![]() It's so in the pocket that it never seizes to change. “Xxplosive” may be the most iconic among producers with its symbiosis of xylophone, guitar lick, and bass. Dre and Melman’s collection of bass lines seems infinite here and the diversity of sounds from helicopters to sirens to answering machine messages to gun shots and harps is still impressive 20 years later. Released just nine months after The Slim Shady LP, 2001 is a masterclass in dynamic beat making. With Eminem’s no hold barred horrific imagery, perspectives on the current state, and technical prowess, Dre now had the ultimate weapon to tack onto a new sound and create great music that was predicated on the same controversy that he’d been riding since the late 80s. The two record The Slim Shady LP in Detroit, giving Dre the sudden jolt of inspiration he needs to make his next record. The artist went by Eminem on the basis of it looking cool on paper and symbolizing his birth initials. Dre hadn’t really found the right approach he wanted to take his music until one of his A&Rs stumbled across a demo tape he picked up from a Detroit rap battle. He then, with the backing of Interscope president and longtime friend Jimmy Iovine, starts new label Aftermath and for the first time ever releases two flops, Dre presents The Aftermath and The Firm with Nas, Foxy Brown, and AZ. This led him to sign with Suge Knight’s Death Row, release The Chronic and Doggystyle, and eventually exit an environment that got so brutal, Dre left with his 50% stake in the company on the table and all of his masters behind. Most importantly “The Watcher” introduces a miraculous comeback in the third stage of a storied career.īefore the album’s release, Dre had already been screwed over twice once by signing an undervalued contract with Ruthless when he was in N.W.A. Dre on “Been There Done That” is now more paranoid and protective of his empire. ![]() Light is shed on the epic scope as Dre takes us to opening track, “The Watcher.” With lyrics written by Eminem in signature multisyllabic rhyme, the reflective Dr. We open with the THX sound bite, cinematically signalling the sound off and announcing the top budget sonics. The level of cohesiveness here could make 2001 a movie with the relentless sequence of songs mixed flawlessly. Ask yourself if it matters, since nobody raps along to Puff Daddy, who writes his own lyrics, with the same excitement as they rap Dre’s parts. It’s a testament to the Doctor’s ultimate motive to make great records and using any tool, be it the hall of fame lyricists at his disposal to churn out gold. The lyrics, a mix of battle rap, boasting, and story telling perhaps considered problematic by today’s standards either representĪ.) gut busting humour and slice of life thug life perspective.ī.) an era when misogyny and promiscuity were the norm in mainstream masculinity.Ĭ.) Interscope’s bid to stay controversial in order to take advantage of the American news press essentially creating free promotion.ĭre may have also been the first legitimate rap star who didn’t write his own lyrics. Like The Chronic part I, the synths also act as a vessel for melody.ĭre originally wanted to call it The Chronic 2000 to take advantage of the looming millennium, but after Suge caught wind of this, he released his own version on Death Row therefore seizing the licensing rights for the title. In emulating groups like Parliament, Roy Ayers, and the legendary Compton band Zapp, Dre had been known to have a great feel for the synth to create interesting spaces within his songs, but here we’re literally shot into space with interstellar blips and powerful subwaves creating a visionary sonic picture. While the first Chronic slowed down rap’s radically brash tempo while still maintaining a hard yet convivial street edge, 2001 blasts it into the future, no longer ripping drum breaks and samples off vinyl records, now dialling in resolute drum programming, full orchestra strings, and brand new synthesizers. They also represented a new futuristic, digitally clean sound. “Still D.R.E.”, “Big Ego’s”, “The Watcher”, “Light Speed”, “The Next Episode’, “Ackrite”, and “Forgot About Dre” have solidified classic status, paving the way for the next generation of hitmaking. The reach of 2001 could not be grander with a plethora of massive singles that have been embroidered in the cultural fabric, most of them mixed into a mind boggling Side A. Much like Star Wars for space movies or even Apple for computers, it’s hard for some to properly credit something so hugely popular that it became the commercial standard and one of the main agents that propelled its art out of the underground. ![]() 2001, known by many as The Chronic 2001, represents something of a leap forward for hip hop music.
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