The Next Episode

This article is about the song. For the album by Next, see The Next Episode (album).

"The Next Episode"
Single by Dr. Dre featuring Kurupt, Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg
from the album 2001
B-side	Bad Guys Always Die
Released	April 3, 2000
Format	CD5, 12"
Recorded	1999
Genre	West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap
Length	2:41
Label	Aftermath/Interscope
Writer(s)	Hittman Ms. Roq Snoop Dogg Dr. Dre Nate Dogg David McCallum
Producer	Dr. Dre, Mel-Man
Dr. Dre chronology
"Forgot About Dre" (1999) "The Next Episode" (2000) "Put It on Me" (2001)

"The Next Episode" is a single by Dr. Dre released in 2000 from his album 2001, which was released in 1999. It features Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, & Kurupt (the latter two uncredited). It was the third single from 2001 and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold 146,570 copies between 2001 and 2002 in the UK according to Chartfacts. This song is the second most downloaded song by Dr. Dre on iTunes.

Track information

Dre's verse was written by then Aftermath artist, Hittman. This single's title harkens back to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's classic smash hit "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang" from Dre's 1992 solo debut The Chronic in which Snoop Dogg instructs listeners at the end of the chorus to, "just chill, 'til the next episode," (the line itself being a reference to the song "It's My Thang," from the EPMD album Strictly Business) which in fact did not refer to this single but its predecessor, a leftover song from 1993 originally recorded for Doggystyle, but un-included in its final version.

Originally listed on the back cover of Doggystyle as "Tha Next Episode." The original version of the song was by Snoop Dogg featuring Dr. Dre, and had a much different beat and different lyrics. The original was 4:36 long, and referred to Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" numerous times. The background of the original was later used in Warren G's 'Runnin' Wit No Breaks' on the Regulate...G Funk Era album.

The song's main sample interpolates David McCallum's "The Edge," borrowing from a brief segment at the beginning of the song, repeated in the middle of the song and in the end sequence.

The song was sampled by R&B trio City High for their 2001 hit "What Would You Do."

It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2001 for Dre and Snoop. The award, however, went to Dre and Eminem for "Forgot About Dre".

The edit released for radio and music channels was heavily edited and had many re-recorded lines.

Barry Bonds used the instrumental section before the first vocals as his plate appearance music for a period of time during the 2000s. The Seattle Mariners' Chone Figgins has used the instrumentals as his walk-up music during the 2011 season.

The song is listed at #306 on Pitchfork's greatest songs of the 2000s.

Track listing

1. "The Next Episode" (LP version) – 2:42
2. "Bad Guys Always Die" (featuring Eminem) – 4:38
3. "The Next Episode" (instrumental) – 2:43

Charts

Peak positions

Chart	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	23
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	11
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles	9
UK Singles Chart	3
UK R&B Chart	2
French Singles Chart	22
Irish Singles Chart	11
German Singles Chart	34
Netherlands Singles Chart	26
Swiss Singles Chart	34

End of year charts

End of year chart (2000)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	76

Personnel

• Recorded at: Sierra Sonics, Encore Studios
• Engineer: Richard "Segal" Huredia
• Assistant engineer: Tom Gordon, Michelle Lynn Forbes, Dave Tenhouten
• Background Vocals - Kurupt
• Bass - Preston Crump
• Guitar - Sean Cruse
• Keyboards - Camara Kambon
• Rap [Featuring] - Snoop Dogg, Kurupt
• Vocals [Featuring] - Nate Dogg
• Director - Paul Hunter
• Writers - Ms Roq, Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg,David McCallum
• Video cameo appearance - Xzibit, Hittman, Warren G

Remixes

• A remix with the same name by Snoop Dogg and Lil' Mo is on the mixtape of DJ Felli Fel Featuring Snoop Dogg - The Heavy Hitters, 2002.
• A remix with the music from "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses is available.
• Dubbed by The Game as a diss towards 50 Cent.
• A remix was released in 2006 on the radio called "The Next Episode 2006" featuring Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg.
• Joe Budden raps over the beat during an appearance on DJ Green Lantern Sirius Satellite Radio show with Charles Hamilton.
• "The Next Episode (Prizefighter remix)" featuring rappers 2Pac (Homeboyz), DMX (What's My Name?) and Nas (Hate Me Now ft. P.Diddy). It is probably the most popular and well known remix of this song. It was created in 2002.
• Joe Rickard, drummer for RED, is known to perform this song among other popular rap and hip hop songs live in concert in a medley.

External links

• "The Next Episode" Official music video on YouTube