I worked with Dre once and with Warren G once, so I have no alliance with his camp nor any reason to defend him personally (as if he needs it). I would take the same position if the subject of this thread was any other mixer or producer.
As an example of my point, who mixed the Metallica Black Album; Bob Rock or Randy Staub? Who produced the song "Thriller'? For that matter, who wrote it?
Let's say you put together a beat and "sold" it to someone who recorded lyrics to it and mixed it without any involvement from you... are you still the "producer"? And if Dre hires some guys to help him create bass lines or keyboard parts and arrangements, is he any less of a producer? If so, what kind of producer is Rick Rubin? What about Arif Mardin?
My beef was with the way that this thread was started (who mixes FOR Dre?) and some of the inuendo contained in Engine's posts, as I outlined above. He has since edited his posts somewhat to clean them up a bit, but he still thinks Dre lacks the "finesse" to mix records the way he does, and suggests that someone else tells Dre what gear to use and turns the knobs. It's irresponsible to suggest things like that in a public forum, especially one such as this where people come for information.
Like you No SSL, I couldn't give a rip what Dre does or doesn't do... I'm trying to get MINE. What a true waste of mental energy to jock some guy's mixes but not believe he does them. Reminds me of a bit from Eddie Murphy's movie "Delirious". Some of you know exactly which bit...LOL