tales of Hip-Hop folklore is how Dr. Dre's debut album (The Chronic) forever changed the trajectory of West Coast Rap and Cannabis culture, paving the way for a litany of iconic artists from Southern California such as Snopp Dogg, Nate Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Lady of Rage, Warren G and more. The album's highly anticipated sequel (The Chronic 2001) was equally as impactful as it helped legitimize Eminem's presence in hip-hop before he would go on to dominate the charts for years to come. The LP also helped the multi-platinum music producer propel his record label, Aftermath Entertainment, into new heights, as the company would later sign renowned musicians such as Kendrick Lamar and Anderson Paak.

The reality is all of the above might not have happened if the record executives at Disney had managed to pry the coveted architect of G-Funk away from the clutches of Suge Knight and Death Row Records shortly after the release of "The Chronic" back in 1992. If Dr. Dre worked for Disney instead of Interscope Records, things might have turned out very differently. According to Dr. Dre's attorney, Peter Paterno, the notion of his client jumping ship from Death Row Records to Disney is a notion that's not too far-fetched as the higher-ups at Disney even went so far as to proposition the "Still D.R.E" rapper about taking his talents to their music-based subsidiary called Hollywood Records. In a recent interview with Samson Shulman on the Connection is Magic podcast, Paterno gave the listeners a little insight into the company's approach to pitching his client the idea of joining forces.


"We’d have these music meetings every week with Michael Eisner at Disney, and Michael Eisner came by, and he sees the record’s at No. 1, and he goes, ‘I thought you had a relationship with this guy?'” Paterno said. "After confirming that he did know Dre, he explained that it might not be in Disney's best interest to ink a deal with him.

"He said, ‘How come we don’t have this record?’ I go, ‘Well, Michael, let me just read you some of the lyrics… Muthafucka, muthafucka. And you know what this is on the cover? That’s a marijuana leaf.’ The deal was $4 million. He goes, ‘We can’t do that!’ I go, ‘That’s why he’s not on the label.'”

The partnership never advanced beyond the negotiation phase, as Dr. Dre would remain with Death Row Records, despite his highly publicized turmoil with the company's co-founder Suge Knight, until 1996. 

Scroll up and skip ahead to the 25:28 mark to watch Dr. Dre's attorney speak on the matter.

Source: Hot New Hip Hop