By Sherri L. Smith, BlackWeb20.com

Or at least the way you listen to digital music. Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine is working with legendary rapper/producer Dr. Dre and computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard to change the way we listen to our audio files. In an interview with CNET, Iovine, while stopping short of directly mentioning a partnership with HP confirmed that he plans to go back to the drawing board, working to create products that counteract the low quality audio we hear through computer speakers and headsets.

The partnership would be the latest in Hewlett-Packard’s successful marketing campaign that has it teaming up with celebrities to give their products some needed star power. One collaboration of note is the one forged with fashion designer Vivienne Tam, spawning the Vivienne Tam netbook that had a solid performance last year. More substantial than putting out a pretty product, the collabo with Dre and Interscope will create laptops and high-end headphones that would deliver top-notch sound as well as software — all bearing the “Beats by Dre” logo.

Although the wheels are moving on this partnership, Iovine hasn’t ruled out the possibility of doing something with Apple. “We have to fix the entire chain,” Iovine told CNET News. “Our position is to go to all the sources and try to improve sound and educate people…We can’t put anything weak in the line. Whoever puts out things that sound bad shouldn’t be as cool as something that sounds great.”

So hardcore audiophiles and music fanatics ears are left burning with the possiblity of knock your socks off audio ala those old school Maxell commercials. Meanwhile Hip-Hop fanatics are left to ponder if this is the year that Dr. Dre will finally release his long awaited opus Detox. Set to come out at the top of the millenium, it’s nine years later and fans are still jonesing for his musical methodone. We’ll keep you posted on both situations.

BlackWeb20.com covers website and application launches; culturally relevant Internet industry news; and mainstream Internet industry news from an African-American perspective.  They also analyze emerging web trends and how they apply to web properties that target African-Americans or African-American culture.

TAGS: Beats by Dre, CNET, Dr. Dre, Hewlett-Packard, Interscope, Jimmy Iovine, Maxell

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