Dr. Dre - "The Chronic" - 30 Years
Dec 15, 2022 20:28:24 GMT -5
Post by areyoureadytojump on Dec 15, 2022 20:28:24 GMT -5
Certified 3x Platinum in November 2003. Billboard said years ago its SPS was at 5.7 million.
www.billboard.com/lists/dr-dre-the-chronic-album-songs-ranked/?fbclid=IwAR0EohhLc8ZeE8ytOWjA_-Y5gh2d76X4x3MhJrBemgse6tMXlmVgD2c0XQ0
Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Turns 30: Every Song Ranked From Worst to Best
By William Goodman
12/15/2022
After a split with N.W.A, the rapper-producer's solo debut introduced the G-funk sound, launched multiple careers and changed hip-hop forever.
As of Dec. 15, 2022, we’ve had 30 years of The Chronic, hip-hop legend Dr. Dre’s breakout solo debut album. That’s three decades of house parties, backyard BBQs, collegiate ragers, beach/lakeside hangouts and slow drives in the sunshine soundtracked by The Chronic and its innovative G-funk sound.
It’s the great unifier. Its funky, silky-smooth live instrumentation with slick guitar and deep bass, inspired by Parliament/Funkadelic and George Clinton, broke down cultural walls; everyone loves The Chronic. It lifted hip-hop to a new echelon of cultural relevancy and set the stage for the next generation of rappers and producers. It crowned Dre atop the industry as its preeminent artist-producer.
The context in which it was created, however, was far rockier.
The Chronic was recorded in the aftermath of the L.A. riots in April 1992—vocal samples from people on the streets were used on tracks like “The Day the N–gaz Took Over” and “Lil’ Ghetto Boy.” And its lyrics captured the world that then surrounded Dre and his crew – drugs, guns, gangs and overt misogyny (which can make The Chronic uncomfortable to revisit given the rapper’s public admission of beating women as a young man, including his attack on TV host Dee Barnes in 1991. Dre has since apologized for his actions).
Then there was Dre’s beef (over a financial dispute) with his N.W.A collaborator Eazy-E, Ruthless Records and its co-founder Jerry Heller. Dre got his start by co-producing N.W.A’s 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton. But by the early ‘90s—following public insults from N.W.A member Ice Cube on his brutal diss track “No Vaseline”—Dre wanted out. He wanted to join up with Death Row Records, the notorious label owned by former football player/rap don Suge Knight. Dre took aim at Eazy on the tracks “F-k Wit’ Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” and “B-tches Ain’t Sh-t,” among others. It was a tense time.
Dre doesn’t have such fond memories of that era: That’s “the toughest record that I’ve recorded in my career,” he told BigBoyTV. “I was in survival mode.” And with “all the things that were happening in the studio during the making, it was crazy. During that process, my house burned down, I was shot in the legs, and I was in the studio on crutches for a couple of weeks. So, it was a lot that went into that record. It was blood, sweat, and beers that went into it, you know what I mean?”
When The Chronic dropped on Dec. 15, 1992, however, it paid off. The Chronic produced three top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (where it spent eight months in the chart’s top 10) and won the Grammy Award for best rap solo performance (“Let Me Ride”).
The Chronic also introduced his clique of collaborators to the world: Snoop Dogg, who appears on 11 of its 16 tracks, plus Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, The D.O.C., Daz Dillinger, RBX and The Lady of Rage. Snoop, in particular, captured attention with his lyrical, laid-back flow, further focusing the attention of the hip-hop world on Los Angeles and Death Row Records.
And for Dre, it kicked his career into overdrive, beginning a string of hits that continued with artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game, Kendrick Lamar and others. This would ultimately lead him into tech (Beats By Dre, Apple), film (Straight Outta Compton) and sports (the 2022 Super Bowl performance) on his way to become one of richest artists on earth.
The Chronic redefined the West Coast sound, which up to that point, was aggressive, in-your-face, abrasive and less accessible. By packaging the gangsta lifestyle in funkier, smoother sounds, Dre’s G-funk lifted hip-hop out of the inner city and gifted it to the rest of the world.
The album’s legacy continues to inspire artists far and wide. To celebrate its 30th birthday, let’s revisit and rank The Chronic’s 16 tracks.
16
“The Doctor’s Office” ft. Jewell & The Lady of Rage
It’s among the more regrettable moments on the album: A skit, in which a woman visits a doctor’s office and tells the receptionist that she has an appointment with Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre, however, is preoccupied with another patient. “Do you want to reschedule,” the receptionist says. “No, I must see him,” the waiting patient says. Throughout, the sounds of Dre and another woman/patient having sex are overwhelming. “Where is Dr. Dre,” the patient asks. The receptionist finally says, “Well, open up the door and see his big d-ck f–king somebody.”
15
“B-tches Ain’t Sh-t” ft. Tha Dogg Pound, Jewell & Snoop Dogg
The album’s outro — a canvas for dissing Eazy-E and Jerry Heller — is yet another one of these regrettable moments. It’s “B-tches ain’t sh-t but hoes and tricks / Lick on these nuts and suck the d-ck,” goes the chorus. Not super classy, but a glance into a different time and place and a reminder of how much has changed since the early ‘90s.
14
"The Chronic (Intro)” ft. Snoop Dogg
This LP-opening skit sets the tone – this is an album dedicated to loyal homies, and aimed at Eazy-E, Jerry Heller, and anyone “that talks sh-t” who will “get dealt with real quick.” It’s another wildly misogynistic diss at women and a glorification of the rappers’ manhoods. But musically, it’s a jam that combines dark bass loops, echoing synth lines and strong drums. The subject matter is tired and offensive, but it’s a marker on how the producer is far ahead of the lyrical material they’re working with, even from the jump.
13
“The Roach (The Chronic Outro)” ft. Daz Dillinger, Emmage, Jewell, The Lady of Rage, RBX & Ruben Cruz
It’s a stoner skit/song with blasting horns, space-y synths, funky bass and a radio-DJ voice sing-talking about blazing up a joint. “Cannabis Sativa. Or in the heart of L.A., known as the chronic.” (Remember, the album’s art is a play on Zig-Zag rolling papers.) “Make my sh-t the chronic, I wants to get f–ked up,” a Parliament-interpolating chorus sings. This, of course, ends with a munchies session: triple cheeseburger, fries and a “mother–kin’ couple sodas and sh-t.”
12
“High Powered” ft. Daz Dillinger, The Lady of Rage & RBX
Another collage of background voices from The Lady of Rage, as the synths ride up and down. Daz talks about the chronic weed, then starts rapping: “Execution style murder / Haven’t you ever heard of a killer?” [cue nuclear bomb sound] “I drop bombs like Hiroshima.” It’s one of the less creative tracks on the album, but the high-pitched synth line is a trademark of ‘90s West Coast rap, and the beats are menacing – clearly an inspiration to groups like Gravediggaz and others in the future. It also shows the evolution this album is making from the abrasive, late-‘80s West Coast hardcore rap into the silky smooth and accessible G-funk sound.
11
“Lyrical Gangbang” ft. Kurupt, The Lady of Rage & RBX
A fake Public Service Announcement opens the track: “This should be played at high volume in a residential area.” Then The Lady of Rage raps over a hard backbeat with a spiky, funk guitar slashing in rhythm. It’s an innovative sound. Then it’s RBX’s turn, bringing the heat: “Living large like a fat b-tch / chewing mother–kers up like a Hershey’s Kiss / The innovator, dominator, narrator RB to the mother–king X.”
10
“Stranded on Death Row” ft. Bushwick Bill, Kurupt, The Lady of Rage, RBX & Snoop Dogg
Despite its legendary G-funk sound, The Chronic features plenty of haunting, menacing tunes. This track has ghostly screams in the background over fuzzed-out bass and straight drums that sound, at times, closer to a Nine Inch Nails album. “Steppin’ through the fog / And creepin’ through the smog / It’s the number one n–a from the hood, Doggy Dogg,” Snoop raps.
9
“Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat” ft. RBX & Snoop Dogg
Gorgeous, slo-mo funk guitar and flute drop into blown-out bass and Dre rapping, “Late at night on streets of L.A., wondering where the p-ssy at.” Then Snoop arrives. “Never hesitate to put a n—a on his back,” he raps, dropping a line he’ll repeat over and over in his music for decades. It’s a tune about OGs rolling through town, delivering vengeance and street justice at will.
8
“The $20 Sack Pyramid” ft. Big Tittie Nickie, Snoop Dogg & The D.O.C.
This skit has a character channel-surfing on TV before landing on a gameshow-style program in which contestants compete for a $20 bag of weed and a $35 gift certificate to the Compton swap meet. “Endo, buddah, hocus pocus.” “Oh, things that’s people smoke!” It’s silly, but, you know, stoned kids in a recording studio do silly things.
7
“A N---a Witta Gun” ft. D.O.C. & Snoop Dogg
Turns out, you can’t really talk with a gun in your mouth. This track opens with Dre dispatching a dude to meet Lucifer. Then menacing, underworld bass rhythms, vinyl scratches and hammering drums collide as Dre barks with clarity about the essentials for a young, Black man to survive on the streets of L.A. “D-R-E, a motherf–ker who’s known for carryin’ gats / And kick raps that make snaps, adapts to any environment that I’m located at / If you see me on the solo move, believe that I’m strapped / Four-four, tray-eight or AK-47.” Steer clear, Los Angelenos. The track clearly communicated what it’s like to live on the streets of L.A., where it’s not just the police you’re worried about.
6
“Deeez Nuuuts” ft. Daz Dillinger, Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg & Warren G
This track opens with a phone conversation between Snoop and a young lady that’s, well, all about his balls: “Did what’s-your-name done get at you yesterday?” Snoop says. “Who?” she asks. “Deez nuts!” A sample from comedian Rudy May Moore follows, before the bass kicks in. Musically, the fat, blown-out bass is the DNA of Dre’s early productions, along with the high-pitched synths, as his crew raps about “big money, big nuts and a big fat chronic sack.” Nate Dogg provides the exit, crooning: “I can’t be faded / I’m a n—a from the mother–kin’ street.”
5
“Lil’ Ghetto Boy” ft. Daz Dillinger & Snoop Dogg
An intro has a man preaching of lifting Black people out of poverty and empowering them financially: “Save your money, quit paying motherf–kers for Jheri curls / save your money, start your own business.” Then the groove starts, and musically, it’s almost a Sade song: Flutes, bongos, vibing electric keys and strings buzzing like a quiet swarm of bees. Gliding, high-pitched synths slide in and Snoop and Daz rap about their reality—stuck in a jail cell. Then the chorus, sampled from Donny Hathaway’s song of approximately the same name: “Little ghetto boy, playing in ghetto streets, what ya gonna do when you grow up and have to face responsibility?” Musically, this is groundbreaking—an old track, reinterpreted with a similar message. It’s G-funk at its finest.
4
“The Day the N----z Took Over” ft. Daz Dillinger, RBX & Snoop Dogg
It’s the April 1992 riots captured in song, as the city of L.A. erupted after the verdict was read in the Rodney King case: “I got my finger on the trigger, some n—s wonder why,” Snoop raps. ”But livin’ in the city, it’s do or die.” It’s intercut with audio from news reports from journalists overhead in helicopters, describing the scene on the ground. Dre’s verse says it best: “Sitting in my living room, calm and collected / Feeling that gotta-get-mine perspective / ‘Cause what I just heard broke me in half.” It’s “bloods, crips on the same squad,” he barks. “It’s time to rob and mob.”
3
"Let Me Ride” ft. Snoop Dogg
Dr. Dre, "Let Me Ride"
It’s the track that won Dre his first Grammy. It’s a reggae-tinged, atmospheric jam with that signature, high-pitched synth paired with an uptempo drum beat and a P-funk bass line. “Creepin’ down the back street on D’s / I got my Glock clocked ’cause n—-s want these,” Dre raps. It’s a track for driving around L.A., creeping in your ’64 Chevy Impala. The breakdown is classic: “Swing down sweet chariot, stop and let me ride,” a female chorus sings. “Hell yeah,” Dre says. Indeed.
2
“F--k With Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” ft. Jewell, RBX & Snoop Dogg
Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, "Dre Day"
This is the main diss at Eazy-E. Just watch the music video, which makes E out to be label CEO Jerry Heller’s servant, before Dre shows up with a gun pointed at them both (the video also shows Dre flaunting a Funkadelic t-shirt). “Watch your back ’cause you might get smoked,” Dre raps. “You f–ked with me, now it’s a must that I f–k with you.” Snoop, of course, has a legendary verse: “Bow wow wow yippy yo yippy yaya / Doggy Dogg’s in the mother–kin’ house.” An entire generation knows those words by heart. If the message wasn’t clear, the song ends with: “Eazy-E, Eazy-E, Eazy-E can eat a big fat d-ck.”
1
"Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” ft. Snoop Dogg
Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, "Nuthin' But A G Thang"
It’s the song that represents Dre’s genius G-funk sound; a laid-back jam with P-funk bass, high-pitched synth slides and atmospheric guitar chords as Dre and Snoop recount their Cali lifestyle of weed, women, cars, parties and gang life. And after three decades, the song stands as one of the most universally loved tracks in hip-hop. The video helped sell the lifestyle: Dre rolls up to Snoop’s house, walks past men lifting weights in the front yard, to find Snoop in the back room, getting geared up. Snoop picks up his verse without effort, and the pair get to rolling through the city, neighborhood to neighborhood. Eventually, the whole posse rendezvous at a city park to flaunt their cars and eat BBQ. The lifestyle is on full display – pistols are tucked in waistlines, blunts are passed, and at night the crew moves to a house party where a fridge is filled with frosty 40 oz. beers. “C-O-M-P-T-O-N and the city they call Long Beach,” Dre raps, referencing his partnership with Snoop. It’s a match made in hip-hop heaven.
www.billboard.com/lists/dr-dre-the-chronic-album-songs-ranked/?fbclid=IwAR0EohhLc8ZeE8ytOWjA_-Y5gh2d76X4x3MhJrBemgse6tMXlmVgD2c0XQ0
Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Turns 30: Every Song Ranked From Worst to Best
By William Goodman
12/15/2022
After a split with N.W.A, the rapper-producer's solo debut introduced the G-funk sound, launched multiple careers and changed hip-hop forever.
As of Dec. 15, 2022, we’ve had 30 years of The Chronic, hip-hop legend Dr. Dre’s breakout solo debut album. That’s three decades of house parties, backyard BBQs, collegiate ragers, beach/lakeside hangouts and slow drives in the sunshine soundtracked by The Chronic and its innovative G-funk sound.
It’s the great unifier. Its funky, silky-smooth live instrumentation with slick guitar and deep bass, inspired by Parliament/Funkadelic and George Clinton, broke down cultural walls; everyone loves The Chronic. It lifted hip-hop to a new echelon of cultural relevancy and set the stage for the next generation of rappers and producers. It crowned Dre atop the industry as its preeminent artist-producer.
The context in which it was created, however, was far rockier.
The Chronic was recorded in the aftermath of the L.A. riots in April 1992—vocal samples from people on the streets were used on tracks like “The Day the N–gaz Took Over” and “Lil’ Ghetto Boy.” And its lyrics captured the world that then surrounded Dre and his crew – drugs, guns, gangs and overt misogyny (which can make The Chronic uncomfortable to revisit given the rapper’s public admission of beating women as a young man, including his attack on TV host Dee Barnes in 1991. Dre has since apologized for his actions).
Then there was Dre’s beef (over a financial dispute) with his N.W.A collaborator Eazy-E, Ruthless Records and its co-founder Jerry Heller. Dre got his start by co-producing N.W.A’s 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton. But by the early ‘90s—following public insults from N.W.A member Ice Cube on his brutal diss track “No Vaseline”—Dre wanted out. He wanted to join up with Death Row Records, the notorious label owned by former football player/rap don Suge Knight. Dre took aim at Eazy on the tracks “F-k Wit’ Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” and “B-tches Ain’t Sh-t,” among others. It was a tense time.
Dre doesn’t have such fond memories of that era: That’s “the toughest record that I’ve recorded in my career,” he told BigBoyTV. “I was in survival mode.” And with “all the things that were happening in the studio during the making, it was crazy. During that process, my house burned down, I was shot in the legs, and I was in the studio on crutches for a couple of weeks. So, it was a lot that went into that record. It was blood, sweat, and beers that went into it, you know what I mean?”
When The Chronic dropped on Dec. 15, 1992, however, it paid off. The Chronic produced three top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (where it spent eight months in the chart’s top 10) and won the Grammy Award for best rap solo performance (“Let Me Ride”).
The Chronic also introduced his clique of collaborators to the world: Snoop Dogg, who appears on 11 of its 16 tracks, plus Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, The D.O.C., Daz Dillinger, RBX and The Lady of Rage. Snoop, in particular, captured attention with his lyrical, laid-back flow, further focusing the attention of the hip-hop world on Los Angeles and Death Row Records.
And for Dre, it kicked his career into overdrive, beginning a string of hits that continued with artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game, Kendrick Lamar and others. This would ultimately lead him into tech (Beats By Dre, Apple), film (Straight Outta Compton) and sports (the 2022 Super Bowl performance) on his way to become one of richest artists on earth.
The Chronic redefined the West Coast sound, which up to that point, was aggressive, in-your-face, abrasive and less accessible. By packaging the gangsta lifestyle in funkier, smoother sounds, Dre’s G-funk lifted hip-hop out of the inner city and gifted it to the rest of the world.
The album’s legacy continues to inspire artists far and wide. To celebrate its 30th birthday, let’s revisit and rank The Chronic’s 16 tracks.
16
“The Doctor’s Office” ft. Jewell & The Lady of Rage
It’s among the more regrettable moments on the album: A skit, in which a woman visits a doctor’s office and tells the receptionist that she has an appointment with Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre, however, is preoccupied with another patient. “Do you want to reschedule,” the receptionist says. “No, I must see him,” the waiting patient says. Throughout, the sounds of Dre and another woman/patient having sex are overwhelming. “Where is Dr. Dre,” the patient asks. The receptionist finally says, “Well, open up the door and see his big d-ck f–king somebody.”
15
“B-tches Ain’t Sh-t” ft. Tha Dogg Pound, Jewell & Snoop Dogg
The album’s outro — a canvas for dissing Eazy-E and Jerry Heller — is yet another one of these regrettable moments. It’s “B-tches ain’t sh-t but hoes and tricks / Lick on these nuts and suck the d-ck,” goes the chorus. Not super classy, but a glance into a different time and place and a reminder of how much has changed since the early ‘90s.
14
"The Chronic (Intro)” ft. Snoop Dogg
This LP-opening skit sets the tone – this is an album dedicated to loyal homies, and aimed at Eazy-E, Jerry Heller, and anyone “that talks sh-t” who will “get dealt with real quick.” It’s another wildly misogynistic diss at women and a glorification of the rappers’ manhoods. But musically, it’s a jam that combines dark bass loops, echoing synth lines and strong drums. The subject matter is tired and offensive, but it’s a marker on how the producer is far ahead of the lyrical material they’re working with, even from the jump.
13
“The Roach (The Chronic Outro)” ft. Daz Dillinger, Emmage, Jewell, The Lady of Rage, RBX & Ruben Cruz
It’s a stoner skit/song with blasting horns, space-y synths, funky bass and a radio-DJ voice sing-talking about blazing up a joint. “Cannabis Sativa. Or in the heart of L.A., known as the chronic.” (Remember, the album’s art is a play on Zig-Zag rolling papers.) “Make my sh-t the chronic, I wants to get f–ked up,” a Parliament-interpolating chorus sings. This, of course, ends with a munchies session: triple cheeseburger, fries and a “mother–kin’ couple sodas and sh-t.”
12
“High Powered” ft. Daz Dillinger, The Lady of Rage & RBX
Another collage of background voices from The Lady of Rage, as the synths ride up and down. Daz talks about the chronic weed, then starts rapping: “Execution style murder / Haven’t you ever heard of a killer?” [cue nuclear bomb sound] “I drop bombs like Hiroshima.” It’s one of the less creative tracks on the album, but the high-pitched synth line is a trademark of ‘90s West Coast rap, and the beats are menacing – clearly an inspiration to groups like Gravediggaz and others in the future. It also shows the evolution this album is making from the abrasive, late-‘80s West Coast hardcore rap into the silky smooth and accessible G-funk sound.
11
“Lyrical Gangbang” ft. Kurupt, The Lady of Rage & RBX
A fake Public Service Announcement opens the track: “This should be played at high volume in a residential area.” Then The Lady of Rage raps over a hard backbeat with a spiky, funk guitar slashing in rhythm. It’s an innovative sound. Then it’s RBX’s turn, bringing the heat: “Living large like a fat b-tch / chewing mother–kers up like a Hershey’s Kiss / The innovator, dominator, narrator RB to the mother–king X.”
10
“Stranded on Death Row” ft. Bushwick Bill, Kurupt, The Lady of Rage, RBX & Snoop Dogg
Despite its legendary G-funk sound, The Chronic features plenty of haunting, menacing tunes. This track has ghostly screams in the background over fuzzed-out bass and straight drums that sound, at times, closer to a Nine Inch Nails album. “Steppin’ through the fog / And creepin’ through the smog / It’s the number one n–a from the hood, Doggy Dogg,” Snoop raps.
9
“Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat” ft. RBX & Snoop Dogg
Gorgeous, slo-mo funk guitar and flute drop into blown-out bass and Dre rapping, “Late at night on streets of L.A., wondering where the p-ssy at.” Then Snoop arrives. “Never hesitate to put a n—a on his back,” he raps, dropping a line he’ll repeat over and over in his music for decades. It’s a tune about OGs rolling through town, delivering vengeance and street justice at will.
8
“The $20 Sack Pyramid” ft. Big Tittie Nickie, Snoop Dogg & The D.O.C.
This skit has a character channel-surfing on TV before landing on a gameshow-style program in which contestants compete for a $20 bag of weed and a $35 gift certificate to the Compton swap meet. “Endo, buddah, hocus pocus.” “Oh, things that’s people smoke!” It’s silly, but, you know, stoned kids in a recording studio do silly things.
7
“A N---a Witta Gun” ft. D.O.C. & Snoop Dogg
Turns out, you can’t really talk with a gun in your mouth. This track opens with Dre dispatching a dude to meet Lucifer. Then menacing, underworld bass rhythms, vinyl scratches and hammering drums collide as Dre barks with clarity about the essentials for a young, Black man to survive on the streets of L.A. “D-R-E, a motherf–ker who’s known for carryin’ gats / And kick raps that make snaps, adapts to any environment that I’m located at / If you see me on the solo move, believe that I’m strapped / Four-four, tray-eight or AK-47.” Steer clear, Los Angelenos. The track clearly communicated what it’s like to live on the streets of L.A., where it’s not just the police you’re worried about.
6
“Deeez Nuuuts” ft. Daz Dillinger, Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg & Warren G
This track opens with a phone conversation between Snoop and a young lady that’s, well, all about his balls: “Did what’s-your-name done get at you yesterday?” Snoop says. “Who?” she asks. “Deez nuts!” A sample from comedian Rudy May Moore follows, before the bass kicks in. Musically, the fat, blown-out bass is the DNA of Dre’s early productions, along with the high-pitched synths, as his crew raps about “big money, big nuts and a big fat chronic sack.” Nate Dogg provides the exit, crooning: “I can’t be faded / I’m a n—a from the mother–kin’ street.”
5
“Lil’ Ghetto Boy” ft. Daz Dillinger & Snoop Dogg
An intro has a man preaching of lifting Black people out of poverty and empowering them financially: “Save your money, quit paying motherf–kers for Jheri curls / save your money, start your own business.” Then the groove starts, and musically, it’s almost a Sade song: Flutes, bongos, vibing electric keys and strings buzzing like a quiet swarm of bees. Gliding, high-pitched synths slide in and Snoop and Daz rap about their reality—stuck in a jail cell. Then the chorus, sampled from Donny Hathaway’s song of approximately the same name: “Little ghetto boy, playing in ghetto streets, what ya gonna do when you grow up and have to face responsibility?” Musically, this is groundbreaking—an old track, reinterpreted with a similar message. It’s G-funk at its finest.
4
“The Day the N----z Took Over” ft. Daz Dillinger, RBX & Snoop Dogg
It’s the April 1992 riots captured in song, as the city of L.A. erupted after the verdict was read in the Rodney King case: “I got my finger on the trigger, some n—s wonder why,” Snoop raps. ”But livin’ in the city, it’s do or die.” It’s intercut with audio from news reports from journalists overhead in helicopters, describing the scene on the ground. Dre’s verse says it best: “Sitting in my living room, calm and collected / Feeling that gotta-get-mine perspective / ‘Cause what I just heard broke me in half.” It’s “bloods, crips on the same squad,” he barks. “It’s time to rob and mob.”
3
"Let Me Ride” ft. Snoop Dogg
Dr. Dre, "Let Me Ride"
It’s the track that won Dre his first Grammy. It’s a reggae-tinged, atmospheric jam with that signature, high-pitched synth paired with an uptempo drum beat and a P-funk bass line. “Creepin’ down the back street on D’s / I got my Glock clocked ’cause n—-s want these,” Dre raps. It’s a track for driving around L.A., creeping in your ’64 Chevy Impala. The breakdown is classic: “Swing down sweet chariot, stop and let me ride,” a female chorus sings. “Hell yeah,” Dre says. Indeed.
2
“F--k With Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” ft. Jewell, RBX & Snoop Dogg
Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, "Dre Day"
This is the main diss at Eazy-E. Just watch the music video, which makes E out to be label CEO Jerry Heller’s servant, before Dre shows up with a gun pointed at them both (the video also shows Dre flaunting a Funkadelic t-shirt). “Watch your back ’cause you might get smoked,” Dre raps. “You f–ked with me, now it’s a must that I f–k with you.” Snoop, of course, has a legendary verse: “Bow wow wow yippy yo yippy yaya / Doggy Dogg’s in the mother–kin’ house.” An entire generation knows those words by heart. If the message wasn’t clear, the song ends with: “Eazy-E, Eazy-E, Eazy-E can eat a big fat d-ck.”
1
"Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” ft. Snoop Dogg
Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, "Nuthin' But A G Thang"
It’s the song that represents Dre’s genius G-funk sound; a laid-back jam with P-funk bass, high-pitched synth slides and atmospheric guitar chords as Dre and Snoop recount their Cali lifestyle of weed, women, cars, parties and gang life. And after three decades, the song stands as one of the most universally loved tracks in hip-hop. The video helped sell the lifestyle: Dre rolls up to Snoop’s house, walks past men lifting weights in the front yard, to find Snoop in the back room, getting geared up. Snoop picks up his verse without effort, and the pair get to rolling through the city, neighborhood to neighborhood. Eventually, the whole posse rendezvous at a city park to flaunt their cars and eat BBQ. The lifestyle is on full display – pistols are tucked in waistlines, blunts are passed, and at night the crew moves to a house party where a fridge is filled with frosty 40 oz. beers. “C-O-M-P-T-O-N and the city they call Long Beach,” Dre raps, referencing his partnership with Snoop. It’s a match made in hip-hop heaven.
