Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jerome Crayon |
| Also known as | N/A |
| Relationship within family | Half-brother of Andre “Dr. Dre” Young |
| Parents | Mother: Verna Young; Father: Curtis Crayon |
| Siblings | Andre “Dr. Dre” Young (half-brother), Tyree Du Sean Crayon (half-brother, d. 1989), Shameka Crayon (half-sister) |
| Birth era | Mid-to-late 1960s (approx.) |
| Death | Infancy (circa 1966–1967, reported) |
| Reported cause of death | Pneumonia in infancy |
| Public records | Scarce; primarily mentioned within family biographies |
| Residence context | Los Angeles/Compton, California (family setting) |
Family Background and Early Years
Jerome Crayon’s name appears softly yet persistently in the margins of one of hip-hop’s most chronicled family stories. He was born into the household of Verna Young, a resilient matriarch who raised children amid shifting relationships and the often unforgiving rhythms of Los Angeles life. After Verna’s separation from Andre Young’s biological father, she married Curtis Crayon, and the family grew — a blended constellation that included Jerome, Tyree, and Shameka alongside Andre.
Jerome’s life was tragically brief. Reports state that he died in infancy from pneumonia when Andre was about one year old. The absence is palpable: there are no widely available official birth certificates, portraits, or public reminiscences that detail his personality. Instead, Jerome’s story is carried forward as a single, solemn line in the broader narrative of the Young–Crayon family. Like a quiet echo in a large, bustling room, his presence is felt through the lives of those who survived him, the family bonds that strengthened around loss, and the way his name appears whenever the family’s history is summarized.
In households where struggle and resilience intertwine, early losses create fault lines — shaping habits, sharpening ambitions, and shadowing memories. Jerome’s passing, while rarely elaborated upon in public, forms part of the emotional terrain that influenced his half-brother Andre, who would become Dr. Dre, and the family’s trajectory through triumphs and tragedies.
Siblings and Their Paths
Jerome’s half-brother Andre Romelle Young, known globally as Dr. Dre, was born on February 18, 1965. Dre’s rise from local DJ hero to pioneering producer and entrepreneur is well-documented, but the foundation beneath the fame is a story of family complexity, blended homes, and persistent change. Dre’s early life in Compton was marked by tight-knit connections and hard lessons — the kind that etch themselves into a producer’s ear and a leader’s resolve.
Tyree Du Sean Crayon, Jerome’s younger half-brother, entered the world on March 19, 1968. There is considerably more public information about Tyree’s life and death than Jerome’s: Tyree died on June 25, 1989, after a violent confrontation. The loss devastated the family and is often cited as a turning point in Dre’s life, the kind of rupture that compresses grief into purpose. Tyree’s name appears not only in retrospectives but also as a living memory in tributes and interviews — a reminder that private pain can ripple through public art.
Shameka Crayon, Jerome’s half-sister, is rarely discussed in public sources. Her relative privacy underscores a broader theme: not every member of a famous family chooses the spotlight, and not every life is lived on stages or in headlines. Within the family record, Shameka stands as an important link in the chain, a sister whose presence rounds out the narrative even if detailed public information is limited.
Parents and a Blended Household
Verna Young’s role is central. She navigated separation, remarriage, and the weight of loss while raising children in a demanding environment. Her later years continued to anchor family ties, and her passing in 2025 marked the closing of a remarkable chapter for a mother whose name is interwoven with one of music’s most storied lineages.
Curtis Crayon, Jerome’s father, is noted in family summaries as Verna’s husband during the period when the children Jerome, Tyree, and Shameka were born. Public details about Curtis are comparatively sparse, but the structural importance of his role — the Crayon branch in a blended family — is essential for understanding the family’s composition and the surnames that appear in records.
Extended Family Connections
The Young–Crayon story eventually intersects with the Griffin family, bringing Warren Griffin III — known worldwide as Warren G — into the picture as Dre’s step-brother. Through marriage, the two families blended, adding yet another musical thread to the household tapestry. Warren G’s own rise as a rapper and producer mirrors, in some ways, Dre’s journey: mentors, mixtapes, late-night sessions, and a knack for crafting sounds that cut through the noise. In the extended family context, Jerome’s memory sits alongside figures who shaped West Coast hip-hop as if his brief life quietly contributed to the depth of family bonds that supported their ascent.
Core Family Members
| Name | Relation | Notable details | Life dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome Crayon | Subject | Died in infancy; remembered in family biographies | ca. mid-1960s–1966/1967 (reported) |
| Verna Young | Mother | Family matriarch; later passed in 2025 | d. 2025 |
| Curtis Crayon | Father | Father of Jerome, Tyree, Shameka | Dates not publicly detailed |
| Andre “Dr. Dre” Young | Half-brother | Producer, entrepreneur; born in 1965 | b. Feb 18, 1965 |
| Tyree Du Sean Crayon | Half-brother | Died after violent incident; formative loss for family | b. Mar 19, 1968; d. Jun 25, 1989 |
| Shameka Crayon | Half-sister | Private life; limited public information | Dates not publicly detailed |
| Warren G (Warren Griffin III) | Step-brother | Rapper/producer; extended blended family | b. 1970 |
Family Timeline
| Date/Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Feb 18, 1965 | Birth of Andre “Dr. Dre” Young in Los Angeles County, California |
| Mid-to-late 1960s | Verna Young marries Curtis Crayon; the Crayon branch of the family forms |
| ca. 1966–1967 | Reported death of Jerome Crayon in infancy due to pneumonia |
| Mar 19, 1968 | Birth of Tyree Du Sean Crayon |
| 1970s–1980s | Blended family life in Los Angeles/Compton; extended ties later include the Griffin family |
| Jun 25, 1989 | Tyree Crayon dies after a violent confrontation in Compton |
| 1990s–present | Jerome is referenced in biographies as a brother who died in infancy |
| 2025 | Passing of Verna L. Young, mother and family matriarch |
Legacy and Mentions
Jerome’s life was brief, and his legacy is carried almost entirely through family narratives. While he does not appear in public records with detailed dates, photographs, or documented milestones, his name remains woven into accounts of the Young–Crayon household. In recent years, retrospectives that explore Dr. Dre’s origins often include Jerome in lists of siblings, acknowledging the early loss that shaped the family’s history.
The resonances of such a loss are subtle: they surface in the gravity of interviews, the way milestones are noted, and the protective silence around private memories. Families are built not only from triumphs and long biographies, but also from the short stories — the lives that ended early and still mattered profoundly to those who remember.
FAQ
Who was Jerome Crayon?
Jerome Crayon was the half-brother of Andre “Dr. Dre” Young and the son of Verna Young and Curtis Crayon.
How did Jerome Crayon die?
Reports indicate Jerome died in infancy from pneumonia.
Did Jerome have a public career or profile?
No; he is only mentioned within family histories and does not have a documented public profile.
Who are Jerome’s siblings?
His siblings include Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, Tyree Du Sean Crayon, and Shameka Crayon.
What happened to Tyree Crayon?
Tyree died on June 25, 1989, after a violent confrontation in Compton.
How is Warren G connected to this family?
Through a later blended family marriage, Warren G became Dre’s step-brother in the extended household network.
Where did the family live?
The family’s context centers on Los Angeles/Compton, reflecting the environment that shaped their lives.
What do we know about Jerome’s exact birth and death dates?
Exact dates are not widely available; references place his death circa 1966–1967.
