During a recent interview, The DOC opened up about some brutally honest advice he once received from his close friend, Dr. Dre. Speaking to David Vobora on his new Life After podcast, he recalled the Grammy-winning producer telling him he should stop rapping. This was after The DOC was in a nearly fatal car crash in 1989, which permanently altered his voice.
“Dre’s my brother on another level. He’s the only guy that’s ever told me, ‘Don’t rap. You don’t sound good. They think you’re the king; you should go out like that,'" he explained. While this was undoubtedly difficult to hear, The DOC seems to have appreciated Dre's honesty. “Imagine the love it takes to tell somebody something like that," he said. "That’s real, and he’s always been that backbone for me.”
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The DOC's Accident
During The DOC's life-changing car accident, he was thrown out of the rear window of a car. He hit a tree, and as a result, had to have a 21-hour surgery. The surgery ended up scarring his larynx, explaining the irreversible damage to his voice. He went on to co-found Death Row Records with Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey.
The DOC also began writing for Dre, his former group NWA, as well as Snoop Dogg in the 90s. "Snoop was so inviting and receptive of what I wanted to give him. I didn't teach him anything, but I allowed him, through me, to find what he was looking for, because it was always there," he explained. "That was liberating because I got a chance to be what I was supposed to be in my mind through [Snoop] because we share similar traits, very expressive, very funny, extremely charming, very personable, can act, sing, rap, dance, just a talented person." In 2023, The DOC appeared on CBS Mornings using artificial intelligence during recording sessions to replicate his original voice.
