Still Smokin'

Dr. Dre hasn't put out a solo album since 1992's smash hit "The Chronic", which introduced us to Daz, Kurupt, Lady of Rage, RBX, and really showed us the talents of a young cat named Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop Doggy Dogg. "The Chronic" is one of the most influential CDs in hip-hop's illustrious history, and rightfully so.

So could he do it again? It's been 8 years since his last release, and there's been a lot of talk about it. People say he doesn't love the music anymore. He's lost the desire and will to do it. "2001" silences the critics.

The first song on the album, "The Watcher" describes what's happened since that last CD. He discusses the changes in the music industry, the losses of Eazy-E and Tupac Shakur, and the feuds between him and various artists. It's a nice beginning, introducing you to Dre's "new" mindstate.

The next track, "F**k You" is a humorous look at infidelity. The lyrics are somewhat mysogynistic (surprise!), but light-hearted compared to a lot of the other songs I've heard dealing with the same subject matter.

Some of the best tracks are "What's The Difference" with a nice horn loop, as well as guest appearances from Xzibit & Eminem. "Forget About Dre" is the first single from the CD, basically giving a big verbal middle finger to all the critics who said he couldn't do it again. "Some L.A. Ni**as" features such west coast artists such as Defari, Xzibit, King T, NWA's MC Ren, Kokane, and newcomers Knoc-Turn'al & Time Bomb. "Bang Bang" is an anti-violence track by someone who you'd never expect it from if you heard "The Chronic"... a great track though, with a good beat. "The Message" is a song dedicated to Dre's murdered brother, featuring a beautiful hook by Mary J. Blige and Rell.

There are some low points to the CD, though. "Let's Get High" is pretty bad, and the guest appearance by Ms Roq is horrible. "Bi**h Ni**as" sounds like it should have been on "The Chronic". While the rest of the album is much more progressed than that, a few of the tracks lag behind.

I like this album, period... the production is great (what else would you expect from Dre?), the lyrics are nice (I think Dre had help writing his lyrics again), and other than maybe 3 songs and the interludes (there are 22 tracks total), the whole thing is on point. Not recommended for anyone younger than 18, of course... and even then, I wouldn't recommend it to the immature.