Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre invented G-funk with 1992's The Chronic, which sold over 8 million copies and redefined West Coast hip-hop. He launched the careers of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and 50 Cent, and his meticulous production—sampling Parliament-Funkadelic with crisp drum programming—set a sonic standard that outperforms Rick Rubin's minimalist approach in sheer commercial impact. Dre's 2001 album moved 7 million units, a percentage higher than the typical rival's debut.