The Greatest 50 Hip-hop Albums Ever - #3...

[Twentytwofifty]

Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

    
    After the break-up of N.W.A., Dr. Dre, with help from ex-UNLV football muscle, Suge Knight, broke away from Eazy E and Jerry Heller's Ruthless Records to form what would one day become hip-hop's most infamous record label of all time, Death Row - and The Chronic was the album that laid its entire blueprint.  With N.W.A., Dr. Dre's production was much more raw, almost acting as the west coast ying to the Bomb Squad's east coast yang, but with The Chronic, the mighty mighty D.R. reinvented his sound, and virtually the sound of the entire west coast, with his own patented "G-Funk".  With its stylish, sonically detailed production, Dr. Dre's 1992 solo debut The Chronic transformed the entire sound of West Coast rap.  Here Dre established his patented G-funk sound: fat, blunted Parliament-Funkadelic beats, soulful backing vocals, and live instruments in the rolling basslines and whiny synths.  What's impressive is that Dre crafts tighter singles than his inspiration George Clinton — he's just as effortlessly funky, and he has a better feel for a hook, a knack that improbably landed gangsta rap on the pop charts.  What set his new sound apart from artists like EPMD or Digital Underground, was Dre's incorporation of keyboards and synthesizers.  But none of The Chronic's legions of imitators were as rich in personality, and that's due in large part to Dre's monumental discovery, Snoop Doggy Dogg.  Snoop livens up every track he touches, sometimes just by joining in the chorus.  

    Still, while artists like Warren G, Dat Nigga Daz and Soopafly lent their own perspectives to this new sound through their own respective releases, no ne could do it better than the good doctor himself.  But besides reinventing the sound of gangsta rap, Dre's classic also introduced the world not only to the entire dysfunctional Death Row family, but a soon to be superstar, Snoop Doggy Dogg.  "Nuthin’ But A G” Thang" was perhaps one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) rap songs of all time, defining their laid back Cali gangster lifestyle, much different than the abrasive "Straight Outta Compton" attitude.  Equally slamming, but not nearly successful was it's follow up, "Let Me Ride", which beautifully illustrated a day of cool-ass motherfucker I'm Dre rollin' in his 6-4 mothership.       

    The Chronic pulled no punches - it took what everyone loved about N.W.A., and redefined it.  The obligatory dis tracks ("Fuck With Dre Day", "Bitches Ain't Shit") were anthems branded in to the consciousnesses of millions of fans, simultaneously destroying the careers of Eazy-E, Luke, and Tim Dog, and never looking back.  But some of the albums most crowning achievements were not the singles, but the meat within the album.  Over ten years later, "The Day The Niggaz Took Over", is perhaps the most accurate, brilliant, and frighteningly realistic portrayal of the mindset of the looters during the Rodney King riots.  The Chronic had several incredibly precise depictions of L.A. ghetto and gang life at the timpre.  Who was the man with the master plan? "A Nigga Witta (motherfuckin') Gun".  "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat"? They'd never hesitate to put a nigga on his back.  Plain and simple, it was the attitude of the early 90's L.A. gangsta defined.  "Stranded On Death Row" is a lyrically assault committed by Kurupt, RBX, The Lady Of Rage and Snoop and stands as one of the best Death Row posse songs with Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys providing the intro and outro to the track.  "Deeez Nuuuts" again has most of the Death Row inmates and simply one of the best beats ever made and Dre wisely lets the beat ride out for minutes at the end as your head just keep on nooding.  This album is just full of heaters too numerous to mention.

    Dre took a backseat on the mic, but the key to The Chronic's success was his funk-inspired sound.  What?  The producer is more important than the MC?  That makes no sense, or atleast it didn't in 1992.  Dre, however, was so good behind the soundboard that he switched the focus of rap off the MC and onto the producer.  Mushmouth could have rapped over Dre's beats and sounded like an MC's MC.  Snoop's flow was gravy.  As detrimental to society as it was, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were fucking roll models, like two Black Bruce Willis'.  Cats so cool, that you wanted to be them, wheter you'd admit it or not.  Despite what C. Delores Tucker & Dionne Warwick preached, they didn't give a fuck about those; they were gangbanging all the way to the bank.  Ironically, for a record so violent, it brought everyone together, as fans of every nationality and class share love for this album.  That framework makes The Chronic both unreal and all too real, a cartoon and a snapshot.  No matter how controversial, it remains one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop albums of all time.  But most of all, it stood the test of time.  To this day, The Chronic can still rock any house party, with even ya mama and ya daddy hollarin' "baaabay."


50. Dr. Dre – 2001 (1999)
49. Outkast – Southernplayalisticaddicmuzik (1994)
48. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)
47. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990)
46. Redman – Whut? Thee Album (1992)
45. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
44. Fugees – The Score (1996)
43. The D.O.C. – No One Can Do It Better (1989)
42. Common Sense - Resurrection (1994)
41. Makaveli - The Don Kiluminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
40. Public Enemy – Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)
39. Ice Cube – Death Certificate (1992)
38. Gza/Genius - Liquid Swords (1995)
37. N.W.A – Efil4zaggin (1991)
36. Main Source – Breaking Atoms (1991)
35. Geto Boys – Grip It! On That Other Level (1989)
34. Brand Nubian – One For All (1990)
33. Scarface – The Diary (1994)
32. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Road To The Riches (1989)
31. Beastie Boys – Licensed To Ill (1986)
30. Ultramagnetic MC's – Critical Beatdown (1988)
29. LL Cool J – Radio (1985)
28. 2Pac – All Eyez On Me (1996)
27. Mobb Deep – The Infamous… (1995)
26. Eric B. & Rakim – Follow The Leader (1988)
25. Big Daddy Kane – It’s A Big Daddy (1989)
24. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992)
23. Black Moon – Enta Da Stage (1993)
22. Outkast – Aquemini (1998)
21. A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990)
20. Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C. (1984)
19. Boogie Down Productions – By All Means Necessary (1988)
18. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)
17. De La Soul – 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)
16. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (1993)
15. Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)
14. The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready To Die (1994)
13. Run-D.M.C. – Raising Hell (1986)
12. EPMD – Strictly Business (1988)
11. Big Daddy Kane – Long Live The Kane (1988)
10. A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993)
09. Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded (1987)
08. N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton (1988)
07. Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
06. A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991)
05. Slick Rick – The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick (1988)
04. Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
03. Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)

[Wicked977]

Classic in every Way 

[Elevz]

Good, good... Exactly where I expected The Chronic to pop up. Keep it coming!

You forgot to mention one thing... This is the album that saved Interscope from going bankrupt. If it wasn't for The Chronic, Interscope wouldn't have made it to 1993 and Eminem wouldn't be putting out wack ass Jimmy Iovine singles today. Yes, that's how far the influence of The Chronic goes.

[mauzip]

You should have E. 1999 Eternal on #1 or #2. No Bone Thugs album in this list will be a disgrace of hip hop by you.

But then again... I haven't heard half of the albums in this list, LOL

[Da Flamboyant 1]

now dis is a tite ass album. but u still need to put aeom 7day theory and chronic 2001 above aquemini

[Denial! Is Actively Joinin The Revolution]

nah the list is perfect how it is man thanx for puttin in so much effort with this it shows how much of a hip hop fan u really are

[BizzyR.I.P.]

You should have E. 1999 Eternal on #1 or #2. No Bone Thugs album in this list will be a disgrace of hip hop by you.

But then again... I haven't heard half of the albums in this list, LOL

Definitely 40-50 should be on here.

[Larrabee]

That's a great review. If there's one album that deserves to be called a classic, it's this one.

[eS El Duque]

nice spot ...exactly where i'd put it

[big mat]

should be #1, it put rap on the map fo real

[ImmortalOne]

Although not my fav album ever, its ONE of my favs, and IMO, easily the most influential hip hop album of all time. This is the album that really brought hardcore rap to the forefront, and it was also the album that made white kids put down their Nirvana and start listening to gangsta rap (I know this, because I am one of them   )

There are some albums I think are BETTER, but as far as impact and influence goes, this one is tops. Great fucking album, plain and simple.

[Sikotic™]

You should have E. 1999 Eternal on #1 or #2. No Bone Thugs album in this list will be a disgrace of hip hop by you.

I dunno about 1 or 2, but top 20 for sure.

[Don Jacob]

i predict

2. paid in full
1. illmatic

or

2. illmatic
1. paid in full


i know i know , it's a big gamble but i like my chances here

[Kill]

^^ I expect

2. Illmatic
1. Paid In Full,

but I´m not 100% sure it can´t be the other way round

Good, good... Exactly where I expected The Chronic to pop up. Keep it coming!

...and lol at the Jimmy Iovine singles thing, if it wasn´t for "The Chronic", Em couldn´t have made his three good Interscope albums either

[Elevz]

Good, good... Exactly where I expected The Chronic to pop up. Keep it coming!

...and lol at the Jimmy Iovine singles thing, if it wasn´t for "The Chronic", Em couldn´t have made his three good Interscope albums either

Well, that's not exactly what I'm trying to say - it's just that Iovine requires his artists to put out them massively selling first singles, the teeny bopper stuff. I'm pretty sure on any other label Eminem would have put out similar albums, only then with less idiotical singles. Keep in mind... If it wasn't for fucking Iovine, we would have been bumping Rakim's Oh My God now. Just because Ra didn't feel like fitting in that teeny bopper image, we never got the album. Thanks, Iovine!