Hip-hop junkies may think they know the whole story of rap producing legend Dr. Dre, and music fans and business moguls might believe they know everything there is to know about acclaimed producer Jimmy Iovine. They may indeed, but in the event that’s not the case, both are featured in the Netflix limited series The Defiant Ones to share their story and possibly to fill in any blanks. A partnership, which eventually led to the three billion dollar acquisition of Beats by Dre to Apple, Dre and Iovine start at the beginning to regale audiences of how it all it came to be.
The Defiant Ones to share their story and possibly to fill in any blanks.
The series is a four part special that packs in as much relevant information as possible on both moguls, told from each side and point in view, documenting their journeys that led to working with multiple award winning artists, accumulating massive wealth, and staining their names into the pages of pop culture history as icons forever. Much is included in the documentary in addition to the histories of Dre and Iovine including the birth of N.W.A on the west coast, the evolution of Snoop Dogg, the inception of artists such as Marilyn Manson and Gwen Stefani, the rise and fall of Tupac, and beginning of the legendary career of Eminem. Everything is compact into four episodes, each between an hour and an hour and half long, encompassing both the personal and professional tribulations of the men who were behind the scenes of a musical culture that took the world by storm and only continues to progress.
The series has obviously been the product of a lot of time and care and ultimately, it ended up well worked on as Director Allen Hughes it seems has logged more than enough hours to insure a proper viewing experience. The editing is stellar and includes integrating a healthy amount of celebrity interviews from all corners of the industry, stock footage of when things happened in real time throughout their careers, and plenty of press releases and other news stories to back up their many exploits. Dre and Iovine have plenty to say, along with others such as: Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Bruce Springsteen, Sean Combs (Puff Daddy), The D.O.C., DJ Yella, Will.i.am, Alonzo Williams, and the list goes on. Every interview, clip, and music track is cut together to give the show an exciting and authentic narrative that’s easy to follow and informative to all who may be interested.
The series was produced in 2017 but Netflix is still showing it in multiple territories. Now, everyone has the chance to live the experience these two giants did in order to shape the industry of music as the world knows it today. Their struggles, triumphs, plights, and praises are all on display in this epic telling that illustrates an intimate view of what they went through in order to achieve greatness. The world may never get anything like them again, so don’t take it for granted and give it a look.
