Editing Dr. Dre (section)

===1984–1986: World Class Wreckin' Cru===
Inspired by the [[Grandmaster Flash]] song "[[The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel]]", Dr. Dre often attended a club called Eve's After Dark to watch many DJs and rappers performing live. He subsequently became a DJ in the club, initially under the name "Dr. J", based on the nickname of [[Julius Erving]], his favorite basketball player. At the club, he met aspiring rapper Antoine Carraby, later to become member [[DJ Yella]] of [[N.W.A]].{{sfn|Kenyatta|2001|p=15}} Soon afterwards he adopted the moniker Dr.&nbsp;Dre, a mix of previous alias Dr. J and his first name, referring to himself as the "Master of Mixology".{{sfn|Ro|2007|p=14}}

Eve After Dark had a back room with a small four-track studio where Dre and Yella recorded several demos. In their first recording session, they recorded a song entitled "Surgery" in 1984.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Williams |first=Justin A. |encyclopedia=Grove Music Online |title=Dr. Dre [Young, Andre Romelle] |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002224243 |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2224243 |date=July 10, 2012 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 |access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref>{{sfn|Ro|2007|p=23}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Hardeep|last=Phull|url=https://nypost.com/2017/12/08/dr-dre-is-still-embarrassed-by-his-secret-musical-past/|title=Dr. Dre is still embarrassed by his secret musical past|publisher=[[New York Post]]|date=December 8, 2017|accessdate=July 15, 2024}}</ref> Dr. Dre's earliest recordings were released in 1994 on a compilation titled ''[[Concrete Roots]]''. Critic [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] described the compiled music, released "several years before Dre developed a distinctive style", as "surprisingly generic and unengaging" and "for dedicated fans only".<ref>{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|title='Concrete Roots' > Overview|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/concrete-roots-mw0000118370|website=AllMusic|access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref>

Dre later joined the musical group [[World Class Wreckin' Cru]], which released its debut album under the Kru-Cut label in 1985.{{sfn|Ro|2007|p=26}} The group would become stars of the electro-hop scene that dominated early-mid 1980s [[West Coast hip-hop]]. "Surgery", which was officially released after being recorded prior to the group's official formation, would prominently feature Dr.&nbsp;Dre on the turntable. The record would become the group's first hit, selling 50,000&nbsp;copies within the Compton area.{{sfn|Kenyatta|2001|pp=14–15}} Dr.&nbsp;Dre and DJ Yella also performed mixes for local radio station [[KBLA|KDAY]], boosting ratings for its afternoon rush-hour show ''The Traffic Jam''.{{sfn|Ro|2007|p=17}}