Andre Young, a.k.a. Dr. Dre, is one of the most successful hiphop artists and producers ever. Jimmy Iovine, producer turned record-company executive, has been a close professional collaborator. Together, they conceived and marketed a headphone brand that has made them fortunes beyond the already substantial wealth they have generated by making music. Their story is this instrinsically interesting, even if you're not a fan of the music itself; and even if you're not a fan, it's hard to dispute that the story of hiphop, the people who made it and the reaction it has produced, better expresses the unique reality of contemporary American life in the last few decades than that of any other muscial form. And 'The Defiant Ones' is interesting; only, it would be more interesting if it wasn't so hagiographic. It's fine, letting Dre and Iovine tell their stories, although Iovine clearly likes talking about himself a little too much; but we also get a succession of other talking heads keen to assert the greatness of the dynamic duo, but less interested in explaining what exactly it is that makes them great. The result is a serviceable series; but arguably a trick has been missed.
Review of The Defiant Ones
