If you asked your average rap music fan in between the ages of 28yo and 35yo what is the album they anticipate the most I bet the answer would be ‘Detox’ from Dr. Dre. I’m not even hypothesizing that answer. I know this for a fact. It has only been talked about for the last seven years. The question has been what is taking so long for this album to be released?
There have been some hiccups and roadblocks in front of the arrival of this album. None greater than the death of Dr. Dre’s eldest child from what has been ruled an accidental drug overdose. In this particular case, detox certainly did not arrive on time. The irony of the album’s projected title should be lost on no one. But I believe that from this tragedy we will receive a landmark musical lesson from Dr. Dre.
KanYe West found a way to condense the pain he felt inside and deliver what was prA’li the best hip-pop album of all time. Filled with passion, rhymes, new wave synth grooves, vocoder vocal pitch tricks, hissy bitch fits and just generally all around G.O.O.D. music. What do you think a producer of Dr. Dre’s caliber could do if he released the same amount of raw emotion that KanYe exuded? I think he could make an album that might cause a lot of heads to overdose the day it is leaked.
Think about how many of you switched your swagger up because of Dre’s influence? That is the power of music. It shapes how you view the world and you place inside of it. It tells you to wear a black hoody or to sk8board down the street. It teaches you how to speak to one another and how to treat one another. Music is that powerful in its ability to socialize us all. The best musicians are teachers and the best teachers and music lovers. You can not separate the two.
I hope that when Dr. Dre finally releases the ‘Detox’ album he chooses to include all the lessons he has learned from his time spent making music. The friends he has had to watch come into his leave and then abruptly leave without affording him the chance to say goodbye. None of these losses greater than that of Andre Young Jr. who wanted nothing more than to make music that influenced people just like his father. You will never get the pain from loss out of your blood system. You can only hope to make some music to give you a brief detox.
so sad
Uh… Dre has assayed emotional depth or complexity when, exactly? Whereas ‘Ye was nutz (in a mostly good way) from the start . Andre is an interesting– “historically important”– ‘roid bulked character, sure, but if he was going to let anyone crack his goddamn cipher, I think we’d already know.
Personally, I wish it was the father that overdosed (with The Game jumping in the fucking grave after him) and the kid kept going with life but… I’m not allowed to say that am I?
The Music Director
Who Walk In Brooklyn
Props DP. As some one who had nothing but bile to spew at Dre for botching of the Rakim Aftermath project (which was my alltime anticipatory album, along with the elusive Nas & Primo album) you’ve actually worked in some compassion in to me through this drop. I will still hold this magnum opus of Dre’s under heavy critique but after being on the “Most Anticipated Albums of 2002-Infinity” I still await it. (I just hope Curtis Jackson continues his falling off and is deemed not worthy to sully this project with his presence.)
Re: Rakim/Aftermath, although it was easy to hate on Dre at the time, I think the cold hard truth is that Rakim… has been a goddamn has-been for almost 15 years. Whatever Eric B. had, it was ** essential **. In terms of emotional distance, Dre and Rakim were a perfect match so their failure to gel is sorta curious. However, Until somebody, anybody explains the enigma of Rakim, I give Dre a total pass on that one. Nobody has been stopping Rakim from doing something/anything since then– not that “The Master” was better than near-total trash either– so…
Anyone with faith enough to fuck with Rakim in 2009 ought to have internalized every Jeru the Damaja album, all of which kill Rakim over the same time period (including the three withhout Premo.)
Nostalgia sucks,
TMD
2001 is overrated after track 12 it fades down the stretch and his stable this time aint as strong as past stables
^Music Director, the official-unofficial word with Rakim+Dre(Aftermath) is the same with many other lauded emcees that worked with Dre’s camp . . . they wanted to the artist to spit that non-sensical gangster-talk, that neither the artist or the producer believes in but Dre’s camp understands will sell. There was an emcee, Last Emperor? (I don’t recall his name) stopped working with Dre due to the same artistic differences. Then Dre came across Eminem’s tape and the rest is history.
In addition to that, Dre is notorious for taking his time to perfect a track. While he can afford to take his time and/or focus on a high priority project like Em or 50, other artists don’t get the special one-on-one. Any artist signing to Aftermath needs understand the numbers are in the favor of megastars like Eminem, 50 and Dre. Joell Oritz understood his place in the Aftermath hierarchy really quick and bolted before he became a bitter old emcee.
“It’s like the New England Patriots, imagine if they never played on Sunday and they just practiced all through the week. This like the greatest practice team of all time. Cause ain’t shit came out.”
– former Aftermath artist Stat Quo quoting Jimmy Iovine.
So basically, I wouldn’t blame Rakim. And he has been working touring and making sure his business is straight before he releases his CD. Just like many other artists are attempting to do right now. Duck Down looks like a good look.
Have you ever noticed that both Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg has repeatedly said that they’re ready to set a schedule and work with Dre?? Both are extremely busy and keeping it moving. Can’t wait forever.
Oh yeah, Premo has also repeatedly said that he is ready and willing to work with Nas. He’s just waiting on the phone call.
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DP, Aside from all the above trivial hip hop tidbits, this post will probably be more meaningful and insightful then any lyrics coming from the Detox CD.
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