Dr Dre, aka Andre Romelle Young, is suing Chinese companies that are selling fake Beats, Hip Hop DX is reporting today. Dr Dre, hip hop producer and entrepreneur best known for his work with Snoop Dogg, feels the Chinese companies are stiff competition for offering a much cheaper alternative to his expensive Beats headphones.
According to documents filed in court, Dr Dre is suing a group of Chinese websites that are selling counterfeit Beats at a fraction of the cost. Dr Dre and his attorneys are hoping to take over the domain names of all the Chinese counterfeit companies that are selling cheap Beats by Dr Dre replicas—companies that are making over $130 billion dollars in profit, according to TMZ.
Many high-profile celebrities use Dr Dre’s Beats headphones, such as Lady Gaga, Taryn Mannin, Katie Bell, P Diddy, Justin Bieber and Lil’ Wayne. Rapper Nicki Minaj and LeBron James are also users of Beats by Dr Dre headphones. Dr Dre is only trying to protect his brand.
Compton native Dr Dre is known for his hard work and his perfectionist attitude which have helped make him the success he is today. Since the Beats deal, Dr Dre is often referred to as the “billionaire rapper.” And while he may not quite be a billionaire just yet, he is one of the richest rappers in the world, netting him a ton of respect from his old Compton neighborhood.
According to Cult of Mac.com, one Compton economics teacher makes it his business to teach his students about Dr Dre, who is seen as a role model in the community, and an example of what can happen to a poor kid when they put in hard work. “I want to be like him,” said Chris, a student at King Drew Medical Magnet High School, according to Contact Music .
Dr Dre is estimated to be worth between $700-800 million since Apple acquired the Beats brand. With his Beats brand success, other celebrities are jumping on board the headphones wagon. Some of the other celebrity headphone brands include SYNC by 50 Cent, Soul by Ludacris, Skull Candy Roc Nation Aviator headphones by Jay Z and Bob Marley inspired House of Marley headphones offer another alternative to Dr Dre’s Beats.
Dr Dre came on the scene in the late 1980’s with the founding of his hip hop group N.W.A. He regained popularity in the 1990’s with his work with Snoop Dogg, bringing his gangster rap style to the mainstream. Dr Dre is still married to his wife Nichole Threatt, former wife of NBA Player Sedale Threatt.
