This article was published on May 9, 2014

Did Dr. Dre just confirm that Apple is buying Beats for $3.2 billion? [Updated]


Did Dr. Dre just confirm that Apple is buying Beats for $3.2 billion? [Updated]

Update: The video and accompanying photos have been pulled from Tyrese Gibson’s Facebook page. You can still watch the clip on YouTube however.

Apple is rumored to be acquiring Beats Electronics in a landmark deal worth $3.2 billion. While the purchase is yet to be confirmed formally by either company, a Facebook video uploaded by actor Tyrese Gibson suggests an announcement is imminent.

In a clip spanning just 83 seconds, the Hollywood actor – most well-known for his roles in The Fast and the Furious and Transformers movie franchises – congratulates hip-hop icon Dr. Dre on the acquisition.

It’s fair to assume that a hefty amount of alcohol was being consumed at the music studio, as Gibson cracks jokes about the Forbes list needing to be updated. Sixty-six seconds in, Dr. Dre appears to confirm the acquisition:

“The first billionaire in hip-hop, right here from the motherf**king West Coast.”

The full video is available below. Be warned, the clip contains a fair amount of bad language, as well as some slick dance moves courtesy of Gibson. (Update: The video on Facebook has been pulled. We’ve replaced it with a ripped version from YouTube.)

Beats Electronics is fighting on two fronts at the moment. Its range of premium headphones have been a smash hit and most recently, the company launched an on-demand music streaming service in the US.

An acquisition would give Apple access to a high-profile fashion brand, as well as a foothold in the music streaming space, where Spotify, Rdio, Deezer and a host of other companies are already competing. Apple is starting to roll-out iTunes Radio, a Pandora competitor internationally, but is yet to offer an on-demand service similar to Xbox Music or Google Play Music All Access.

Read Next: Beats president explains why the HTC partnership ended: ‘The landscape had just changed’ / Beats Music streaming service is now live in the App Store

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