Hip Hop mogul Dr. Dre has fathered at least nine children through the years, with women from previous relationships. Some of his kids grew up in the spotlights, and are following in their dad’s footsteps.
Music legend Dr. Dre began his fatherhood journey four decades ago after welcoming his first child with his high school sweetheart Cassandra Joy Greene.
Since then, the 56-year old seems to have become invested in the fatherhood game, welcoming eight additional kids through the years.
While his expanding family could easily pass as a blessing, his penchant for fathering kids has come under fire on occasions, mostly because he welcomed these kids with various women.
This has led many to question if the icon lives up to his responsibility as a father. The latest attack on Dr. Dre’s fatherhood came in 2021 after one of his kids accused him of being a deadbeat dad.
The revelation sent fans digging deeper into Dr. Dre’s large family comprising nine kids and five baby mamas, as well as their relationship with him.
Meet The Baby Mamas
The producer first became a dad in 1981 when he was only sixteen and in high school. He fathered a son, Curtis, with his then 15-year-old girlfriend, Cassandra Greene.
Two years later, the rapper welcomed a daughter, La Tanya, with Lisa Johnson who went on to give him two additional daughters.
In the late eighties, Dre became linked to Jenita Porter, who bore him a son, Andre Young in 1988. Around that time, he also sustained a relationship with songstress Michel’le, which lasted from 1987 to 1996. The pair welcomed their son Marcel in 1991.
Following his breakup from Porter, the hip hop legend tied the knot with Nicole Young, the former wife of NBA player Sedale Threatt. The two became parents to two children, Truice and Truly before divorcing in 2020 citing irreconcilable differences.
He also has a daughter from a rumored affair with an unidentified woman during his relationship with Lisa.
1. Curtis Young
Dre’s firstborn Curtis Young landed on the planet in December 1981. However, his mom, Cassandra Greene raised him on her own. Notably, Curtis only met his dad when he turned twenty.
At the time, the now 40-year-old already knew he had a calling in music. The father-son duo forged an amicable relationship thereafter.
Curtis went on to follow in his famous dad’s footsteps, becoming a rapper under the name Hood Surgeon. In addition to his music pursuit, the star has indicated an interest in the movie industry, reportedly snagging his first-ever film role on “Charge It To The Game.”
He is now married to a woman named Vanessa with whom he shares two sons.
2. LaTanya Young
Dr. Dre’s daughter, LaTanya Young was born in 1983, as the first of his three kids with Lisa Johnson.
Her relationship with her dad seems to be the most complicated, as the 38-year-old claimed in December 2020, that she had been estranged from the rapper for about seventeen years.
The mother of four also accused her father of never meeting her kids, nor did he care for his grandchildren. The allegations became more heated in August 2021, when LaTanya revealed she was struggling financially and living off her car despite having a dad worth hundreds of millions.
According to her, she was barred from making contact with her dad and could only reach him through his attorney. LaTanya admitted the icon contributed to her welfare in the past but stopped in January 2020 after she spoke about him to the press.
She has since struggled to make a living by working for delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash or as an assembler at a warehouse. While she resides in her car, she had Dre’s four grandchildren living with friends kind enough to take them in.
3. LaToya Young
Johnson and Dre welcomed their second daughter in September 1984. However, the rapper never publicly acknowledged her as his.
The 37-year-old has remained out of the spotlights in years past, giving off little about herself to the public. However, Johnson once described her as one-of-two secret daughters she had with Dre.
4. Ashley Young
LaToya’s sister, Ashley shares the same fate as the former when it comes to their bond with their dad and their public life. She was born in 1985, but the rap icon never acknowledged him to be his daughter.
Notably, Johnson filed for child support for all three children while raising them on her own, but Dre only accepted LaTanya as his to fulfill his fatherly responsibility.
Given the rapper’s reluctance to acknowledge Ashley and her sister, one can safely assume their relationship would be somewhere between rocky and non-existent.
5. Tyra Young
While Dre was dating Johnson, he reportedly had an affair with an undisclosed woman who gave him a daughter, Tyra Young. She was born in May 1984, making her the rapper’s third child and second oldest daughter.
Like her mom’s identity, details about Tyra’s life remain a mystery, making her the most private among the brood of nine. However, some sources report that the 37-year-old is an actress and television producer notable for her works on “Take 6″ and “Ropes Of Silicon.”
6. Andre Young Jr.
Andre Young Jr. was Dr. Dre’s second son, born to the entrepreneur and his ex Jenita Porter in 1988. Sadly, he passed away in 2008 from an overdose of heroin and morphine.
Andre was only twenty years old when his mom found him dead on his bed, plunging his parents into a state of grief.
Dre seemed particularly fond of his second son, as a spokesperson for the rapper released a statement at the time, saying he was mourning the loss, and needed a period of privacy to live through it.
7. Marcel Young
Dr. Dre’s relationship with singer Michel’le yielded a son, Marcel Young, born in 1991. As Dre’s seventh child and third son, he grew up facing the challenge of every kid born to famous parents.
However, he managed to maintain a private life, away from the spotlights and doesn’t seem to share his parent’s musical dreams.
8. Truice Young
Truice Young was born one year after the rapper’s marriage to his ex-wife, Nicole Young. Given that his parent’s union lasted twenty-four years, the now-23-year-old had over two decades to bond with his dad, making their relationship pretty impressive.
He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has been in the spotlight since his birth, appearing on red carpets with his parents or on their social media pages.
9. Truly Young
Truly Young is the youngest of Dr. Dre’s kids and has an interest in the arts. The African-American beauty, born in 2001 enrolled at the film school of the University of Southern California to pursue her dreams.
Like her brother, she grew up in the spotlight, attending several red carpet events with her parents. She also has an impressive social media presence and spends her time modeling unique outfits and sharing photos with her fans.
Dr. Dre’s brood of kids, although complicated, proves the music icon has a thing for large families. While not all his children have good things to say about him, those who do could testify of his dedication to fatherhood.
However, the question of why he seems to alienate some of his children remains a lingering subject. Perhaps Lisa Johnson said it best in her 2010 YouTube interview when she reassured fans the real story would emerge in due time.