Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine to take on senior roles at Apple after Beats buyout

The Wall Street Journal added some new details to the Apple-Beats discussion last night, reporting that Beats co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are likely to take on senior roles at the Cupertino company following the high profile acquisition.
Now, just what exactly they’ll be doing at Apple is still unclear. It sounds like the positions are not going to be full time, with the pair commuting from Los Angeles—where Beats is headquartered—to Cupertino, and other places if necessary…
From the Journal’s report:

But as Apple completes a deal to buy headphone and streaming-service company Beats Electronics LLC from Mr. Iovine and his co-founder, rap star Dr. Dre, both men are likely to take senior positions with the Cupertino, Calif., tech company, according to people familiar with the matter, commuting from the Los Angeles area to Silicon Valley—or meetings elsewhere—as needed.
Though the details of the men’s potential Apple assignments remain unclear, the mere possibility underscores how Apple’s corporate culture has loosened under the leadership of Mr. Jobs’s successor, Chief Executive Tim Cook.

The news matches up with a report from The Post on Thursday, which claimed that Jimmy Iovine would be joining Apple after the Beats deal was completed. The outlet said he would serve as a ‘special advisor’ to Tim Cook on creative matters.
Iovine joining Apple would actually make a bit of sense. In addition to co-founding Interscope Records back in 1990, Mr. Iovine has produced several albums for top acts including U2, Tom Petty, and more, and he has quite a history in Cupertino.

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine with NBA star Lebron James

Dr. Dre’s no slouch either. The long-time rapper and producer has strong connections in the music industry, Hollywood, and pro sports. So what company wouldn’t want him and Iovine on their team brokering deals and pushing brand awareness?
Of course, it’s worth noting that the acquisition hasn’t been made official yet—by either company—though Dr. Dre certainly seems to think it’s a done deal. Yesterday, a video surfaced of Dr. Dre celebrating his new title as ‘hip hop’s first billionaire’.

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