Hip-Hop pioneer Doctor Dre loses his vision in fight with diabetes

New York -- A celebrated hip-hop-oriented entertainer and educator, Andre "Doctor Dre" Brown long ago established himself as a savvy creator of popular culture.

Long Island's Doctor Dre, not to be confused with the West Coast producer and gangster rapper, has made his mark on radio and television, in the movies and in print, working successively as a DJ, composer, talent scout, program host, actor, author, and critic, but he is likely best-known as the co-host with Ed Lover of "Yo! MTV Raps", the tv show that did more than any other to make rap music and hip-hop culture global phenomena.

Doctor Dre is now battling type 2 diabetes, which has already robbed him of a toe and most recently his vision.