Blueprint to get Dr. Dre back on track

[love33]

[I Need a Doctor] Sonically its almost exactly Love the Way You Lie.

I agree with that 100%, really good judgment

Here's the thing about Dr. Dre: This album IS based on Sales.  For people to come on here and say it isn't are completely being a Dre-lover rather than a Dre fan.  These people are trying to create a cushion or free pass for Dre if it flops and use the excuse.  IF the sales didn't matter then...:

(1) He wouldn't be releasing a song with Eminem who sells extremely well carrying the entire track and him dropping a small little verse he didn't write
(2) He would be dropping a completely differerent brand of music (maybe something like "grow up" bishop lamont or rakim "after you die" type music)
(3) Interscope wouldn't put their stamp on it if they didn't believe it would move units
(4) He would have released this album in 3 different versions -- the completed "musical play" he had in 2003, the all-aftermath version in 2006, the 2009 version where he recorded with nearly every cat who is relevant in the industry
(5) Ice Cube would be on it!
(6) There wouldn't be all this promotion -- Headphones, HP Commercials, appearances with Eminem at the grammys, Dr. Pepper commercials

So those who are so caught up in being a Dre stan quit saying that "sales don't matter" lets put that nonsense to rest

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

If its a good album with mainstream appeal, it will sell more than if its a shitty album with mainstream appeal.

[Sir Petey]

yooo this nigga here is fucking trippin, first off dre would not come soft like that wack shit, he should get back into that classic, death row g-funk, then all the bitches would be getting pregnant


#WESTCOAST4LIFE

couldnt have said it better.

[love33]

The thing about Dre, is that, from a PR standpoint, they are at a complete standstill.  The thing that made Dre great on "The Chronic" was his image -- he was an All American badass -- the Rolling Stone Covers, The Chronic posters, the raw raps dissing Eazy-E, Luke, Ruthless, Tim Dog, and others, guns in the music videos.  Think about "Dre Day" and how he had a gun he was pointing at a Jerry Hellar look-alike's head and a fake Eazy-E "I will rap for food" and the "Nuthin But A G Thang" video where they have guns and they pull the girls top off at the volleyball game at the barbecue.  Dre's raps were raw and he was a badass.  The album dropped at a time when rap was just "yo yo yo hey homie" "i dip a dot a dip dip a dot"  The Chronic was the first mainstream album on MTV that pushed the envelop and redefined rap.  Death Row had the first mainstream "radio edit" versions. When you heard the tracks the lyrics were even more raw on the album versions and they were saying "hooker" and "hoe" and tv (which is now edited out).  So Dre was a complete badass with g-funk, guns, 64s, and house parties.  Dre even got charged with slapping some woman he was a badass holding guns in magazines, etc.

Then in "Dr. Dre 2001," the theme was "I've been there I've done that and I can still do it" -- tracks like "The Watcher," "STILL D.R.E." painted Dre as the guy who was laying back in the cut and watching all the other guys commit the crimes while he made the money.  The album made it look like he could make the party music but he was more mature and intelligent than the other gangstas and he also did the track with Cube "This is The Thanks I Get."  This theme was Dre saying he was the big smart guy in the background that could still do it but is low key and about the money.

Another poster said that they could make him rap about the situation with Suge Knight, the Death Row demise, the gay rumors, the NWA reunion that didn't happen, the fallout with The Game with the 50 beef, why Rakim didnt get released and him and Bishop got dropped, why he hasn't produced and brought any huge Westcoast acts to the forefront, his feelings on the 'new west' generation (ya boy, crooked, sly eastwood), the daz rumors and why he hasn't worked with him, the rumor he was credited for production he didn't do, mel man, why he doesnt work with other west OGs like 40, short, cube.  Along with some party jams, these are some topics I personally want to hear about.  I can't sit through another album of "The Watcher" theme.

Now, they are at a completely FROZEN as to how to market him.  You can't go back and make him Death Row Dre (that's like when Mase became Pastor Mase then back to Murder Mase and it ruined his career).  You can't keep pressing the theme "Been There Done That" cause we already heard that in Dr. Dre "2001."  So where does the media go with his image?  Dre sold because of his image and they need something that will make him appeal to the average fan and make him sell.  What's left for them to do as they are copletely at a standstill?

[Smackdog]

he needs to start a group with 3 other dudes....

that is what he needs...

[Jimmy H.]

They aren't at a standstill. They are actively promoting "I Need A Doctor" which is performing well on the charts. He's been fine with the PR. Whenever he's gone out to promote, the media has covered it. He had last month's XXL cover. They have momentum in their favor. They more have to figure out what they are doing with the album than anything else.

[love33]

They aren't at a standstill. They are actively promoting "I Need A Doctor" which is performing well on the charts. He's been fine with the PR. Whenever he's gone out to promote, the media has covered it. He had last month's XXL cover. They have momentum in their favor. They more have to figure out what they are doing with the album than anything else.

Nobody in Florida is talking about him.  Nobody is saying his name.  They play "Kush" speeded up in Miami then they mix it with another track so it sits on there for 2 min speeded up a few people move.  There is a PR problem cause you're talkin about getting college girls 17-25 and guys 22-45 to buy the album and it's goin to be a rough road ahead if they can't reinvent him and he drops a song worth listening to

[NoobCake]

Like i said before, it's impossible to market a 46 year old rapper to today's record buying public (teenagers).  Dre is the same age as their parents.  It's just not gonna happen for him this time unless every song on Detox will contain 2 Eminem verses. 

[Jimmy H.]

"I Need A Doctor" is his biggest charting single as an artist since the first Chronic came out. You can tell me all you want about what you hear out in Florida but I can look at newspapers and Billboard charts that show me the song actually jumped way up, this week. The song is #4 in the country amongst all music genres and #3 in digital sales. I'll take that over one person trying to convince me it's not succesful because he hasn't personally heard it in his travels. 

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

"I Need A Doctor" is his biggest charting single as an artist since the first Chronic came out. You can tell me all you want about what you hear out in Florida but I can look at newspapers and Billboard charts that show me the song actually jumped way up, this week. The song is #4 in the country amongst all music genres and #3 in digital sales. I'll take that over one person trying to convince me it's not succesful because he hasn't personally heard it in his travels. 

Its only successful if it stays on the charts and stays on the radio

[Jimmy H.]

Well, fine, if it falls off the charts, next week, I'm all for hearing these brilliant backseat P.R. marketing plans to reinvent Dr. Dre but right now, he's got the #4 single in the country so saying they need to scrap it all and try to sell him like he's in 20's or 30's again sounds absurd to me. 

[OG Jaydc]

Lmao   Off at basin what dr dre needs over what's hot in Florida that's like saying gucci mane should start tailoring his music to what's hot in New York.

[Dre-Day]

Like i said before, it's impossible to market a 46 year old rapper to today's record buying public (teenagers).  Dre is the same age as their parents.  It's just not gonna happen for him this time unless every song on Detox will contain 2 Eminem verses.  

teenagers download a lot, i don't get why this age group gets brought up all the time

[You'll Never Walk Alone]

Nobody in Florida is talking about him.  Nobody is saying his name.  They play "Kush" speeded up in Miami then they mix it with another track so it sits on there for 2 min speeded up a few people move.  There is a PR problem cause you're talkin about getting college girls 17-25 and guys 22-45 to buy the album and it's goin to be a rough road ahead if they can't reinvent him and he drops a song worth listening to

Who gives a fuck about florida. Dre releasing a song with david guetta aint gon do shit either.

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

Like i said before, it's impossible to market a 46 year old rapper to today's record buying public (teenagers).  Dre is the same age as their parents.  It's just not gonna happen for him this time unless every song on Detox will contain 2 Eminem verses.  

teenagers download a lot, i don't get why this age group gets brought up all the time

They don't really buy albums either. Most teenagers I know buy the individual songs, if they pay at all.