Tracy Lynn Curry, born June 10, 1968, in West Dallas, Texas, United States, known professionally as the D.O.C., is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career with the Dallas hip-hop trio Fila Fresh Crew in the late 1980s before contributing lyrics to N.W.A's studio album Straight Outta Compton in 1988 and Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz-It in 1988. Signing with Ruthless Records, he released his debut solo studio album, No One Can Do It Better, in 1989, produced by Dr. Dre, which reached number 20 on the US Billboard 200 and generated the Number 1 Hot Rap Songs singles “It's Funky Enough” and “The D.O.C. & The Doctor”. A near-fatal car crash in November 1989 permanently damaged his vocal cords, leaving him with a raspier voice. He continued writing for N.W.A and co-founded Death Row Records in 1991 alongside Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey, contributing lyrics to Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992 and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle in 1993. Relocating to Atlanta in 1994, he released his second studio album, Helter Skelter, in 1996. He founded Silverback Records in 1997, releasing his third studio album, Deuce, in 2003. At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award alongside N.W.A.
