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2001 (Dr. Dre album)

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Untitled

2001, sometimes referred to by fans as The Chronic 2001, Dr. Dre 2001 and The Chronic 2, is the second album by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre, released in 1999 and featuring guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Hittman, Eminem, Xzibit, and others. Originally intended to be titled The Chronic 2000 (the name was changed because of litigation with Dr. Dre's former label Death Row Records), the album was the long-awaited follow-up to Dr. Dre's 1992 debut The Chronic.

The album has been credited with bringing the West Coast hip hop scene back to the spotlight after years of obscurity, while showing that Dr. Dre could still remain prominent with a new generation of listeners and viewers. 2001 also further established the career of Eminem, who eventually became one of the best-selling rappers of all time. 2001 debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 charts with sales of over 550 000 units.

Background

Conception

In a interview with The New York Times, Dr. Dre talked of his motivation to record the album and how he felt that he had to prove himself to fans and media again after doubts arose over his production and rapping ability. These doubts came from the fact that he did not release a solo studio album since The Chronic (1992). He stated:

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. Magazines, word of mouth and rap tabloids were saying I didn't have it any more. 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?[1]

He went on to speak of how the album was originally intended to be a mixtape; with tracks linked through interludes and turntable effects, but then changed to be set-up like a film,

Everything you hear is planned. It's a movie, with different varieties of situations. So you've got buildups, touching moments, aggressive moments. You've even got a 'Pause for Porno.' It's got everything that a movie needs.[1]

He also talked of how he did not record the album for club or radio play and that he planned the album simply for entertainment with comical aspects throughout:

I'm not trying to send out any messages or anything with this record. I just basically do hard-core hip-hop and try to add a touch of dark comedy here and there. A lot of times the media just takes this and tries to make it into something else when it's all entertainment first. You should't take it too seriously.[1]

Recording

Royce Da 5'9" was used as a ghostwriter on the album,[2] He was noted for writing the last track, "The Message".[3] One track he recorded on the album, "Xxplosive", was later retouched; the original version named "The Way I Be Pimpin'" and had Dr. Dre rapping by himself and featured Royce's vocals on the chorus, other songs Royce ghostwrote were "The Throne Is Mine" and "Stay In Your Place" which were removed. The tracks was later released on Dr. Dre's mixtape, Pretox.[4] Jay-Z also wrote lyrics for Dr. Dre on the track "Still D.R.E.", where he was listed as "S. Carter" in the song credits.

The album was recorded during 1998 and 1999, following Eminem's release of The Slim Shady LP, which Dr. Dre acted as an executive producer on. This style of production was continued onto 2001, with new, sparse beats and reduced use of samples which were prominent on his debut album.[5][6]

Co-producer Scott Storch talked of how Dr. Dre recorded utilised his collaborators during recording sessions, stating:

At the time, I saw Dr. Dre desperately needed something. He needed a fuel injection, and Dre utilized me as the nitrous oxide. He threw me into the mix, and I sort of tapped on a new flavor with my whole piano sound and the strings and orchestration. So I'd be on the keyboards, and Mike [Elizondo] was on the bass guitar, and Dre was on the drum machine.[7]

Josh Tyrangiel of Time has described the recording process which Dr. Dre employs, stating "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."[8]

However anyone who has listened to the "Chronic" cannot say that it has been heavily sampled from George Clinton's project on "Parliament."

Music

Production

The album primarily featured co-production between Dr. Dre and Mel-Man and was generally well-received by critics. Allmusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that Dr. Dre had expanded on the G-funk beats on his previous album, The Chronic, and stated, "He's pushed himself hard, finding new variations in the formula by adding ominous strings, soulful vocals, and reggae, resulting in fairly interesting recontextualizations" and went on to say "sonically, this is first-rate, straight-up gangsta".[5] Entertainment Weeklys Tom Sinclair depicted it as "Chilly keyboard motifs gliding across gut-punching bass lines, strings and synths swooping in and out of the mix, naggingly familiar guitar licks providing visceral punctuation".[6] NME described the production as "patented tectonic funk beats and mournful atmospherics".[9] PopMatters praised the production, stating that "the hip-hop rhythms are catchy, sometimes in your face, sometimes subtle, but always a fine backdrop for the power of Dre's voice."[10] Jon Pareles of The New York Times mentioned that the beats were "lean and immaculate, each one a pithy combination of beat, rap, melody and strategic silences".[11]

The album also marked the beginning of Dr. Dre's collaboration with keyboardist Scott Storch, who had previously worked with The Roots and is credited as a co-writer on several of 2001's tracks, including the hit single "Still D.R.E.". Storch would later go on to become a successful producer in his own right, and has been credited as a co-producer with Dr. Dre on some of his productions since.[12]

Lyrics

The lyrics on the album received criticism and created some controversy. They include many of themes associated with gangsta rap, such as violence, promiscuity, street gangs, drive-by shootings, crime and drug usage. Erlewine said that the only subject matter on the album was "violence, drugs, pussy, bitches, dope, guns, and gangsters" and that these themes have became repetitive and unchanged in the last ten years.[5] Critics also noted that Dr. Dre had differed from his effort to "clean-up his act" which he tried to establish with his 1996 single, "Been There, Done That" from Dr. Dre Presents...The Aftermath.[6][1] NME mentioned that the album was full of "pig-headed, punk-dicked, 'bitch'-dissing along with requisite dollops of ho-slapping violence, marijuana-addled bravado and penis-sucking wish fulfilment."[9] Massey noted that the lyrics were overly explicit but praised his delivery and flow: "His rhymes are quick, his delivery laid back yet full of punch."[10] The rhymes also involve Dr. Dre's return to the forefront of hip hop, which is conveyed in the singles "Still D.R.E." and "Forgot About Dre". Many critics cited the last track, "The Message"; a song dedicated to Dr. Dre's deceased brother, as what the album could have been without the excessively explicit lyrics,[9][11] with Massey calling it "downright beautiful" and "a classic of modern rap".[10]

Songs

Content

Three singles were released from the album: "Still D.R.E.", "Forgot About Dre" and "The Next Episode". "Fuck You", "Let's Get High", "What's The Difference" and "Xxplosive" were not officially released as singles but received some radio airplay which resulted in them charting in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[13] "Still D.R.E." was nominated at the 2000 Grammy Awards, and "Forgot About Dre" and "The Next Episode" were nominated at the 2001 Grammy Awards, with the former winning Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for Dr. Dre and Eminem.[14] The production on the album was mainly handled by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, with Lord Finesse of New York based hip-hop group D.I.T.C. providing the only guest beat. Featured artists on the album include Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and Nate Dogg.

Singles

Template:Sound sample box align right

"Still D.R.E."
This shows how Dr. Dre's production style had changed from his previous album, The Chronic.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Template:Sample box end "Still D.R.E." was released as the lead single in October 1999. It peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 32 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and reached number 11 on the Hot Rap Singles.[13] It also reached number six on the UK single charts in March 2000.[15] The song was nominated at the 2000 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, but lost to The Roots and Erykah Badu's "You Got Me".

"Forgot About Dre" was released as the second single in 2000 and like the previous single, it was a hit on multiple charts. It reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number 3 on the Rhythmic Top 40.[13] It also reached number seven on the UK single charts in June 2000.[15] The accompanying music video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video in 2000. The song won Dr. Dre and Eminem Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2001 Grammy Awards.[14]

"The Next Episode" was released as the third and final single in 2000. It peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number 2 on the Rhythmic Top 40.[13] It also peaked at number three on UK single charts in February 2001.[15] It was nominated at the 2001 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, but the award went to Dr. Dre and Eminem for "Forgot about Dre".

Reception

Critical

The album was generally well-received by critics. In Rolling Stones The Immortals - The Greatest Artists of All Time, where Dr. Dre was listed at number 54, Kanye West talked of how the track "Xxplosive" inspired him: "'Xxplosive', off 2001, that's [where] I got my entire sound from—if you listen to the track, it's got a soul beat, but it's done with those heavy Dre drums. Listen to "This Can't Be Life," a track I did for Jay-Z's Dynasty album, and then listen to "Xxplosive". It's a direct bite."[16] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated, "2001 isn't as consistent or striking as Slim Shady, but the music is always brimming with character."[5] Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair praised the production, calling it "uncharacteristically sparse sound" from Dr. Dre and that it was as "addictive as it was back when over 3 million record buyers got hooked on The Chronic and Snoop Dogg's Dre-produced Doggystyle" and went on to commend Dr. Dre, stating, "If any rap producer deserves the title "composer", it's he."[6] NME mentioned that Dr. Dre didn't expand the genre, but it was "powerful enough in parts, but not clever enough to give Will Smith the fear".[9] PopMatters writer Chris Massey declared that "Musically, 2001 is about as close to brilliant as any one gangsta rap album might possibly get."[10] Christopher John Farley of Time stated that "The beats are fresh and involving, and Dre's collaborations with Eminem and Snoop Dogg have ferocity and wit."[17]

The album also received criticism. Erlewine talked of how the amount of guest rappers affected the album, and questioned his reasons for collaborating with "pedestrian rappers". He claimed that "the album suffers considerably as a result [of these collaborations]". Erlewine also criticised the lyrics, which he said were repetitive and full of "gangsta clichés".[5] Sinclair mentioned similar views of the lyrics, calling them "filthy", but noted "none of [this] should diminish Dre's achievement".[6] NME spoke of how the lyrics were too explicit, stating, "As the graphic grooves stretch out, littered with gunfire, bombings and 'copters over Compton, and the bitch-beating baton is handed from Knock-Turnal to Kurupt, 2001 reaches gangsta-rap parody-level with too many tracks coming off like porno-Wu outtakes."[9] Massey referred to the lyrics as a "caricature of an ethos [rather] than a reflection of any true prevailing beliefs."[10]

Commercial

The album has sold 7.23 million copies in the United States up to July 2008[18] and was certified six times Platinum by the RIAA on November 21, 2000.[19] It is Dr. Dre's best selling album, as his previous album, The Chronic, was certified three times Platinum.[20] The album first appeared on music charts in 1999, peaking on the Billboard 200 at number two and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number one.[21] The album was also successful in Canada where it reached number three on the charts.[21] The record was also mildly successful in Europe, reaching number 15 in France, number 17 in the Netherlands and number 26 in Norway. It also peaked at number 11 on the New Zealand album chart.[22] At the end of 2000, the album was number five on the Billboard Year-End Top Albums Chart and number one on the Billboard Year-End Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.[23][24] It re-entered the charts in 2003, peaking on the UK Albums Top 75 at number 61 and on the Ireland Albums Top 75 at number 30.[25]

Track listing

# Title Time Producer(s) Performer(s)
1 "Lolo" 0:40 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Xzibit & Tray Deee
2 "The Watcher" 3:28 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre (Chorus together by Eminem & Knoc-turn'al)
3 "Fuck You" 3:25 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Devin The Dude, Snoop Dogg
4 "Still D.R.E." 4:28 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man; Scott Storch Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg
5 "Big Ego's" 4:01 Dr. Dre; Scott Storch Dr. Dre, Hittman
6 "Xxplosive" 3:35 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Six-Two
7 "What's the Difference" 4:04 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Xzibit, Eminem, Phish
8 "Bar One" 0:51 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Traci Nelson, Ms. Roq, Eddie Griffin
9 "Light Speed" 2:41 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Hittman
10 "Forgot About Dre" 3:42 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Eminem
11 "The Next Episode" 2:42 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg
12 "Let's Get High" 2:27 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Hittman, Kurupt, Ms. Roq
13 "Bitch Niggaz" 4:14 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Hittman, Six-Two
14 "The Car Bomb" 1:01 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Mel-Man, Charis Henry
15 "Murder Ink" 2:28 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Hittman, Ms. Roq
16 "Ed-ucation" 1:32 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Eddie Griffin
17 "Some L.A. Niggaz" 4:25 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man MC Ren, Hittman, Time Bomb, Defari, Xzibit, King Tee, Knoc-turn'al, Kokane
18 "Pause 4 Porno" 1:33 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Jake Steed
19 "Housewife" 4:03 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Hittman, Kurupt
20 "Ackrite" 3:40 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Hittman
21 "Bang Bang" 3:42 Dr. Dre; Mel-Man Dr. Dre, Hittman, Knoc-turn'al
22 "The Message"/ "Outro (Hidden Track)" 5:29 Lord Finesse Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Rell, Tommy Chong (Speaks word on outro)

Samples/interpolations

Still D.R.E.

Big Ego's

Xxplosive

  • "Bumpy's Lament" by Soul Mann & the Brothers

What's the Difference

Bar One

Light Speed

The Next Episode

Let's Get High

Bitch Niggaz

Murder Ink

Some L.A. Niggaz

Ed-ucation

  • "Diamonds Are Forever"

Housewife

Personnel

Charts

Charts Peak
position
Dutch Albums Chart[22] 17
France Albums Chart[22] 15
Ireland Albums Top 75[25] 30
New Zealand Albums Chart[22] 11
Norway Albums Chart[22] 26
Switzerland Albums Chart[22] 50
Top Canadian Albums[21] 3
UK Albums Top 75[25] 11
U.S. Billboard 200[21] 2
U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums[21] 5
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[21] 1
U.S. Billboard Year-End Charts 2000 Top Albums[23] 5
U.S. Billboard Year-End Charts 2000 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[24] 1

References

  1. ^ a b c d Jon Pareles (November 14, 1999). The Street Talk, He Says, Is a Bum Rap. The New York Times. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  2. ^ Soren Baker (October 29, 2002). Royce Da 5'9" Isn't Eminem's Shadow. MTV. Accessed July 22, 2007.
  3. ^ Selina Thompson. Royce Da 5'9 Interview. The Situation. Accessed June 12, 2008.
  4. ^ Dr. Dre - Pretox CD 1. DatPiff.com. Accessed May 12, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d e Stephen Thomas Erlewine. 2001 > Overview. All Music Guide. Accessed May 21, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d e Tom Sinclair (November 15, 1999). Music Review - 2001 (1999). Entertainment Weekly. Accessed May 21, 2008.
  7. ^ Scott Storch's Outrageous Fortune. Rolling Stone (June 29, 2006). Accessed May 25, 2008.
  8. ^ Josh Tyrangiel (September 15, 2001). In the Doctor's House. Time. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  9. ^ a b c d e Dr. Dre - 2001 - Album Review. NME (November 18, 1999). Accessed May 21, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c d e Chris Massey. Dr. Dre: 2001 - Music Review. PopMatters. Accessed May 21, 2008.
  11. ^ a b Jon Pareles (November 14, 1999). Music; Still Tough, Still Authentic. Still Relevant?. The New York Times. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  12. ^ Jason Birchmeier. Scott Storch > Biography. All Music Guide. Accessed May 24, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c d 2001 - Billboard Singles. All Music Guide. Accessed May 24, 2008.
  14. ^ a b Grammy Searchable database. Grammy. Accessed May 24, 2008. Note: User must define search parameters, i.e., "Dr. Dre"
  15. ^ a b c UK Top 40 Hit Database. everyHit.com. Accessed May 24, 2008. Note: User must define search parameters, i.e., "Dr Dre".
  16. ^ Kanye West (April 7, 2005). The Immortals - The Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone. Accessed May 21, 2008.
  17. ^ Christopher John Farley (November 29, 1999). Dr. Dre 2001. Time. Accessed May 21, 2008.
  18. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "Dr. Dre: 'Detox' Due In 'November Or December'". Billboard. July 23, 2007.
  19. ^ RIAA Searchable database - 2001. Recording Industry Association of America. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  20. ^ RIAA Searchable database - The Chronic. Recording Industry Association of America. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Snoop Dogg - Charts and Awards. All Music Guide. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Dr. Dre - 2001. NewZealandCharts. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  23. ^ a b The Billboard 200 2000. Billboard. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  24. ^ a b Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 2000. Billboard. Accessed May 25, 2008.
  25. ^ a b c Dr. Dre - 2001 Music Charts. aCharts. Accessed May 25, 2008.
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