Prelude to a Legacy 5.29.09: The Chronic
Posted by Fred Richani on 05.29.2009
Dr. Dre is one of music's all-time greatest producers. Click here to find out what got him to the plateau of greatness!
Who is the greatest producer of all-time?
People can ask that question and receive a variety of answers, especially when it pertains to the hip-hop genre. There are a lot of people that will say the likes of Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and Scott Storch are the best producers. Some may mention an underground king such as 9th Wonder. Heck, you could even say Rick Rubin, who brought rock and rap collaborations to the forefront with the help of Run DMC and Aerosmith in their single "Walk This Way".
In my opinion, I believe Dr. Dre is the greatest producer in hip-hop history and more than likely one of the best ever in any genre. Period. And I certainly have the evidence to back that up. This week, though, we will take a look at Dr. Dre's rise from being part of rap's most controversial group to reigning supreme on Death Row Records.
Early Life
Dr. Dre was born Andre Romelle Young on February 18 (two days after a certain 411 writer's birthday), 1965 in Los Angeles, California. Young didn't have an easy life growing up in the mean streets of Compton. He had to transfer to numerous schools due to the ongoing gang violence in his area and later, poor grades and attendance. His mother and father also divorced when he was the age of 3. With his life seemingly in a complacent state, Young got into music, with his first major taste of hip-hop coming in the form of New York DJ Grandmaster Flash. So Young did what his musical inspiration would do—start Djing.
The World Class Wreckin' Cru
After honing his DJ skills for some time, Dre got a job at a local club named The Eve After Dark, under the alias "Dr. J", which was the same nickname as his favorite basketball player Julius Erving. It was during Dre's new gig that he met up-and-coming rapper Antoine Carraby. Not soon after this, Young dubbed himself the "Master of Mixology" and came up with a new alias in Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre kept improving his "Mixology" skills, opening the door for him to receive a spot in the 1980s Electro-hop (electro-funk with a hip-hop fusion) group World Class Wreckin' Cru. The Cru was founded by DJ Alonzo Williams, who just happened to be the owner of the club that employed the young Dr. Dre.
The World Class Wreckin' Cru were a success on the west coast, selling nearly 50,000 units in the Compton area alone. Dr. Dre experienced great exposure at the turntables, but knew that there was more his musical potential had to offer. Enter 1986.....
N.W.A.
In 1986, Dre met O'Shea Jackson, better known to fans nowadays as Ice Cube. The two recorded songs together for a local rapper and drug dealer Eric Wright, who rapped as Eazy E for his own label, Ruthless Records. The three eventually hooked up along with Dre's friend Antoine Carraby, later known as DJ Yella, Arabian Prince, and Compton native Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson, to form the group N.W.A. (N****z With Attitude).
The group became instantly known for their hot beats by DJ Yella and Dr. Dre, but even more so for their hard-hitting, yet incredibly controversial lyrics, denouncing law enforcement and glorifying the "gangsta" lifestyle. Years later, N.W.A. would be looked at as one of the main groups to usher in the sub-genre of gangsta rap. From 1986-1991, N.W.A. grabbed hip-hop by the manhood, selling nearly 10 million records in the U.S. alone—even without radio play, due to the explicit nature of their lyrics. While their lyrics were explicit and graphic in nature, their second album Straight Outta Compton showcased social commentary that the group felt the public had to hear, calling it "reality rap", discussing police brutality, drugs, and the other hardships that followed the Compton natives and people that are in similar situations as they were, prior to their fame and fortune.
Break-up
With great success can come two things: more success or disappointment. Well unfortunately for N.W.A. and their fans, the latter followed in 1989, after Ice Cube left the group due to a royalty dispute. The rapper felt that he deserved more royalties for the largely successful Straight Outta Compton, having written nearly half the album. His exodus left N.W.A. a little less tougher and not as politically-minded in their lyrics. Needless to say, Ice Cube hasn't had any problems since his exit when it comes to music, going on to sell millions of records as an solo artist.
After 1991, the group finally disbanded, when Dr. Dre departed to Marion "Suge" Knight's Death Row Records, where he would ply his trade not just as a producer, but as a solo artist too. With bad blood still arising at the time of N.W.A.'s break-up, Eazy E felt that Dre wouldn't have much success on his own. I think he knew he was wrong after 1992....
The Chronic and Death Row Records
Using the intimidation provided by his enormous frame, Suge Knight was able to get Dr. Dre released from his Ruthless Records contract to make the rapper/producer the face of his new label, Death Row. Not long after that, the two began working on Dr. Dre's first solo album, The Chronic. The album was short for "The Chronicles" and was a play off the slang term for top-level marijuana. And yes, the album did include insults directed towards Ruthless Records founder Eazy E.
Despite not writing most of the lyrics on The Chronic, the rapper did have control over the themes and subject matter. The album became a huge hit, selling over 3 million copies by 1993, and as of this time, close to 8 million worldwide, due to Dre's superb flow when reciting his lyrics, coupled with his incredible production, ushering in the sub-genre in west coast hip-hop titled G-Funk. The production was funk-oriented with a heavy bass style, topped off with a touch of gangsta. The album is also remembered for introducing listeners to then-unknown rapper Snoop Dogg, who impressed many with his excellently laid-back delivery and style. Since its release, the album has been named one of the greatest albums ever made by TIME, Rolling Stone, and The Source, among other publications.
Hip-hop fans and critics alike knew Dr. Dre was good when he was with N.W.A. After The Chronic, fans realized that he wasn't just good. Not even great. They realized he may be the best ever.
