A new reason why Aftermath Presents failed

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

As you know I’m Infinite Trapped in 1996 and have nothing better to do with my life then contemplate yet another reason Aftermath Presents failed even though its possibly one of the greatest and most historical albums of all time.

The new reason is — Dre was shook and scared of Pac and Suge.

It reminds me of when Charles Barkley said in The Last Dance that he never believed anyone could be better than him but that the 93’ finals was a moment when he had to say that Jordan was better than him and he couldn’t beat Jordan.

Dre had always been the greatest in hip-hop and everything he put his hands on and every artist he touched became the biggest and best.  But something happened that summer at Death Row in 1996.  Dre had left the label and Pac and Suge were coming at Dre hard.  That set up a competitive atmosphere.

Dre is a competitor just like Barkley and just like Jordan, don’t get it twisted.  He was out to prove he could outdo what Pac was doing summer of 96’ as Pac was the clear #1 and on top of the industry and bigger than Dre in the summer of 96.

Now with the Eazy beef Dre went right at Eazy with The Chronic and knocked his ass out.  With the Cube situation Dre also went right after Eazy wit 100 Miles and Runnin’ and Efil4Zaggin.

But notice Dre was leaving and tired of the beefing and gangbangin shit.  So Dre had these two conflicting emotions.  He had the hunger and fire to compete and be bigger and better than Pac and Suge and Death Row, but yet he didn’t have the heart to beef…

So he came up with some shit that was so fuckin dope that it would go over mufuckaZ heads and heads would never be able to catch up and wouldn’t know what hit um.  Like a boxer he couldn’t stand in front of Pac and Suge face then head on… so he played the long game, he took a step back to take a step forward. 

He laid down some sneak disses, like RBX “I heard a dog yelping but no help came” was a sneak diss at the Dogg Pound, and “Been There Done That” was a play at saying he was bigger and above all their bullshit without actually facing them in the ring.  After PAC’s memory started to fade from the spotlight and Suge was safely in prison Dre re-merged with Eminem in 99-2000

[Sccit]

interesting theory .. altho dre is responsible for pacs biggest hit, so the fact that pac was runnin ish in 96 had a lot to do wit him directly to begin with

[BJV]

Do you think Dre even knew Pac was dissing him when he was recording this album? Makaveli dropped November and so did Aftermath Presents. Dre most likely didn't even know Pac dissed him until after Pac had already died? Just speculating cause I don't know if Pac or Suge dissed Dre in interviews before that back in the day or not.

I know Blunt Time was one of the beats offered to Pac for All Eyez On Me, was probably first recorded for the rumoured second Dre solo album on Deathrow.

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

interesting theory .. altho dre is responsible for pacs biggest hit, so the fact that pac was runnin ish in 96 had a lot to do wit him directly to begin with

Yeah no doubt that’s the truth… but I think it took on another level summer of 96.  Like Dre was like shoulder to shoulder with Pac when they were releasing “California Love” video and Snoop was shoulder to shoulder releasing “2 of Americas Most Wanted”

But I feel like when that “How do you want it” maxi single was released that’s when it skyrocketed to a level Dre and Snoop had never seen before.  I mean Pac had made the world shake with a simple Johnny J beat for “Hit Um Up” and needed nothing more than some guest appearances from his homies the Outlawz—and those guys were as much PAC’s soldiers as they were PAC’s artists. 

Then to add more fuel to the fire—Pac made an album the caliber of All Eyez On Me—7 Day Theory with a bunch of no-name producers and artists from the wack room.  That album came out after Aftermath Presents but you still get the point that if it was the NBA finals then Dre and Snoop were Charles Barkley and Pac was Jordan.  They were shook to see this guy they’d added to the label some months come to dominate

[Sccit]

Yeah no doubt that’s the truth… but I think it took on another level summer of 96.  Like Dre was like shoulder to shoulder with Pac when they were releasing “California Love” video and Snoop was shoulder to shoulder releasing “2 of Americas Most Wanted”

But I feel like when that “How do you want it” maxi single was released that’s when it skyrocketed to a level Dre and Snoop had never seen before.  I mean Pac had made the world shake with a simple Johnny J beat for “Hit Um Up” and needed nothing more than some guest appearances from his homies the Outlawz—and those guys were as much PAC’s soldiers as they were PAC’s artists. 

Then to add more fuel to the fire—Pac made an album the caliber of All Eyez On Me—7 Day Theory with a bunch of no-name producers and artists from the wack room.  That album came out after Aftermath Presents but you still get the point that if it was the NBA finals then Dre and Snoop were Charles Barkley and Pac was Jordan.  They were shook to see this guy they’d added to the label some months come to dominate

i don’t see anyone as barkley in this scenario

dre would be more like mj and pac would be kobe (RIP)

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

i don’t see anyone as barkley in this scenario

dre would be more like mj and pac would be kobe (RIP)

I wouldn't exactly call Aftermath Presents "winning the championship".  That album came and went and made little noise. 

[Sccit]

I wouldn't exactly call Aftermath Presents "winning the championship".  That album came and went and made little noise.

naah it wasn’t .. it was a playoff appearance

str8 outa cpt, eazy duz it, the chronic, 2001, doggystyle, mmlp were dre’s 6 championships ala mj

me against the world, all eyez on me, makaveli, poetic justice, juice were pac’s 5 championships ala kobe

but pac had less help throughout his career, which is why he falls short of dre’s overall resume (kobe/mj dynamic)

plus pac left us early, so we never know what woulda been

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

naah it wasn’t .. it was a playoff appearance

str8 outa cpt, eazy duz it, the chronic, 2001, doggystyle, mmlp were dre’s 6 championships ala mj

me against the world, all eyez on me, makaveli, poetic justice, juice were pac’s 5 championships ala kobe

but kobe had less help throughout his career, which is why he falls short of dre’s overall resume

plus pac left us early, so we never know what woulda been

This thread is documenting Dre's 96 Stats and the numbers he put up with Aftermath Presents.  Career statistics put Dre in the category of Jordan, but his 96' statistics may have him as the assist leader "California Love" or 6th Man of the year because he was riding the bench a lot that year.  He was in the background making a masterpiece, but wouldn't face Pac centercourt.  He stayed out high beyond the arc and tried to make a miracle shot.

Pac was driving the lane and dunking on fools, Suge controlled the paint, he was a force in the middle

[Sccit]

This thread is documenting Dre's 96 Stats and the numbers he put up with Aftermath Presents.  Career statistics put Dre in the category of Jordan, but his 96' statistics may have him as the assist leader "California Love" or 6th Man of the year because he was riding the bench a lot that year.  He was in the background making a masterpiece, but wouldn't face Pac centercourt.  He stayed out high beyond the arc and tried to make a miracle shot.

Pac was driving the lane and dunking on fools, Suge controlled the paint, he was a force in the middle

so a better comparison in that scenario would be pac was hakeem in 94 & 95 and dre was mj, tryin somethin different before returning for his next great run

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

so a better comparison in that scenario would be pac was hakeem in 94 & 95 and dre was mj, tryin somethin different before returning for his next great run

Yeah that’s a pretty good comparison right there—though Hakeem was drafted before Jordan and Pac was a late bloomer who got better with every album.  Plus Pac had a lot of triple doubles he was leading all rap in assists and double figures on blocks on account of shutting down Biggie along the baseline and keeping Xzibit on the sideline, many didn’t shoot for fear of having their shot blocked, very Hakeem-like as you so astutely pointed out