The Real Reason Dr. Dre Isn’t Dropping “Detox”…

[Elano]

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the USA Today article about Dr. Dre and the music industry myth which is his forthcoming LP, Detox. In the article, Dre says,
“I’m just now — over the last couple of months — starting to feel that it’s going to be right and it’s something I can be proud of, and everybody is going to love it… In a perfect world, I’m shooting for a November or December release.”

Bullshit. The reality is, Dr. Dre has been hinting at the release of this album for almost ten years. It’s long overdue. It’s overdue to the point that I don’t think anyone outside of the music industry even cares if it ever comes out. Really, how many new fans that have been turned on to hip-hop in the past ten years even know who Dr. Dre is? It’s like when I was a kid, you could tell me all about the greatness of this one and that one before me, but as much as I respected them, I didn’t buy their records or get into what they were doing just because. They had to make something I liked right now. How many Soulja Boy or V.I.C. Get Silly fans do you think Dre can appeal to? I don’t even think the average Lil Wayne fan could get with a Dr. Dre record right now.

With the direction that hip-hop has moved in, I don’t see Dre fitting into the current paradigm, and I don’t know that he has the cultural or musical relevance anymore to get with the times. He’s a looming figure, but he doesn’t put out enough material to keep himself relevant, and the projects he has been involved with over the past few years haven’t really lived up to expectations. The Big Bang anyone?

He keeps talking about Detox like it’s some musical masterpiece, which I’m sure on a technical level it will be, that he’s this big perfectionist, and blah blah blah…. I think he’s just waiting for the current tide of kiddie rap to pass by so he doesn’t have to worry about catching a brick, which is very possible with the way hip-hop fans treat their elder statesmen. The reality of it is, kiddie rap ain’t going anywhere, and pop rap hasn’t even met its full potential just yet. What, you thought Fergie rapping on a Nelly song was a rarity? That’s about to be the norm. Get ready.

But seriously, if I’m Dre, I just man the fuck up and keep it real with the people, with his fans, and just come out and say that I’m taking forever with this project because I think I might come out and people just won’t give a shit the way they used to. That I stood by the wayside while hip-hop became a buffoonery show (see: Rick Ross) and nearly died, and I pretty much did nothing but make records and keep them locked away on a hard drive somewhere.

Put your money where your mouth is Dre. No more talk. Put a record out, any record. Just do it.

Because while the whole aura and mystique of Detox was once a cool thing, something that added to the anticipation, now it’s just making you look bad. A running joke. A myth.

(xxlmag.com)

[Soopafly DPGC]

Dre's in a lose-lose situation.  If he makes a record for his hardcore fans (like us), and put DPG, MC Ren, Crooked I, etc on it, the mainstream will hate it and sales will be horrible.  If he makes it to appeal to today's rap audience, and put Lil Wayne, Jay-z, Kanye, etc on it, the mainstream will love it, he'll get a few times platinum off it, but all his hardcore fans will think he fell off.

His legacy right now is Chronic and 2001, which appealed to both mainstream and his hardcore fans....I don't think it's possible to create a record like that appeals to both fanbases anymore because the classic westcoast sound isn't popular with the mainstream anymore, but it's what us hardcore fans want.  Therefore, his legacy will be tarnished a bit...either sales will suffer, or he'll lose some of his fans, and Dre doesn't want either to happen.  He just waited too long to release this.  There's a whole different generation of fans that listen to rap now.  I think that's why he's postponing this so much and sweating over this release so much...he's a perfectionist, but it won't be looked upon as a perfect album by everyone....he doesn't want to drop another "Dr Dre presents....The Aftermath" type album as it took him a while to recover from that one, since a lot of people were second guessing him after that album dropped.

[CAN OF RAID]

Dre's in a lose-lose situation.  If he makes a record for his hardcore fans (like us), and put DPG, MC Ren, Crooked I, etc on it, the mainstream will hate it and sales will be horrible.  If he makes it to appeal to today's rap audience, and put Lil Wayne, Jay-z, Kanye, etc on it, the mainstream will love it, he'll get a few times platinum off it, but all his hardcore fans will think he fell off.

His legacy right now is Chronic and 2001, which appealed to both mainstream and his hardcore fans....I don't think it's possible to create a record like that appeals to both fanbases anymore because the classic westcoast sound isn't popular with the mainstream anymore, but it's what us hardcore fans want.  Therefore, his legacy will be tarnished a bit...either sales will suffer, or he'll lose some of his fans, and Dre doesn't want either to happen.  He just waited too long to release this.  There's a whole different generation of fans that listen to rap now.  I think that's why he's postponing this so much and sweating over this release so much...he's a perfectionist, but it won't be looked upon as a perfect album by everyone....he doesn't want to drop another "Dr Dre presents....The Aftermath" type album as it took him a while to recover from that one, since a lot of people were second guessing him after that album dropped.

And that's exactly whats gonna happen. You spoke truth in this. Go cop that Soopa Fly son....

[SPIinDAstreets.com]

the real reason is he trying to get SPI on there but them dudes around him hating on the Loc and don't want him to shine, dubcc next time you talk to bishop ask him why he didnt hook dre up with spider when he was looking for him??? da streets talk

[Black Gloves]

…. I think he’s just waiting for the current tide of kiddie rap to pass by so he doesn’t have to worry about catching a brick, which is very possible with the way hip-hop fans treat their elder statesmen.

EXACTLY!

[Native American]

......Another Fuccin' Dr. Dre - DETOX Thread !!!???!!??.......

[NillerTheKid]

the real reason is he trying to get SPI on there but them dudes around him hating on the Loc and don't want him to shine, dubcc next time you talk to bishop ask him why he didnt hook dre up with spider when he was looking for him??? da streets talk

 

[Okka]

Dre's in a lose-lose situation.  If he makes a record for his hardcore fans (like us), and put DPG, MC Ren, Crooked I, etc on it, the mainstream will hate it and sales will be horrible.  If he makes it to appeal to today's rap audience, and put Lil Wayne, Jay-z, Kanye, etc on it, the mainstream will love it, he'll get a few times platinum off it, but all his hardcore fans will think he fell off.

Yeah, "Detox" should have been released years ago.

[FLIXX]

I can't front..As much as I don't know when this album is gonna drop..either way it goes when and if it does..I'm going to get it straight up..Seems 2 me besides Cube and Game niggas seem to b following Dre's Let them wait attitude..I've been waitin for a bunch of shit..but all we gettin is mixtapes!! Dam drop an album already..if it don't crack drop another 1..The same don't go 4 the Yay Area though..Them niggas drop albums like hotcakes..He said November, December huh..Bishop said the same about his album..It don't look good folks!!

[KURUPTION-81]

Dre's in a lose-lose situation.  If he makes a record for his hardcore fans (like us), and put DPG, MC Ren, Crooked I, etc on it, the mainstream will hate it and sales will be horrible.  If he makes it to appeal to today's rap audience, and put Lil Wayne, Jay-z, Kanye, etc on it, the mainstream will love it, he'll get a few times platinum off it, but all his hardcore fans will think he fell off.

dont agree with that, 2001's only mainstream artist at the time was em and snoop who are going to be on detox regardless. Dre's name will sell his album, he doesnt need wayne, kanye etc.

2001 was full of artists for his hardcore fans devin tha dude, hittman, kurupt, nate dogg, defari, kokane, king t, mc ren, knocturnal.

The mainstream loved that, they loved the chronic with a bunch of unknown artists on it.

[kuruptDPG]

dont agree with that, 2001's only mainstream artist at the time was em and snoop who are going to be on detox regardless. Dre's name will sell his album, he doesnt need wayne, kanye etc.

2001 was full of artists for his hardcore fans devin tha dude, hittman, kurupt, nate dogg, defari, kokane, king t, mc ren, knocturnal.

The mainstream loved that, they loved the chronic with a bunch of unknown artists on it.

yh i got to agree with that homie. man i think the dude has lost it, thats the way i feel about him. anythn produced by dr.dre after the documentary has been honestly crap. Its either he's lost it or rappers are picking shitty beats.

ive said this like a thousands times but i jus hope dre proves me wrong by putting this album out asap and it'll be the best thing put out not jus in the westcoast but for hip hop.

[Get It Off Ya Chest]

Dre's in a lose-lose situation.  If he makes a record for his hardcore fans (like us), and put DPG, MC Ren, Crooked I, etc on it, the mainstream will hate it and sales will be horrible.  If he makes it to appeal to today's rap audience, and put Lil Wayne, Jay-z, Kanye, etc on it, the mainstream will love it, he'll get a few times platinum off it, but all his hardcore fans will think he fell off.

surely he could find a way to strike a balance. you would think that dre being who he is could do this. i mean, he changed the game twice over didn't he? and had another classic with 2001. i'm not saying he's gonna get it right and that it will easily be another classic. i'm just saying out of all the people out there, dre would be the one to find a balance.

especially with the amount of time he's had.

[Jimmy H.]

I think the argument of Dre's relevance is ridicilous. Detox is still one of the most anticipated albums of all-time. People still care or it wouldn't still be a hot topic. Yes, rap music has changed but there still is a young audience who knows who Dre is. More importantly, there are people in the 25-30 demographic who grew up on Dre. If people will watch Hulk Hogan wrestle at nearly 60 and watch Bruce Willis and Sly Stallone doing action movies then Dre will be fine. It's more an issue of matching people's expectations than anything else. The audience is there. It just comes down to them accepting what he puts out. His last big success was with Game, only three years ago. Yes, Busta didn't do the usual Dre numbers but they also weren't pushing him as a Dre artist as much. His singles were produced by other people. He was promoted as being Busta Rhymes where Game was being promoted as the next new artist from Compton with Dre giving him the stamp of approval.

[biggeazy-e]

I have a good idea what is probably going to happen as far as dre/detox... and he'll sell records, but not for the same reason as chronic or 2001 did so well.....

only time will tell......

[MisterX]

I don't think Detox is ever gonna come out. How many albums have been worked on as long as Detox that actually came out? How many people Dres age are still releasing successful rap albums?