Dr. Dre Loves Eminem Controversy

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” Rapper-producer Dr. Dre is thriving on the controversy surrounding the four Grammy nominations for his protege Eminem. <br><br>``I love all the controversy,'' Dr. Dre said

Tuesday, January 9th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” Rapper-producer Dr. Dre is thriving on the controversy surrounding the four Grammy nominations for his protege Eminem.

``I love all the controversy,'' Dr. Dre said backstage at the American Music Awards. ``What we're doing is working. We're pushing buttons. Wait 'til the next record.''

Dr. Dre won favorite rap/hip hop artist at Monday night, beating out Eminem and DMX.

Dr. Dre earned five nominations for next month's Grammys, including nods for his comeback solo album and producing Eminem's ``The Marshall Mathers LP,'' which contains violent and offensive lyrics against gays and women.

At the Grammys, Dr. Dre promised to ``do something outrageous â€” win all those awards I'm nominated for.''

Eminem didn't appear at the AMAs, but he was a topic backstage.

``I don't think people need to worry about Eminem,'' said Kid Rock, who defeated Eminem and Marc Anthony for favorite pop/rock male artist.

``He's doing his thing and saying what's on his mind. What they ought to be worried about is people that think those things and don't say them. That's scary,'' he said.

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A hurting Toni Braxton limped to the stage twice to accept awards for favorite soul/rhythm & blues female artist and album for ``Heat.''

``It means I'm still maintaining a little bit, even in my older age,'' the 32-year-old said backstage.

Braxton sprained her left knee in separate falls on Friday and Monday at the Shrine Auditorium. Her wrapped knee was evident under a see-through skirt during her performance of ``Spanish Guitar.''

Braxton endured financial difficulties and a slowdown in her career after winning her first American Music Award in 1993, but now she is back on track.

``It's a wonderful feeling because for so long I thought I would never do it,'' she said. ``So many people said, `Oh, she'll never bounce back, her career is completely over,' and this just makes me feel validated with all the things I've gone through.''

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Pint-sized country singer Billy Gilman won favorite new country artist, staying up past his East Coast bedtime to meet idols Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

``Never in a million, trillion years would I have imagined winning an American Music Award,'' the 12-year-old, who is from Rhode Island, said backstage. He spoke into a microphone lowered to accommodate his 4-foot-10-inch frame.

``He's an amazing little guy, isn't he?'' said Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell, who followed Gilman backstage.

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Daryl Hannah, Carmen Electra and Tiffani-Amber Thiessen were some of the non-musically inclined presenters.

``I don't even know about half of the people on the list,'' Hannah said backstage, explaining that she prefers soul legends like Marvin Gaye and Al Green.