On this day 26 years ago, Dr. Dre released his classic album 2001. A lot happened in the 7 years after coasting off of the iconic G-funk album and one of the greatest records ever, The Chronic. He practically birthed Snoop Dogg’s career off the dazzling success of “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” and followed it up with another one of the best albums ever, Doggystyle. He was practically the sound of Death Row and gave 2Pac one of his biggest hits in “California Love.”
Then, as the label was falling apart at the seams, Dr. Dre took his ball and went home. He had issues with Suge Knight, both financially and personally. Consequently, he started Aftermath Records in conjunction with Jimmy Iovine and Interscope Records. Afterwards, he helped introduce Eminem to the masses with the Slim Shady LP.
But it was 2001 that lent the label real legitimacy. Initially, it was named The Chronic 2000 until trademark issues with Death Row and Priority Records dictated a different direction. An extension of the G-funk sound he crafted, Dre told the New York Times in 1999 that 2001 was his opportunity to prove his craft even further.
Dr. Dre Released His Second Classic Album 26 Years Ago Today
“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 for me,” Dr. Dre explains. “Magazines, word of mouth, and rap tabloids were saying I didn’t have it anymore. 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?”
In the same interview, he shares that it initially started as a mixtape. However, natural for Dre and his tendencies as an artist, he aimed for higher ambitions and structured 2001 like a film. “Everything you hear is planned,” Dr. Dre says. “It’s a movie, with different varieties of situations. So you’ve got build-ups, touching moments, aggressive moments. You’ve even got a ‘Pause for Porno.’ It’s got everything that a movie needs.”
Frankly, Dr. Dre pulled off the feat in a masterful record. Songs like “Xxplosive” and “Forgot About Dre” are both cinematic in their texture and musicality. It’s a meticulous process that Josh Tyrangiel of Time Magazine broke down in an interview at the time. “Every Dre track begins the same way, with Dre behind a drum machine in a room full of trusted musicians. (They carry beepers. When he wants to work, they work.) He’ll program a beat, then ask the musicians to play along; when Dre hears something he likes, he isolates the player and tells him how to refine the sound.”
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