Social media can be a gift and a curse. Many people have used apps like Instagram and Twitter to gain profit for their businesses while others just like to share parts of their personal lives with the world.
Dr. Dre believes that social media has caused artists to lose their fascinating aura of mystery. In an interview with British GQ, the “Still D.R.E.” MC and Jimmy lovine explained how social media has made artists too accessible.
“I probably would’ve hated social media when I was coming up,” Dre said around the 15-minute mark in the video. “There’s a certain mystique that gets destroyed. I like the mystique. I like waiting. I don’t need anybody to know where I am every minute or what I’m doing or what I’m about to do.”
“There’s a certain mystique that came along with music that was entertaining to wait to see what was about to happen,” he continued.
“I don’t know the impact of Instagram, it’s not mutual,” lovine chimed in. “If Michael Jackson had Instagram, would he have ended up healthier? Who knows. I think what’s happened is ‘great’ was never behind fame as much as it is now. Fame is what the currency is. Likes or whatever the stuff is. So fame, and if you happen to be great … musicians up until recently, that’s why people put music out everyday. That’s marketing.”
He continued, “But, not all of it’s great because that’s impossible. I think ‘great’ has pulled back a little bit.”
Later in the interview, the pair discussed their plans to open their own high school.
“We’re starting it right outside of USC,” revealed Iovine. “And it’s for that neighborhood. And it’s going to be free. We’re doing it with Laurene Powell Jobs and XQ and the USC. We want to give underrated kids an edge. We want to market our high school, we want to make it appealing for kids to stay in school and learn. Most don’t want to be there.”
Check out the interview below.