Dr Dre initially made his name as the DJ of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru. However, as he began to emcee and produce as part of NWA, the West Coast icon revealed that one radio station supported him extensively on his journey.
While Dr Dre (real name Andre Young), along with the likes of Ice-T, was pioneering West Coast rap, many California radio stations ignored the output of local acts and focused on artists from New York. However, Young has insisted that one LA establishment supported the World Class Wreckin’ Cru and NWA.
Taking to social media earlier this month, Young thanked KDAY (now known as KBLA) as it celebrated its 40th anniversary and claimed they played a pivotal role in his career and helped bring his music to the forefront.
Aftermath West Coast emcee Xzibit posted a video of Dre in the studio thanking KDAY. Addressing their impact, Young declared, “I have so many reasons to thank KDAY, but I’ll just give you a couple of them right now. KDAY was the first station that gave me an opportunity when I was a young and up-and-coming DJ.”
He continued, “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!”
Recalling his N.W.A. days, Dre spoke about KDAY’s support for their music, continuing, “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 honour.”
He concluded by admitting that he would not be where he is if not for the Los Angeles-based radio station, exclaiming, “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!”
You can watch Dr Dre’s KDAY tribute below.