It's April 27, 2024, 03:36:40 PM
wouldn't be in my top 10 but I have to say that it is the cleanest sounding album I have ever heard
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‘2001’: Why Dr. Dre’s Second Album Remains A Timeless ClassicOn his sophomore solo album, ‘2001,’ Dr. Dre was back for the throne with a new generation of talent and a record that would define an era.Published on November 16, 2022Since releasing The Chronic in 1992, Dr. Dre spent the rest of the 90s watching the gangsta rap style he helped birth and popularize completely take over the genre. It wasn’t just a dominant force in hip-hop, it was the dominant force in music – full stop. But after releasing his second solo album, 2001 on November 16, 1999, Dre was back for the throne with a new generation of talent and an album that would define an era.The first culture-shifting albumDr. Dre already had one culture-shifting album under his belt: The Chronic had not only cemented him as one of the most legendary hip-hop producers of all time, but it had also turned Snoop Dogg into a star.It’s billed as a solo album, but with Snoop on nearly every track, The Chronic feels like a collaborative album. Daz Dillinger and Kurupt also appear on a handful of tracks, and they would go on to assist on Snoop’s Doggystyle before releasing their own debut albums. The Chronic also features some of the most iconic songs of the decade – singles that are still in constant rotation on California radio, and on airwaves all over the world.Another collaborative effortBut for all The Chronic achieved, it also laid the groundwork for Dre’s stunning follow-up. 2001 is a similarly collaboration-heavy album; Snoop Dogg, now a superstar, is only on four songs this time around, but the reduced quantity is hardly noticeable because two of those songs are “Still DRE” and “The Next Episode,” two of the most definitive songs not only in Dre’s catalog but in the entire canon of West Coast hip-hop. We should also thank Dre for introducing a whole generation of kids to the symphonic genius of the late David Axelrod, through his brilliant sampling of Axelrod’s “The Edge.”Kurupt is back for a few more verses and Hittman is all over the album. Nate Dogg, too, has featured vocals all over 2001, en route to developing a reputation as one of the most respected crooners in the game. In the years to follow, he’d deliver some of the most memorable hooks in hip-hop, before his untimely passing in 2011.Nate Dogg wasn’t the only star who’d follow in Snoop’s tracks, helping to cement Dre’s reputation as a kingmaker. Xzibit also has a few verses on 2001. The following year he would release Restless, the best-selling album of his career, and would continue a successful musical run before achieving massive crossover success when he became a household name as the host of MTV’s Pimp My Ride.Xzibit appears on three 2001 songs: first on the opener “Lolo,” featuring Dre’s whole posse, and then on “What’s the Difference,” one of the album’s standout moments. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this track is the fact that Xzibit’s going toe-to-toe with the other guy who would skyrocket to stardom after 2001’s release… Marshall Mathers.Launching Eminem’s careerAs influential as Dre was for NWA and his own albums, he’s now just as famous for launching Eminem’s career. 2001 was integral to Eminem’s ascension and despite that memorable “What’s The Difference” appearance, it’s “Forgot About Dre” that most remember as the album’s defining track. Eminem had released The Slim Shady LP at the top of the year, and, despite Dre’s involvement on that album, their best-known collaborations were yet to come.“Forgot About Dre” not only showcased Em’s killer verses, hooks, and the stylistic flair he brought to the song, it served as a corrective to any of those who dared take Dre’s musical clout for granted. A few months later, “The Real Slim Shady” would feel like a spiritual sequel. After 2001 hit, Eminem went on to become the best-selling rapper of all time.Silencing the criticsFollowing Dre’s debut, 2001 entered the charts at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and remains one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. Though it was only Dre’s second studio album, for 16 years, it felt like it would also be his final one. After years (and years) of teasing an album called Detox – rap’s equivalent of Chinese Democracy – Dr. Dre released his third album, Compton, coinciding with the release of NWA’s biopic, Straight Outta Compton.Compton was a victory lap; a statement and a celebration of the collaborators Dre had worked with throughout his storied career – a career that is most often defined by the first entry in Dre’s trilogy, The Chronic. But, a few decades later, it’s easy to see that 2001 was just as impactful, if not more forward-thinking than its predecessor, future-proofing itself to be a timeless hip-hop album.
M Means Music Launches Second Season With Deep Dive On Dr Dre’s ‘2001’Released in 1999, the record served as the highly-anticipated follow up to 1992’s ‘The Chronic.’Published on April 3, 2022The Spotify Music + Talk podcast series M Means Music, hosted by veteran music journalist and music consultant Daryl Easlea, has returned for its second season. Kicking off with a bang, Easlea is diving straight into Dr. Dre’s sophomore record 2001, shared in 1999 as the highly-anticipated follow up to 1992’s The Chronic. Throughout the episode, he dives into the album’s long-delayed release, its lasting impact on hip-hop, and the career-defining songs that emerged in its creation.“Recorded at nine studios in LA and mixed by Dre at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, 2001 is a big sounding album, with big intentions. Everything is here, it’s like T200he Chronic II, amped up and ready for the new decade,” Easlea explains. “Originally intended to play as a mix tape with skit interludes, Dre mapped it out to play like a film. It was intended as entertainment, something that Dre was keen to promote.”Getting into the music, Easlea highlights Dr. Dre’s keen eye for developments within the rap scene. On “The Watcher,” the rapper name drops Snoop Dogg and Eminem and nods to friends lost over the years.On its follow up, “Forgot About Dre,” Dr. Dre tears into those who doubted him most in the years in between The Chronic and 2001. In a 1999 interview, the rapper shared: “For the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of talk out on the streets about whether or not I can still hold my own, whether or not I’m still good at producing. That was the ultimate motivation forme. Magazines, word of mouth and rap tabloids were saying I didn’t have it any more. What more do I need to do? How many platinum records have I made? O.K., here’s the album – now what do you have to say?”From there, Easlea breaks down the samples and instrumental approaches used on 2001 and examines its final single “The Next Episode.” Pulling back to look at the bigger picture, the host dives into the business side of things – disputes within Death Row Records after Dr. Dre’s split to found his own label Aftermath, which boasts Eminem as one of its earliest signees.In the studio and with other artists was where Dr. Dre’s heart truly was. In a 2019 interview celebrating the 20th anniversary of 2001, the rapper said: “I didn’t wanna appear on the albums at all, to be honest. I just wanted to produce, find artists and produce them. And Doc, The D.O.C. talked me into getting on the mic and doing this thing.”https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cCGDKDcTVTKl97dRmKEpJ
This cover is cool as phuck!
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