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Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine expected to become Apple executives as part of Beats acquisition

Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre Unveil Beats By Dr. Dre 2011 Holiday Product Line-Up

As part of the impending $3.2 billion Apple acquisition of Beats Electronics, Beats co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine will join Apple as senior executives, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal

But as Apple completes a deal to buy headphone and streaming-service company Beats Electronics LLC from Mr. Iovine and his co-founder, rap star Dr. Dre, both men are likely to take senior positions with the Cupertino, Calif., tech company, according to people familiar with the matter, commuting from the Los Angeles area to Silicon Valley—or meetings elsewhere—as needed.

The report does not seem to indicate that the two men will be full-time employees. Rather, it seems possible that the pair will commute and take meetings as needed. In the modern world of technology, working remotely is not a far-fetched possibility. If the deal closes, Iovine is also expected to resign as Chairman of Interscope, a record label…

The Apple deal for Beats is expected to bolster both Apple’s hardware accessories and music businesses leveraging Beats expertise in marketing audio accessories and the aforementioned duo’s proficiency in selling music products. A report from yesterday indicated that Iovine could become a “special advisor” to Apple CEO Tim Cook, but this is the first report to indicate that Dr. Dre and Iovine will become actual Apple executives. BuzzFeed indicates that Iovine will truly focus on music strategy: “According to the source, Apple is buying Beats in part to bring Iovine on board to “revamp and run its whole music strategy.”

Earlier today, we posted an old Apple keynote video of Steve Jobs and Dr. Dre discussing the music business as well as an interview with Iovine discussing Jobs and Apple. Both are well worth a watch. The deal is expected to be announced as soon as next week.

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur

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Comments

  1. Tim Jr. - 10 years ago

    OK.. it’s April 1st now.. who kicked in the time machine? I told you not to kick in the turbo! it turns back time on the whole planet!

  2. decoratiff (@decoratiff) - 10 years ago

    You gotta be fucking kidding me! As if not ridiculous enough to acquire this crap spitting pseudo pro headphone maker now make a HipHop poser an apple executive?!

    I mean seriously?! What the fuck

    • rahhbriley - 10 years ago

      I’m not excited by any means about it, but I also realize I have no f’in clue what they actually have in store or plan to do. So I’m reserving my judgment for once I do.

      But how the fuck do you call Dre a hip hop poser?? He may no nothing about tech, but buddy he sure the hell knows how to drop a beat. Your inability to give him that makes the rest of your statements seem as half cocked and biased.

      • He actually knows a lot about tech, especially sound technology. He is EXTREMELY intelligent with everything sound. He is very obsessive about it. Beats doesnt have the best sounding speakers, but they are leagues ahead of anything Apple has ever released. I’m all for improvement. and like Rahhbriley says, we have no clue what Apple plans to do with the company.

    • hmurchison - 10 years ago

      Wait a minute …you just called Dr Dre a Hip Hop poser? There exist no universe in which that foolish statement is true.

    • Josh Mobley - 10 years ago

      can you name another african american senior executive? Is there one? Doctor Dre is by no means a poser. He’s a brilliant producer by any measure.

      • Jack Gnasty - 10 years ago

        He’s a dirt bag. Perhaps you haven’t listened to his music, or perhaps you agree with degrading women, doing drugs, murder, killing police officers.

    • kplayaja - 10 years ago

      Hip Hop poser?!?!?!?!?! ARE YOU AN IDOIT or just AN IDIOT? Please, stop talking. #nocredibility

  3. andreww500 - 10 years ago

    Maybe Apple are doomed after all…

  4. I tend to agree with everyone else minus the profanity this sounds wrong. 3.2 billion plus execs, really? Tim Cook and the board obviously inhaling some strange mind altering substance.

  5. We are moving into world of hip and fashionable wearables, my friends. The iWatch is around the corner, the CEO of Burberry is now the VP of retail. Who better than the men who created Beats to help take you in this direction?

  6. decoratiff (@decoratiff) - 10 years ago

    If true this is really terrible and frightening news.

    I’m not willing to give up hope on apple yet and I’m still smiling at all the doomsday apologies regarding apple but none the less I’m growing worried where the story leads to.

    It’s not so much about apple but the fact that there is no where to go. Rather than using Android I’d fall back to feature phones and regarding computers as a tool. What to do if apple some day should turn into a blatant pile of bogus marketing crap with badges all over it?
    Where to go, what solution to turn to? Sticking with years old hard and software?

    • decoratiff (@decoratiff) - 10 years ago

      whoops replace apologies with prophecys

      • sardonick - 10 years ago

        Every empire falls. Those aren’t prophecies, they’re just foreshadowing, albeit out of time and far too premature. Beats still sucks though.

  7. rettun1 - 10 years ago

    I don’t know why everybody is crying abomination. I’m sure they would contribute in some way

  8. David Day - 10 years ago

    I strongly suggest that anyone that thinks that the group of professional Apple execs can mind-meld with the Beats folks hasn’t seen the Heineken billionaire Dre announcement video. The hip Beats wannabe cool and black cache will soon loose value a soon as the public makes any link to the professional stuffed shirts of Cupertino.

    I hope the new Burberry exec that Apple paid millions to get sticks her pumps up somebody’s backside.. quick!

    Dre and Ive at the local drinking Cristal and Hennessy? Please!

    • FAME - 10 years ago

      Everything about this comment is just sad. Cool and Black, really? Could you be more pathetic.

      • Jack Gnasty - 10 years ago

        Why is his comment sad and pathetic? Are you under some delusion that Dr. Dre is not black? Or perhaps in your attempt to be hyper-colorblind you have ignored the fact that Dr. Dre 100% represents black urban culture? He doesn’t represent latino culture. And he does not represent white culture. And to that end, I would say he is not perceived as dorky, but rather cool in his crowd. So….

  9. sardonick - 10 years ago

    I have a feeling my money in 2014 will be shifted to other products. With every announcement I seem to roll my eyes even more than the last. Oh well, I’m sure they won’t miss one fanboy jumping ship.

    • hmurchison - 10 years ago

      Like what products?

    • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

      I don’t imagine anyone will miss your nonsense, either. Enjoy subpar products made by companies that don’t care about you or your experience!

      • borntofeel - 10 years ago

        Because Dr. Dre is someone who cares about customer experience?

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        I don’t recall ever saying or implying that.

      • rahhbriley - 10 years ago

        @borntofeel he’s not becoming the CEO of Apple you twit. He MIGHT become an ADVISOR of sorts. You realize his decicion making power would likely be minimal and he would reporting to Tim and co at Apple? Just bc of an acquisition doesn’t mean Apple is abandoning it’s ethos. Or is going to stop trying to create the best products for they can.

      • kplayaja - 10 years ago

        These comments are hilarious. I’ve never seen this level of disdain towards an Apple acquisition. I wonder why all the “End of Apple” prophecies all of a sudden. Oh no! A BLACK BILLIONAIRE Hip Hop mogul will be the downfall of Apple!!! Really??? Search inside yourselves and find you’re true problem with this and then GET OVER IT!

      • thejuanald - 10 years ago

        Weren’t you saying in the other article that the acquisition was false and other nonsense. Nobody would miss you leaving.

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        Hey, if you have any proof whatsoever that it’s happening, feel free to post it. You don’t, however, so yes, I maintain that we have no idea if it’s happening.

        Bye now.

      • You made me sad again :-(

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        Reported for impersonation and libel. Enjoy your Twitter accounts being deleted!

      • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

        A troll reporting on a user for making fun of the troll?
        Thats hilarious! :)

        Tallest Skil, why don’t you take your medicine the same way you dish it out?

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        If you had any manner of reply whatsoever, you would have posted it.

        Maybe post a reply that proves me wrong? Sounds like a better option.

      • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

        Wow, the level of audacity has gone beyond the roof.
        You’re saying that I should post something that proves you wrong?

        Is this like other users asking you repeatedly for you to post instead of you dishing out “shut up already” or similar comments?

        The visuals of your hypocrisy is denser than fog….

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        I figured it was reasonable. I guess absolutely everyone is accountable for their own actions and statements except you, huh.

        I’ll say again: If you’ve any way to prove he’s not trolling, feel free.

      • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

        Of course he’s trolling you. Theres no doubt about that. Asking for proof that he’s not, is like asking to prove the sky is visually green instead of blue. Its a given, its obvious.

        All of that is besides the point and if you don’t see it, well, that would explain much of your behaviour here on these article posts.

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        >>Of course he’s trolling you.

        Then your statements to the contrary or claiming that it is wrong to call this out are completely ludicrous and meaningless.

        >>behavior

        What is wrong with you? Why do trolls deserve kindness at all? You refuse to answer any questions I ask, but I’ll do another: What reason do we have to be nice to morons who are here explicitly to lie about Apple?

      • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

        Who says he’s lieing? Voicing an opinion, does not constitute a lie.
        A answer your serious questions.
        Answering your questions about insults e.t.c. why should anyone bother? Isn’t that trolling?
        You do exactly what you accuse this guy of doing.
        I think you’re pulling my leg here.
        Back to Apple discussions……

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        >>You do exactly what you accuse this guy of doing.
        I think you’re pulling my leg here.

        Yep, I sure do lie about Apple to hurt its reputation!

        Oh, wait.

  10. Yutana Lin - 10 years ago

    It’s about the potential market and access to the industry.

  11. rahhbriley - 10 years ago

    All of you that are acting like the fall is falling crack me. Talking about how you’re not using Apple products any more and how lost and hopeless it all is. You sound like 5 year olds. What, do you think Apple is going to fire every engineer they have and stop making computers? Like a “misguided purchase” is going to bring them crashing down? Give me a break. The potential for Iovine and Dre to more or less be part time consultants has no bearings on the rest of the company. You’re fickle. Iovine could actually be a huge asset to iTunes. Maybe not but the dude knows the industry. The point is, we don’t know. Shit. At all. Many of you act like Steve did every single thing at Apple. There are tons of brilliant people there. Smarter than me. And most certainly smarter than you alarmist. (Side note, this is not me defending the RUMORED purchase, just pointing how illogical and alarmist a large group of people are being here.)

  12. endorsebug - 10 years ago

    You have got to respect this!!

  13. The power of the hip hop culture is just being recognized in public by one of the most powerful technology brands, APPLE. Me being part of the hip hop culture I have watched how we set the president for what’s cool time and time again. I have watched hip hop celebs wear or mention a product and it sell out soon after. This is not new, this is only part of what beats brings to apple who are no slouches at all in the cool, functional, high end department. This is just it being recognized and capitalized on.

    • Josh Mobley - 10 years ago

      Boom. excellent insight man.

    • Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

      Yes but if these guys calling themselves ‘homies’ represent that culture, they look pretty immature. In that video they talk just like teenagers.

      • Listen to your own keywords (Immature) (Teenagers) one of if not the biggest market in consumer products. They are who most company’s want to grasp the attention of.

  14. o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

    iPhone 6 by Dre

  15. “In the modern world of technology, working remotely is not a far-fetched possibility”

    Was this written in the mid-90s or something???

  16. Jake Becker - 10 years ago

    You get to be an executive if you get bought? I mean, Dre has his strengths, I just have this hunch like being totally tuned in to what Apple is and is all about is one of those strengths. Call me crazy.

  17. hmurchison - 10 years ago

    No one uses the term “gangbanger” anymore. Dr Dre is many things but a gangbanger he is not. Do these guys look like gangbangers to you?

    http://percyingle.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/picture_world_class_wreckin_cru_dr_dre_yella_clintel_pomotion_01.jpg

  18. Richard Everson - 10 years ago

    Everyone just take a minute and breath,
    Beats headphones and earbuds, are massive must haves for young teens and adults. They are a symbol a fashion must.
    If you got beats, you have style

    I see apple buying this company as a great chance to reach more untouched markets. Levine is well respected within the music industry, and has a lot of contacts.
    Which could help iTunes and iTunes Radio.
    Everyone should trust that Apple and the board know what they are doing.
    Everything they do has a reason

    • Jack Gnasty - 10 years ago

      “The first billionaire in hip-hop, right here from the motherfucking West Coast.” – Dr. Dre

      Yeah, great opportunity there. He and Jony Ive should grab a beer together.

  19. drtyrell969 - 10 years ago

    The lunacy of this deal continues to manifest. Boy Tim, you really know how to run a Steve Jobs company don’t you. Can’t wait for the slow motion footage of the 777 slamming into the mountain side.

  20. Michael van Staveren - 10 years ago

    The end of Apple is near…

  21. borntofeel - 10 years ago

    Is this a fucking joke?

  22. Gregory Brown - 10 years ago

    Dr Dre brings huge marketing muscle… he didn’t take 1/3 of the high end headphone accident by accident. Expect to see Ipods and Macbook in music videos everywhere very soon.

  23. Cross Hill (@crosshill61) - 10 years ago

    This reality distortion field keep their heads ringin.

  24. FAME - 10 years ago

    How disgusting some of you are with your obvious and inexcusable prejudice, this is a great move for Apple. Good for Lovine and Dre. Apple has yet again made a bold step to improving their brand, with Lovine and Dre at the helm of Sound and Streaming, iTunes (iBeats?) will be unstoppable. It will also exponentially improve hardware and software calibration on all their devices. Congratulations to the first Black American Billionaire.

    • kplayaja - 10 years ago

      Oprah?

    • Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

      I find the fact that people get accused of racism for criticizing this rapper pretty insulting. Some commenters may indeed be racist, but I’m not. I just don’t see someone who talks like a kid in a company like Apple.

      • Jack Gnasty - 10 years ago

        “The first billionaire in hip-hop, right here from the motherfucking West Coast.” – Dr. Dre

        His demeanor is certainly something to be discussed. His music, lyrics, and what he describes as black culture are also something to be discussed. Cop killing anyone?

    • Jack Gnasty - 10 years ago

      Prejudice? Get yourself a dictionary first. Second, begin to understand that some people, myself included, happen to be aware of his portfolio of music and don’t agree with what he promotes. I don’t care for degrading women, promoting drugs, violence, crime, and cop killing. Not for me. There are some turds out there that like that kind of stuff, not me. And there is nothing racist, prejudice, or any other nonsense term you want to throw out about it. Some people don’t want a single dollar of their hard earned income going to someone who promotes that trash.

  25. rymc02 - 10 years ago

    Here is a great read if the history behind Monster becoming Monster:

    http://gizmodo.com/5981823/beat-by-dre-the-inside-story-of-how-monster-lost-the-world

  26. scanendtile - 10 years ago

    They should have bought Spotify at whatever the price in my view, beats’ streaming service is OK, but it’s not as well developed as Spotify. Apple should be seeking to work with A-Players!

    • hmurchison - 10 years ago

      Spotify pretty much sucks for curation. I found it too hard to wade through ridiculously long playlists submitted by users. The litmus test for great music curation is the paucity in which you must tap the kip button.

  27. kplayaja - 10 years ago

    These comments are hilarious. I’ve never seen this level of disdain towards an Apple acquisition. I wonder why all the “End of Apple” prophecies all of a sudden. Oh no! A BLACK BILLIONAIRE Hip Hop mogul will be the downfall of Apple!!! Really??? Search inside yourselves and find you’re true problem with this and then GET OVER IT!

  28. Robert Gauthier - 10 years ago

    My gut feeling is this does NOT have much to do with headphones and everything to do with music. Since Apple is the biggest distributor of music, why not create their own label?

  29. Josh Mobley - 10 years ago

    Wow! bring a brother into the fold and suddenly, it’s hip hop and gang banging? The bigotry is appalling. You might say you didn’t mean anything by it but we all know that’s bullshit.

    AGAIN, are there are African Americans in senior EXECUTIVE positions? To the best of my knowledge there are not. If I was apple, I would be embarrassed by this. Doctor Dre is already worth half a billion. You don’t make that kind of hard earned money in the music biz without being very talented and HIGHLY intelligent.

    • todd - 10 years ago

      You’re an idiot. Do you know anything about Dre? He was a founder of NWA which glomourized cop killing, rape, murder, drug use and the abuse of women.

      This guy is a first rate POS that will now be working for Apple. But I guess abusing women and rape are cool with you because, hey, HE’S A BROTHER. Man FUCK you. I’m so sick of bottom feeders like you.

  30. Julius (@FreshJulius) - 10 years ago

    I’ll admit that I don’t fully understand this move by Apple (not that I should), but how about a modicum of perspective: Apple, who has the largest market cap in the world, depending on the week, just paid $3.2 Billion for Beats, which makes a few highly successful consumer products and has a caché of streaming contracts.

    Facebook, a company with far less capital (comparatively speaking), recently paid $19 Billion for a messaging app (and it’s users).

    That is SIX times what Apple is paying for Beat$…

    • Great point and beats brings in 1billion a year as quoted by an editor on this page.

    • I agree with you here. Compared to the Facebook/Whatsapp deal beats at least brings some actual sales volume. However, I’m interested to see if all that’s true and what Apple is going to do with it. I bought beats headphones some years ago and returned them right away. The sound in my iPhone headsets was far better then beats. But perhaps I listened to the wrong music 😉

  31. Winski - 10 years ago

    I’ve got three or four other things that Apple could spend my $3+ BILLION on if you want my suggestions… Just for yucks, as I was doing some random shopping yesterday, I asked the kids running the counter in the Electronics department of this major US Retailer. Had he ever used or had any of the ‘Beats’ products?? “Yeah, he replied… I bought some of their headphones a while back. They sounded great BUT they broke VERY easily. When I tried to return them for replacement, Beats did NOT want to replace them, even thru the retailer.

    After some string pulling thru my employer, I got a refund.. I WILL NOT BUY Beats products again – ever.”

    Nuf said??

    Hey Tim… Do something else… with my money….

    • Well there you have it, lol. If only Apple had been made aware of this tragic story before putting pen to paper.

    • Josh Mobley - 10 years ago

      haha, your money? This ain’t the fed jack. It became THEIR money the moment you purchased one of their products.

    • Andrew Messenger - 10 years ago

      yeah, and i’ve never had equally terrible experiences with Apple and Apple Retail. /s

    • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

      “Hey Tim… Do something else… with my money….”

      Excuse me, but you bartered away your money when you bought one of their products. Therefore you no longer have the ‘vote’ to tell Apple what to do.
      Unlike me, that actually bought stocks in this company, I have a better right to tell Apple how to best manage the company.

  32. Klaus Dietrich Lange - 10 years ago

    Of course I have no idea, I just guess Apple wants to make a bold movement and instead of just adding a couple of new feature to the iPhone every year (yawn) do something hip and cool. Suppose Tim is cooking up something to beat up the competition…

  33. Andrew Messenger - 10 years ago

    Has anyone taken a second to think about what Beats could be with Apple, rather than what Apple can get from Beats? Imagine a world where one of the most popular (albeit overrated) fashion-electronic brands is now owned by a company who takes pride in both design, usability AND quality.

  34. Viliger Black - 10 years ago

    I too am mystified.

    I just hope Cook sees something that the rest of us don’t. It can’t be the headphones surely. The black thing and hop hop thing make sense … but the scale just staggers me.

  35. MAW (@mahstick) - 10 years ago

    Obvious prejudice aside, what makes Dre and Iovine any less competent than any other Apple exec? What have they achieved? Taking 1/3 of the headphone market and creating a strong brand among younger people is an accomplishment few can brag of.

  36. iwatch promotion… i think it has something to do with promoting the watch to the young. Cook did say in a interview that it will be very difficult to people wear a watch (last year on D). imagine dr dre gets big hip hop artist to wear an apple iwatch? how many people more will run to the shop ? Apple are trying to snap up the brand image of cool… Use that method to tap into being an even more call brand to the young.
    They’ll have a chunk out of the beats music app to… merge it with iTunes radio? prevent competitor taking the opportunity? samsungs getting all these footballers and sports people to advertise. Apple just using a different method, which i potentially think will be more successful.

  37. Overlord - 10 years ago

    Yo, Dr. Dre!
    Welcome aboard.

    First thing: put stereo speakers on iPhone / iPad!

    Peace!