Dre was a complete visionary in 1996

[TraceOneInfinite]

The stuff he was doing was so dope and origional.  I think he just didn't have enough time to really make that Aftermath project what it could of been.  "East Coast Killa/West Coast Killa" is in my opinion is one of the most important and significant hip-hop video's ever created.  There were other concepts dispersed throughout that album that I was really impressed with.  "Been There Done That" was an interesting video and concept.  I think that cat Nationowl had a really interesting track on the album.  He origionally wanted Busta Rhymes on that fame track and I think it would have really brought it to life and could have blown up, that David Bowie cover was a clever idea that never reached it's potentional.

Also, if you listen to the idea's that were floatin around Dre's mind in interviews he was giving at that time, like his Source cover interview, this dude really was ahead of his time.

I think because the album didn't end up being a huge commercial success, it forced Dre's next album to be less inspired lyrically, and instead he fell back onto using generic themes of sex and misognistic lyrics.  Ofcourse his work with Eminem on the album was visionary, and the beats were definitely an improvement artistically over everything on the Aftermath album (except East/West Killaz).

Anyway, just some thoughts.  Last point I want to make is Dre mentions at the beggining of the East/West video about forces wanting to destroy hip-hop; it now sounds very prophetic.

[$Eg2$]

^^^ Ok your in love with Dre good for you.   

[Play Dirty]

"In the last days, which side will u be on
Nationowl's or the side that I beat on
I demand, put me on
From the door I use MC's to wipe my feet on
My shit be bumped like ingrown hairs
26 years trained in ghetto warfare..
As we move near, where? The final frontier
United we stand divided we don't have a prayer" Nationowl

I agree with this dude whatever u say. One of my homie's told me that you most people who were considered failures were actually just ahead of their time.

Everyone was using that screetch sound and that's where Dre came up with that voice-harmonies type sound. The same one that he used on that "Nas is coming" track in It was written. The same sound he used on "Been there done that".

Gotta represent South Africa!! Yo, it's the weirdest thing but most 'ghetto' people-township ppl who ain't head upperclass/English medium schooling- in SA grew up on that west coast and to this day you might here ppl bumping Chronic or Doggystyle or Dear Mama/Me against the world CD. But the 'middle class' or even township people who went to English speaking/mostly white school know and like KRS, Wu-Tang, Redman, etc. I thin Dre Presents Aftermath was embracing the 'eastcoast' influenced and just over the heads of most people who like westcoast and incidentally are from lower education standard schools. Just a South African thought.

Alienating Dr Dre was the worst things the west coast did to itself though...in 1996 they were all against him and that's why he won't really sign anyone from the left-think about it.

Peace. This side is one of the joys of my life- I love the wessssssssssside! U guys provide "positive reinforcement" which everyone needs to succeed. That's a psychology term that means if you do something good and a given props for it, you gain in confidence and perform better.

[Tanjential]

^^^ Ok your in love with Dre good for you.   

Nah, I see what dude is saying. I never saw those videos. i tend to hate music videos.

-T

[Tanjential]

"In the last days, which side will u be on
Nationowl's or the side that I beat on
I demand, put me on
From the door I use MC's to wipe my feet on
My shit be bumped like ingrown hairs
26 years trained in ghetto warfare..
As we move near, where? The final frontier
United we stand divided we don't have a prayer" Nationowl

I agree with this dude whatever u say. One of my homie's told me that you most people who were considered failures were actually just ahead of their time.

Everyone was using that screetch sound and that's where Dre came up with that voice-harmonies type sound. The same one that he used on that "Nas is coming" track in It was written. The same sound he used on "Been there done that".

Gotta represent South Africa!! Yo, it's the weirdest thing but most 'ghetto' people-township ppl who ain't head upperclass/English medium schooling- in SA grew up on that west coast and to this day you might here ppl bumping Chronic or Doggystyle or Dear Mama/Me against the world CD. But the 'middle class' or even township people who went to English speaking/mostly white school know and like KRS, Wu-Tang, Redman, etc. I thin Dre Presents Aftermath was embracing the 'eastcoast' influenced and just over the heads of most people who like westcoast and incidentally are from lower education standard schools. Just a South African thought.

Alienating Dr Dre was the worst things the west coast did to itself though...in 1996 they were all against him and that's why he won't really sign anyone from the left-think about it.

Peace. This side is one of the joys of my life- I love the wessssssssssside! U guys provide "positive reinforcement" which everyone needs to succeed. That's a psychology term that means if you do something good and a given props for it, you gain in confidence and perform better.

props, what I highlighted from your post is an idea I never considered before.

-T

[eazye]

Some very interesting thoughts from the thread-starter and Play DIrty.

Props for that 

[TraceOneInfinite]

I agree with this dude whatever u say. One of my homie's told me that you most people who were considered failures were actually just ahead of their time.

Word.  It's kind of interesting looking back that the album was shunned by critics.  Because Dre's cover issue of the Source in 96' started with a quote that goes...

"It's not the critic that counts, the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena... who at best knows in the end the triumphs of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." 

T.R.

... that quote definitely sums up the Aftermath album and the year Dre had in 96', I can't think of a better quote than that.  And it was used in the summer before the album was released.

[lonestone]

He was ahead of his time. Glad you brought up that point about alienation. That was biting the hand that feeds you.

[BIGG-A]

Dre did what he felt.. No one was gonna say the shit he was at that time.

[wballz187]

I absolutely love that Aftermath compilation, the live instrumentation on that album .  That comp gets hated on way too much.

[Westcoastfanatic]

Sum dope tracks on there like "Been there, done that" and "Blunt time" but way too many (corny) R@B tracks.

[West Coast Veteran]

If the production on that album went to worthy artists the album would have been amazing. RBX and King T did those beats justice and Group Therapy obviously with such an all star line up but the other "new" talent that Dre had were reallly sub-par.

A waste of a beat was "Shittin' On The World", my favorite beat on the album excluding "East/West Killaz" and "Been There Done That" but Mel-Man was complete and utter trash as an MC.

[TRG]

some nice points

[MontrealCity's Most]

^^^ Ok your in love with Dre good for you.   

cold blooooooooded

[TraceOneInfinite]

way too many (corny) R@B tracks.

Word.  The R@B tracks were dissapointing.  Dre's always had an urge to get involved with R@B and everytime he does it never lives up to it's expectations.  Look at the whole Dawn Robinson and Truth Hurts projects as an example.  The only great R@B track Aftermath has done was produced by Quik