Dr. Dre pairs with LeBron James for a new line of headphones, claims ‘Detox’ may be out by Christmas
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Maybe Dr. Dre knows better than we do. After all, few people actually purchase music these days -- they just listen to it on their computers, often through a pair of good headphones. Thus, his Beats by Dr. Dre line of luxury headphones-- a partnership with Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine and Monster Cable -- has been one of the rare successes in a flagging industry.
His latest offering is LeBron’s PowerBeats headphones, a collaboration with 2010 NBA MVP LeBron James that is tailored to fitness enthusiasts.
‘We worked with LeBron to make sure these would be the ultimate headphones for athletes. I’m always about the performance, the sound, and LeBron brought what he needed in terms of function to the table,’ Dr. Dre said in a prepared statement. ‘I’ve been wearing the prototype for PowerBeats in the gym every day for the last few months, so I can honestly say they’re the best headphones for working out.’
On Wednesday, Dre spoke to reporters at a Best Buy in New York. When asked about his famously delayed ‘Detox,’ he told Rap-Up that ‘I’m really trying to make Christmas, but we’ll see...Something will definitely be out. I’m actually working on it every day. I just have to make sure I don’t accomplish this word: anticippointment.’
To which Iovine reportedly added: ‘If it comes down to it, Dre will move Christmas. We support him 1,000%.”
Translation: Don’t expect it anytime soon. According to reports, the West Coast legend played two tracks backstage for a select few, but no audio has yet leaked. Regarding Dre’s fears of ‘anticippointment,’ he’s already toyed with audience expectations for the last decade. You don’t need a weatherman to gauge the disenchantment felt in both streets and blogs. As prominent hip-hop blog Nah Right put it, ‘Detox was a myth Monster Cable constructed to sell headphones.’
-- Jeff Weiss