Dre's Sound Over The Years

[Hittman2001]

I just typed this up real quick.  This is how i would categorize Dre's sound starting from the chronic era.  Just wondering how you would do it?  Whats your favorite era?  My opinion is that his sound was very complex and sample (replayed elements) heavy, then it got stripped down to real basic but catchy beats.  Then he started building on that basic stripped down sound to give us what we have now.  If you go through and listen to his tracks, his sound now is light years ahead of where he started.  The melodies back then might be better, but his stuff now sounds(acoustically) better.  Also, if you have influential producers/musicians to add to the list, please do.  Trying to avoid hate in this thread...thanks


1991-1994  G Funk Crew  (Colin Wolfe/Daz/Warren G)
Deep Cover
Doggystyle
The Chronic

1994-1997  Chronic 2 Era (Sam Sneed)
Murder Was The Case OST
California Love/Cant C Me
Natural Born Killaz
Aftermath Album

1997-2001  2001 Crew (Mel Man/Scott Storch/Mike Elizondo)
The Firm album
Unreleased King T Album
Slim Shady LP
2001
Marshall Mathers LP
Family Affair
Devils Night
Genesis*
Tha Last Meal*

2001-2005  Experimental Era (Neff U/Scott Storch/Mike Elizondo)  Detox Version 1
Eve-olution
Truth Hurts
Eminem Show
Cheers*
Rakim (After U Die, Watcher 2)
Get Rich or Die trying
The Massacre
The Documentary
Encore (Sounds mostly like throwaway beats from this era)

2005-Present  Cinematic/Orchestral + loud claps era (Dawaun Parker/Mark Batson/Focus/Etc) Detox Version 2
The Big Bang
Kingdom Come
Blue Carpet Treatment
Relapse



Edit *

[Matty]

Obie Trice - Cheers (confirmed that his beats on here were based/were from a particular 'Detox' iteration)

[Hittman2001]

yeah i forgot about that....and Tha Last Meal....added

[Matty]

i'd actually separate the 'loud/crisp claps' kind of beats into different categories, the very newest productions seem to be using a completely 'live' drum sound that dre said himself they are continually developing. i dunno how many beats we've heard that really represent it, but the material on 'Relapse' used a lot of the more live sounding elements, 'Shit Popped Off/Dr. Pepper' beat too...

[Hittman2001]

yeah, looking at the whole catalogue you can break down what i listed into sub categories....there's the mafioso era which was the aftermath, firm, and king t albums. i First remember hearing those claps on the out of control remix...then on get you some off of busta's album

[Matty]

there's some interesting crossovers too, some beats that sound like they are from a later era but were put out before more similar beats were heard (outta control rmx). likelyhood is we hear the music way after its creation in most instances. snoop's BCT has an interesting collection of beats. i think the main pattern is the the mixing improves despite what particular drum sounds are being experimented with.

 bishop's 'grow up' and 'hallelujah' would definitely be in the last category and are specifically live sounding, along with 50's 'get up', even though that is only 'mixed' by dre. i'd still take some more 'outta control rmx' style beats in terms of the vibe and overall sound than a lot of the newer stuff that seems to be lacking the groove/funk that i listen for (except shit popped off)

[Hittman2001]

Yeah i know what you mean.   there are alot of similar sounding beats ( joe beast - NO, Busta Rhymes - Truck Volume, Bilal - Sally)....But with so many beats he's created you can kinda tell what era they've come from.  one of his most complex beats is my dad's gone crazy...and we didnt hear much like that until years later.  its like the stuff we hear now was first realized a few years ago in those simplistic beats

[xxOHCxx]

I think he does the best with samples. Probably because most of the beat is layed out already and he just tweaks it. Just looks at Chronic/Doggystyle.

[Unforgivable by Sean John]

I think he does the best with samples. Probably because most of the beat is layed out already and he just tweaks it. Just looks at Chronic/Doggystyle.

Agree 100%. This is his strength and its a shame he got away from it. He is the master of interpolating a sample and taking it to new heights - i mean look, chronic/doggystyle are some of the best interpolation work i've ever heard.

[Unforgivable by Sean John]

I just typed this up real quick.  This is how i would categorize Dre's sound starting from the chronic era.  Just wondering how you would do it?  Whats your favorite era?  My opinion is that his sound was very complex and sample (replayed elements) heavy, then it got stripped down to real basic but catchy beats.  Then he started building on that basic stripped down sound to give us what we have now.  If you go through and listen to his tracks, his sound now is light years ahead of where he started.  The melodies back then might be better, but his stuff now sounds(acoustically) better.  Also, if you have influential producers/musicians to add to the list, please do.  Trying to avoid hate in this thread...thanks


1991-1994  G Funk Crew  (Colin Wolfe/Daz/Warren G)
Deep Cover
Doggystyle
The Chronic

1994-1997  Chronic 2 Era (Sam Sneed)
Murder Was The Case OST
California Love/Cant C Me
Natural Born Killaz
Aftermath Album

1997-2001  2001 Crew (Mel Man/Scott Storch/Mike Elizondo)
The Firm album
Unreleased King T Album
Slim Shady LP
2001
Marshall Mathers LP
Family Affair
Devils Night
Genesis*
Tha Last Meal*

2001-2005  Experimental Era (Neff U/Scott Storch/Mike Elizondo)  Detox Version 1
Eve-olution
Truth Hurts
Eminem Show
Cheers*
Rakim (After U Die, Watcher 2)
Get Rich or Die trying
The Massacre
The Documentary
Encore (Sounds mostly like throwaway beats from this era)

2005-Present  Cinematic/Orchestral + loud claps era (Dawaun Parker/Mark Batson/Focus/Etc) Detox Version 2
The Big Bang
Kingdom Come
Blue Carpet Treatment
Relapse



Edit *

This is a great write up, props.

A few things:
It's a shame we won't hear the rest of the Chronic 2 era stuff, because I love that DARK g-funk sound him and sam sneed had going.

The 2001 era was better than the two era's that followed. THE HUGE CLAPS NEED TO STOP. lol. But from the 2001 era - i finally got around to listening to the unreleased King T album O MY GOD the beats are great on that album. How was that not released??? well ok it was unofficially released later but it should have come out on aftermath. Great production by dre and the aftermath crew on there. It's dre's best work from the 2001 era outside of 2001 itself.

[dubsmith_nz]

Good write up, my favourite era would be the 2001 era. Gotta put in a nudge for the beats he gave Xzibit on "Restless" as well "U Know" was a banger! Also "No Limit Top Dogg" and "The Wash", "Buck Em" went hard.

What about that beat he gave Knoc "I Like" that was a different sound for Dre

[bullet_wrongkind]

dr.dre and quik - put on me 

[Dre-Day]

i think you left out a few things, like the world class wreckin' cru period & the ruthless period ( multiple sounds)

[R-Tistic]

I would probably start at the N.W.A. era, or really anything after the Electro World Class style, because you can actually see his style evolve from there. He went from the more East Coast sounding, scratch + sample based Boom Bap hard drum sound, to the more melodic funk...the first hint of "Chronic" to me was on "Always into sumthin" which could have eaaasily been on Chronic.

[Will_B]

And the Rodium mixtapes need a mention. Just listen to the opening of You Got Gank'd to see how incredicle Dre was choppin up tracks. A true master.