Dr. Dre produces a masterpiece for the ages and surpasses all expectations

Dr. Dre’s sequel to the “The Chronic” may not have been as groundbreaking as the original, but �” did do something just as impactful. It cemented Dre’s status as one of the very greatest producers in the game. If you’re looking for an album that defines Dre’s production, his beats, and his overall musical presence, Chronic 2001 is most definitely it. 22 tracks, including the intro and 4 other skits, is what the Doc released in November of 1999. 16 cuts were produced by Dre and co-producer Mel-Man, while the final track was handled by Lord Finesse. Just about everyone knows Dre’s history and the long buildup to this record, if you don’t, author BigD99999 provided a superb and informative background on Dre in his review. Now, onto mine...

1. Lolo ( Intro ) featuring Xzibit & Tray Dee ( Skit - doesn’t need rating )
- Preparing you for what you’re about to experience, the opening of the album really sets the tone. Xzibit & Tray Dee set up Dre’s return, as Dre bounces down in a lolo. After Dre
‘hangs that motherf*cker’, the first official track hits and hits hard...

2. The Watcher ( 5 Stars )
- Dr. Dre has come back with a vengeance, and The Watcher appropriately describes Dre’s current status and his dominance in the rap game. He spits 3 great verses, while Knoc-Turn’al & Eminem do the hook. Well, Knoc does most of it. All Eminem says, or whispers rather, “the watcher”. He does alot more for the track than that however, as he ghostwrote Dre’s verses. See, that’s the beauty of it. The fact that Dre has ghostwriters write most of his raps, pretty much sums up his overall title, as he’s a PRODUCER, not a rapper. He’s a producer that raps, not a lyrical genius, but that doesn’t take away from anything on this album. The Watcher is an easy classic. The beat is one of the best of all time as well. The bass and the drums carry most of the instrumental, but there’s also a very distant trumpet in the background and unmistakable piano loops throughout the song. The rattlesnake noises, the cell phone beeping in the background and some ‘hard to notice but there’ G-Funk sounds are genius touches. Amazing stuff to officially kick it off.

3. F*ck You -featuring Devin The Dude & Snoop Dogg ( 5 Stars )
- Now if Dre gave us a small taste of his signature G-Funk on the previous song, this one drips with it. It starts off with an answering machine message from some female, and then the instrumental drops. Wow, talk about catchy. This is the um, song dedicated to females, or what have you. Basically, they all spit verses on banging married women like they don’t give a damn. Seems kinda passe, but Dre, Snoop & Devin pull it off incredibly.
The soft guitar loop, with unique drums, and nice little mixed in effects create a nice laid back, and classic instrumental. Dre’s verse is decent at best, and then Devin tears it up with a chorus that really has to be heard to be appreciated. His voice, the lyrics that he spits, and the beat itself make a genius combination. After Devin lays down a great and funny verse, Snoop just comes in and does his thing like only he can do. He just flows like there is no tomorrow. The best part is 㢼\7, Dre, Snoop & Devin, we servin these hoes and never lovin these hoes, beotch’. Misogynistic lyrics? Yeah, but at their finest...

4. Still D.R.E. - featuring Snoop Dogg ( 5 Stars )
- My ABSOLUTE, UNDENIABLE FAVORITE song of all time. Period. This is the song that turned me towards listening to rap in the first place. The very first time this track came out in October of 1999 as the 1st single, I was hooked INSTANTLY. The music video was top notch as well. The instrumental is just tremendous. Incredible production, combined with the ULTIMATE comeback for Dre, make for a classic by definition. Starting off with the beat, the melody it releases is unbelievable. It’s a simple a piano driven beat, complete with some violins, a killer bassline and use of a ukulele. The drums are awesome too. Mixed together, all of these instruments create a masterpiece for Dre & Snoop to reunite after their split back during the Death Row days. Jay-Z ghostwrote Dre’s lyrics, but that doesn’t take anything away from the track overall. Snoop & Dre are the perfect team, and this is one of the more recent examples. Snoop just does the intro, the outro and the chorus, and he also adds a little bit of his flavor throughout the song, and his presence is felt. But, the good Doctor steals the show on this one, with his awesome delivery. He just flows through the beat, reclaiming his position AND his respect. Anyone that doubted Dre at the time, this track was one of the more ‘shut the f*ck up cause I’m back’ songs. Classic song, there couldn’t have been a better first single.

5. Big Ego’s - featuring Hittman ( 5 Stars )
- As soon as Still D.R.E. wraps up, the sound of a flying jet is heard. I still don’t know exactly what it’s supposed to mean, but it sounds very cool, so I’m not complaining. This is a another beat that relies on the keyboards. The piano loops, high and low, sound great, and the drums here are just so hard-hitting. The instrumental is classic. It’s a very deep, brooding beat. Now, this track is pretty special, because it’s Hittman’s debut. This is the first of 10 appearances Hittman makes on 2001. Before he spits however, Dre drops a great, laid back verse, ghostwritten by The D.O.C. It’s mostly brag rap, but it’s so classy, that you wouldn’t really care. Dre puts it down great, before Hittman comes in with a nice chorus. Then, he begins his verse. It’s pretty good, and it gets better as he keeps rapping. Towards the end, right before the chorus goes again, Hittman sounds real hungry to be heard, and he was. Great song.

6. Xxplosive - featuring Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg & Six-Two ( 5 Stars )
- What a beat. The production here blows your mind. An awesome guitar\keyboard loop, a hard bassline, even harder drum programming, bells and whistles sum up the instrumental. Hittman is up first with a very short intro to the track, before Kurupt drops in. Kurupt just goes nuts on the beat, with excessive cussing, but it’s pretty funny. Then, Nate Dogg comes in and lays it down with his usual, which is pretty awesome. Very rarely does Nate ever disappoint, and his voice over this beat is just awesome. Even though Nate was the MVP on this track, newcomer Six-Two does a good job too. His pimped out Southern flow sounds nice. Dre didn’t even appear on the track vocally, but that’s no problem at all. The different styles meshed well together over this classic production.

7. What’s The Difference - featuring Xzibit & Eminem ( 5 Stars )
- What can one say about this beat, it’s genius. This makes your head bob like crazy. I’ve witnessed people that HATE rap music altogether, bobbing their head to this instrumental. That’s how good it is. The trumpet played here is awesome, along with the keyboards and the different other sounds, including the hi-hat. Dre raps first, with emotional and hard-hitting lyrics, dedicated to squashing his beef with The D.O.C. and mainly Eazy-E. Dre turns in a very classy performance, and when the chorus plays, it’s just classic. Phish provides one of the best hooks ever here. Xzibit then gets on the mic and again, another great verse. Different style here with Xzibit, but he does his thing and proves himself well. Aggressive, rugged and raw. That’s how X set it off. Then, it’s Eminem’s turn to rip it up. Boy, does he ever. He and Dre trade lines for a little bit, before Em just completely destroys the beat with his AWESOME delivery and sick lyrics. Overall, one of the top cuts from Chronic 2001.

8. Bar One - skit
- Eh, nothing special here. 2 women order drinks, and they spot Dre across the bar. Then, Dre introduces himself which lead into...

9. Light Speed - featuring Hittman ( 5 Stars )
- Another great beat. It’s a very nice bassline, a little guitar strumming, keyboards and a whole bunch of futuristic little noises and sound effects. Dre’s first verse is decent at best, but nothing bad at all. Me mentions a bit of his past, as if to say ‘that was then, this is now’. The chorus is cool, futuristic as well. I guess that’s the whole concept of the track. Hittman lays down a nice verse too.

10. Forgot About Dre - featuring Eminem ( 5 Stars )
- If there’s one ‘middle finger to the critics’ cut on this album, here it is. Another classic song. The second single off of Chronic 2001, Forgot About Dre features Dre & Eminem trading verses over another perfect instrumental: a slow background piano loop, pieced together with a hi-hat, hard-hitting drums, an amazing bassline and some guitar mixed in. Dre tears his critics a new one, as he cements his legendary status by rapping about his history and how it’s as if everyone’s forgotten about him. Hence the title. Eminem provides a chorus that is just so very catchy. Everyone’s heard it more than likely. This was the biggest single of off the album, so of course, it’s one of the very best. Dre’s 2 verses ( one at the beginning and the other at the end ) are lyrically amazing, and ghostwritten by Slim Shady himself, who busts out an extremely tight verse himself.

11. The Next Episode - featuring Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg ( 5 Stars )
- If you’re looking for nostalgia, look no further. This is a futuristic track with an old school feel, as the old Death Row crew reunite for this CLASSIC song. The beat is a club banger, very solid and mesmerizing. The bassline, keyboards....just a very cool beat that’s pretty damn energetic and perfect for this type of song. Kurupt sets up Snoop Dogg’s verse, and MAN what a verse. This is Snoop at his best, he just flows like he doesn’t give a sh*t about anything, just having a good time and living it up. Then, Dre drops a good verse, but not as good as Snoop’s. Then, just when the song appears to fizzle out, Nate Dogg just pops in and lays down the best outro ever. He just puts the exclamation point here, with his awesome style. This was the third and final single, and another classic as well.

12. Let’s Get High - featuring Hittman, Kurupt & Ms. Roq ( 5 Stars )
- I’m assuming Dre planned on slowing things down here, after all the previous tracks that were just so damn great. I can’t help but give this track 5 Stars, because it’s another old school-type song, with a simple concept as well. The title says it all. The beat is yet another banger, not as good as The Next Episode, but it’s still one for the club or parties. A hard bassline carries the instrumental, along with a unique drumloop, and some synthesizer sounds. Hittman lays down the first verse with some humorous lyrics, and then Dre follows up with a very short but awesome verse, ghostwritten by Eminem. It’s all about the chronic, and this track let’s ya know it. The chorus is catchy as hell, but is only heard once on this short track. Kurupt then kicks it with a nice verse, and finally Ms. Roq steps up and adds a little female gangsta flavor. Not bad at all, overall another simple, yet awesome track.

13. B*tch N*ggaz - featuring Snoop Dogg, Six-Two & Hittman ( 5 Stars )
- This is probably the slowest cut on the album, but that doesn’t take away anything at all. Dre wanted to continue the album with a very laid back song and this is perfect. Over a deep instrumental, Dre and them tear it up, calling out all the b*tch n*ggaz out there. The beat consists of a mellow guitar loop, an incredible & deep bassline, along with excellent drums and very cool scratching in the chorus. Snoop kicks it off with a funny intro and a solid verse, before Dre takes over and lays it down nice. From there, Six-Two drops a few lines, before the scratched out chorus takes over. Nice touch. Then, Hittman rips it up, repping Aftermath and himself with a great verse. Hitt’s verse sounds like he’s dissing someone, but I don’t know who. Whoever it is, Hitt annihilated him on this track, which was another classic. Notice a trend...

14. The Car Bomb ( skit )
- Car Bomb skit. Mel-Man and his girl get into the car, and it um, explodes. Not necessary, but it does serve to set up the next track...

15. Murder Ink - featuring Hittman & Ms. Roq ( 5 Stars )
- Now, this is one hell of a beat. Sampling the Halloween theme, Dre gives it his magic touch and using haunting light piano loops played by Scott Storch, a hard bassline and very impressive drums, creates an intense, menacing beat. Hittman & Ms. Roq play the murderers here, and spit very homicidal lyrics. Dre doesn’t rap on this track. They pull it off very nicely, but I can’t help but wish that RBX would drop a verse here. For anyone that knows RBX, his sick flow over this beat would’ve made it even better. But still, Murder Ink’s another awesome song nonetheless.

16. Ed-Ucation ( skit )
- After a very violent track, Dre attempts to lighten the mood with a little comedy, courtesy of veteran comedian Eddie Griffin. Pretty humorous at first, but after a while, it gets kinda skippable. Nothing terrible, though. Just unnecessary.

17. Some L.A. N*ggaz - featuring MC Ren, Time Bomb, King T, Knoc-Turn’al, Kokane, Hittman, Xzibit & DeFari ( 5 Stars )
- Usually, you don’t find a track with so many guests on it, but hey, Dre produces another awesome cut with a packed roster. The beat uses very hard drums, an even harder bassline, some synthesizers and a little guitar & keyboard playing. Mixed together, it creates a very West Coast-like feel, which fits the song just right. MC Ren handles the intro, which is awesome, but a verse from the NWA veteran would’ve been better, but oh well. Time Bomb then raps with gangsta lyrics and sounds real good. King T then drops a great verse, followed by the chorus, provided by Knoc-Turn’al and Kokane. Great chorus. Then Hittman appears and drops a verse, even though he isn’t mentioned in the credits. Xzibit then delivers an awesome verse, followed by DeFari, who does a great job. He sounds a little bit like Warren G. All around, a great performance from everyone. Another classic beat too, but if Ice Cube would’ve dropped a verse, oh man....that would’ve been the sh*t...

18. Pause 4 Porno ( skit )
- All right now, for skits, we’ve had a low rider, a barroom, a car bomb and some comedy. What’s missing...oh yeah, porno! Another useless skit, but it’s not entirely throwaway, it’s pretty funny. Just people going at it for a bit. I guess it sets up...

19. Housewife - featuring Hittman & Kurupt ( 5 Stars )
- This track grew on me over the years. Sure, it’s misogyny, but it’s sounds so damn awesome. The chorus is just great, and catchy too. Kurupt handles the chorus, as he warns the listener not to make hoes housewives. Yep. Dre puts it down first, with a nice verse, ghostwritten by the legendary D.O.C. Then, Hittman has the second verse, followed by Kurupt himself. Hitt’s rapping here is pretty good, but Kurupt just lays it down perfectly. Humorous stuff, and his flow here is great. The instrumental is pure G-Funk, especially when the chorus hits. The G-Funk whistle takes over the chorus, and the beat itself is simply a funky guitar & keyboard loop, with a very hard bassline and some drums. Great beat, and a very cool song too.

20. Ackrite - featuring Hittman ( 5 Stars )
- Chronic 2001 takes a unique turn here on the track Ackrite. Dre doesn’t appear here vocally, so it’s just Hittman on his own, performing the chorus and dropping three tight verses as well. Dre took a chance here, and let his new Aftermath protege at the time, attempt to shine on his own. In my opinion, Hitt pulled it off nicely. It’s a little bit of storytelling, with some humor added here and there. Good stuff from Hittman, and the chorus has really grown on me, it’s great. Catchy too, once you get the hang of it. The instrumental is very hard hitting, using drums, deep keyboards, a simple bass and synthesizer sounds mixed in to give it a nice feel.

21. Bang Bang - featuring Knoc-Turn’al & Hittman ( 5 Stars )
- Now, I can safely say that this song is a classic. The instrumental is genius, first off. Unique keyboards, guitar play, a great bassline and drums comprise the beat. Sounds a little old school, but a few well-placed synthesizers give it that �” sound that Dre was aiming for. Oh yeah, and when the chorus hits, the sound of gunshots blasting is heard. Chorus is awesome here. Dre drops the first verse, and does a great job. This kind of picks up where The Watcher left off. Anti-violence lyrics from Dre here, written by Mr. Anti-Violence himself, Eminem ;-). Knoc-Turn’al lays down his first real verse on the album, and even though it’s his only verse on �”, he puts it down impressively with a nice flow and good lyrics. Hittman has the third verse on Bang Bang, and he does an outstanding job. A super tight verse from Hittman is what we get here, with pretty creative lyrics. Classic song, no doubt.

22. The Message - featuring Mary J. Blige and Rell ( 5 Stars )
- The deepest song on the album is also the final track, and it wasn’t even produced by Dre. But that’s no problem here, Lord Finesse provides a deep and beautiful instrumental, consisting of a nice piano loop and a nice bassline as well. There’s some violin in there too, to add to the melody of it. This is a sad and emotional song, which Dre dedicates to his brother who had passed away a decade earlier. His lyrics are very deep and emotional, he really pours his heart out here. Very rarely, if ever, does Dr. Dre get THAT personal on record, but on The Message, he delivers a classic. A GREAT way to end the classic album as well. Mary J. Blige & Rell add a great deal to the track as well, with their chorus.

From all of my favorite albums, including The Chronic and Doggystyle, this is my absolute favorite. It has something for everyone. The backbone of this record is the masterful instrumentals that Dre produces. This is his defining work as far as this era is concerned. I own Chronic 2001 AND the instrumental version as well, that’s how genius the production is on this record. The use of the live instruments, and the way everything was produced and mixed it still mind-blowing. Dre actually recorded over 100 tracks for his album, but only kept the keepers, 16 cuts of pure West Coast gangsta rap, and the final track was the icing on the cake. My only complaint is the absence of Ice Cube and RBX on the album,but still, this is a surefire classic in my eyes. We’ll see if Detox can surpass Dre’s effort on �”. Thanks for reading.