North Miami is home to the music industries greatest musicians and producers. Cool & Dre are music producers whose name holds a lot of weight. From winning Grammies, signing some of Miami’s talented artist such as Kent Jones, as well as having a record labeled called Epidemic Music Label with well known partner DJ Khaled. Cool & Dre are the epitome of going against the odds and persevering to be successful. Being that they are both from North Miami they display a North Miami pride. Never forgetting where they come from and always giving back to their community.
Quick facts:
- Dre’s real name is Andre Christopher Lyon and he was born in New York City.
- Moved to North Miami at five years old with his family
- Cool’s real name is Marcello “Cool” Valenzano
- Dre graduated from North Miami High School and he and Cool have their own record label, Epidemic Music.
Q: Do you know why your family decided to relocated to North Miami? Which elementary, middle and high school did you attend?
Dre: My family is Jamaican. They couldn’t deal with the New York weather. It gets cold in the winters out there. We moved to North Miami where I attended North Miami Elementary, Middle and High School.
Q: What or whom inspired you to do music? How did you know that was your path?
Dre: I always loved music growing up as a kid. I listened to all genres of music when i was young. I appreciated the instruments and the vocal performances and how they came together to create the vibe. Music has been a inspiration to me as long as I can remember. It was Outkast’s debut album that shined a light on a pathway to where I saw proof that you can create amazing music incorporating live instruments & samples and be successful. That album made me feel like we could really live out our dreams.
Q: How did you meet ‘Cool’ (Marcello)?
Dre: I met Cool in highschool.
Q: What made Cool & Dre different from other artists, in your opinion?
Dre: The thing that made Cool & I different was that, for one, we were from North Miami. Growing up, there were other cities in Miami way more popular than North Miami. So we always had that underdog spirit. And number two, Cool and I listened to every genre of music, appreciated hip hop on a whole and it came through the beats we created.
Q:How did North Miami play a role in the rap duo, Cool & Dre? What values did you gain from this city that, you believe, helped you in your career?
Dre: Like i stated earlier, North Miami is a special place. It’s 5 minutes from Opa Locka depending on where you stay. Its also down the street from Aventura and if you bang a turn on 125th street you’re in Bal Harbor. So we see it from every angle. I makes us special because of the diversity. Being that close to Bal Harbor makes you wanna secure that bag. Its that inspiration to go get it and come up.
Q: After traveling all over the world, what has kept you in North Miami? What are one or two things North Miami has that you cannot find anywhere else?
Dre: Home is where the heart is. No matter where I’m at in the world, I’m North Miami.
Q: What are some things you enjoyed doing while growing up in the city? In what ways have you given back to the city?
Dre: I loved playing ball at Cagni Park. I loved walking 2 seconds down the street to get Chicken Plus. I love the fact that I met Cool my brother from another in North Miami. Infact this year we are doing our annual Toy Drive in North Miami. I’ll have more details as we get closer to Christmas.
Q: What is next for you?
Dre: Whats next for us is continuing the forward progress we have gained over the past 20 years of consistently creating music and hit records for artists from all walks of life. Over our professional career as music producers we have been blessed to create some of music’s biggest hits and are honored to win a couple Grammy’s on the way. We are extremely excited about Kent Jones who currently has the #1 record in the country, his debut single Don’t Mind has just received RIAA Gold status and he has a chance to be an important artist for this generation. Kent Jones is also an amazing musician which will keep him relevant for years to come. He’s signed to our Epidemic Music label alongside our good friend and partner DJ Khaled and We The Best Music. It’s been a long time coming but because we’re from North Miami we never gave up. We didn’t fold. We refused to walk away from our convictions. It’s the North Miami way. Bless up.
