Dr. Dre is in intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a suspected brain aneurysm, multiple outlets report. The news first broke on TMZ, who has sources saying the 55-year-old producer was taken to the hospital on Monday, where he remains “stable and lucid, but doctors don’t know what caused the bleeding and they are doing a battery of tests.”
Shortly after new broke that the music mogul and Straight Outta Compton producer is in the hospital, fans and colleagues began sharing well wishes via social media. “Send your love and prayers to the homie Dr. Dre,” Ice Cube posted on Twitter along with a photo of himself with his former N.W.A. collaborator.
Born and raised in Compton, Dr. Dre—then known as Andre Young—first had hopes of getting an apprenticeship at an aircraft manufacturer during high school, but when he was denied because of his grades, he began to focus on his love of music. He started playing tracks at local clubs under the name DJ J before taking on the moniker he uses today. In 1987, he became a founding member of N.W.A. with DJ Yella. Soon growing to include Eazy-E, Arabian Prince, and Ice Cube; and later MC Ren and Snoop Dogg. Though N.W.A. would go quiet for most of the ’90s and break up in 2002, the group reunited in 2015 and 2016. Outside of his contributions to hip hop through N.W.A., Dr. Dre is also the co-founder of Beats by Dre empire with Jimmy Iovine, helped launch and run Death Row Records, and has produced dozens of hits for the likes of Eminem, Tupac Shakur, and Snoop Dogg.
According to The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, “ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about 50 percent of cases. Of those who survive, about 66 percent suffer some permanent neurological deficit. Approximately 15 percent of people with a ruptured aneurysm die before reaching the hospital. Most of the deaths are due to rapid and massive brain injury from the initial bleeding.”
UPDATE, January 5, 11:38 p.m. CT: A message was posted on Dr. Dre’s Instagram account late Tuesday evening: “Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes. I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One Love!!”