In Honor Of Dr. Dre: 8 Songs You May Not Know He Produced

4. Mary J. Blige — “Family Affair” (2001)

R&B diva Mary J. Blige hooked up with Dr. Dre for her successful fifth studio album, No More Drama. One of those tunes was the club-ready “Family Affair, which received a Grammy nod for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (a category that was discontinued in 2011, by the way). The track is undeniably funky, thanks to its stomping bassline and Dre’s signature use of strings. The catchiness of “Family Affair” pushed Blige into the mainstream field: it kept its number one position on the Billboard 100 for six weeks! But here’s the pending question that still hasn’t been answered: What exactly is a “dancery”?

5. Gwen Stefani featuring Eve — “Rich Girl” (2004)

2004 marked the year when Gwen Stefani and Eve reunited on the singer’s debut album, Love.Angel.Music.Baby. And guess who was behind it all? Dr. Dre, of course! The producer created Stefani’s second single, “Rich Girl,” which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The quirky charm of the song, thanks to its ragga influences that mirrored the singer’s No Doubt roots, just shows how versatile Dr. Dre truly is.

6. Mary J. Blige featuring Eve — “Not Today” (2003)

Dre likes to continuously work with the same artists, and in 2003 he linked back up with Mary J. Blige and Eve on “Not Today.” The single, taken from the singer’s Love & Life album, is no doubt an R&B track. Yet the combination of its thumping bass, pinpoint synths and Blige’s rugged vocals provided an edge that only the doctor could prescribe!