Dr. Dre Says Older Artists Hating on Current State of Rap Sound Like ‘Somebody’s F*cking Grandfather’

After decades in the industry, Dre has plenty to say about the importance of not hating on younger artists. “If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it,” he tells Kevin Hart.

Image via Getty/Theo Wargo/Karl Lagerfeld

Dr. Dre has a message for those hellbent on relentlessly criticizing new music and younger artists, reminding them they very much sound like a “fucking grandfather” when making such comments.

Speaking with Kevin Hart on a recent episode of Peacock’s Hart to Heart series, Dre was first asked to name who he listens to these days, spurring a wise assessment from the music industry titan about getting “inspiration from all types of genres of music.”

From there, Hart steered the conversation into the topic of “the climate of rap now” and “the state of hip-hop today.” Specifically, Hart asked Dre to give his thoughts on older rap artists who have not embraced or otherwise supported the work of their younger peers.

“Fuck that,” Dre said. “Let me tell you something. Hip-hop is what it is. Anybody that’s talking about the state of hip-hop right now and talking about it from a negative place sounds like somebody’s fucking grandfather. You know what I’m saying? This is just what it is. Hip-hop is evolving. If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it.”

While Dre noted that he himself doesn’t listen to “a lot” of newer music within the hip-hop space, he would never resort to “hating on it.” In short, he sounds inspired by the evolution, particularly with what artists are doing with the more accessible nature of modern recording techniques.

“They have everything at their fingertips right now, but you can’t be mad at that,” he said. “This is what it is. If you don’t like it, motherfucker, do something about it. If you don’t like what’s happening right now, are you fucking strong enough or talented enough to do something new to change it, to do something that you like? Other than that, shut the fuck up. That’s it. Stop hating.”

See more of Dre and Hart’s conversation here. Elsewhere in the discussion, Dre reflects on some of his most celebrated collaborative experiences, as well as touches on being “free for the first time in my life.” On the later point, Dre revealed, he’s currently at a point in his life where he’s trying to figure out what comes next for him creatively. “It’s like a good thing and a bad thing,” he said, though he’s “absolutely” the happiest he’s ever been.

Earlier this year, Dre’s classic debut studio album The Chronic made its long-awaited return to streaming services. When announcing the re-release in February, Dre called it a “full circle moment.”