Back in the day when MTV actually used to show more music videos than reality TV, Doctor Dré and Ed Lover’s Yo! MTV Raps was groundbreaking for its time because it brought rap music and videos to the mainstream. It’s been forever since Yo! went off the air, but now Dré wants a different type of show.
In an interview with the New York Times, Dré spoke about diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 10 years ago. The disease has changed his body in many ways. He’s lost a toe and has had many ankle injuries. But the biggest impact has been on his eyesight, which he has lost.
“My stubbornness put me where I’m at,” Dré said. “Now my energy is going to change that. We got young people, grown people, old, all having this. We can prevent this. We can cure this. I have an idea how to do it.”
Dré is about to undergo weight-loss surgery and has teamed up with former Def Jam executive Bill Adler to pitch a TV show about his struggle with diabetes and his surgery and recovery. But unfortunately, those people Dré and Adler knew, whom the Times referred to as “high-profile hip-hop personalities and entrepreneurs with television experience and a history,” have basically pressed “ignore” on their calls.
“These are people I’ve known for 30 years, and they haven’t gotten back to me,” Adler said. “Dré just wants to share his enthusiasm with people. There are plenty of other folks who star in reality shows who are plainly narcissists, who are convinced every absurd thing out of their mouth has to be captured by a television camera. That is not Dré.”
Hopefully, someone will find Dré’s story worthy enough for some airtime.