015: "And When Your Album Sales Weren't Doing Too Good, Who's The Doctor They Told You To Go See?..."
015: "And When Your Album Sales Weren't Doing Too Good, Who's The Doctor They Told You To Go See?..."
Dr. Dre to the rescue... Again
Being good at your craft comes at a cost. Reaching the altitude of the incredibly high bars you’ve set can lead to certain problems. Personal issues like self-motivation, stress and dealing with pressure can become an obstacle, whilst on the other end of the spectrum, the weight of expectations from consumers and fans have potential to make us under-appreciate the greatness of creators.
Dr. Dre certainly fits this bill and has had his fair share of these experiences throughout his career, particularly as a recording artist. As a pioneer and spearhead of hip-hop’s musical expansiveness, let’s just say that the standards he’s held to are a little bit more tricky to appease than others. To be frank, we’ve become accustomed to his excellence.
As Dr. Dre elevated onto the stage to perform at the Super Bowl half time show on February 13th, I watched on with many thoughts and emotions going through my head. Of course, there was excitement, interest and nostalgia at the forefront. But as the performances from himself, long time confidants and trusted collaborators took shape in his own backyard, it occurred to me that this is somewhat of a full circle moment for Dr. Dre.
February 2022 suddenly contains parallels to the 90s, a decade that was rewarding and unforgiving in equal measure for Dr. Dre. He left NWA on notoriously bad terms with Eazy-E early on in the decade before releasing his first solo album, “The Chronic”, a quintessential classic. The years that followed saw Dre take the charts by storm, producing for Snoop Dogg and other artists, mainly on the newly formed Death Row Records. This also resulted in him being heavily embroiled in the East Coast-West Coast feuds and controversies. Legal battles followed Dre around too, alongside personal and professional losses which were added to his struggles. He would eventually leave Death Row over very real concerns around the label.
Dr. Dre formed Aftermath Records as he seeked pastures new, but things hadn’t gotten to that much of a good start by his own standards. The main highlight however was signing Eminem, which of course was a move that comfortably paid off. Nevertheless, Dre was facing challenges in his new tenure as an executive. So when his second album, the immaculate “2001” came out in 1999, the pressure to deliver was very much on, considering he hadn’t put a solo album together for 7 years. But Dre stood strong and weathered the storm to remind the world just who the fuck he was and what makes him great.
“Y'all know me, still the same OG but I been low-key, Hated on by most these ****** with no cheese, no deals and no G's, No wheels and no keys, no boats, no snowmobiles and no skis, Mad at me 'cause I can finally afford to provide my family with groceries, Got a crib with a studio and it's all full of tracks, To add to the wall full of plaques, Hanging up in the office in back of my house like trophies, Did y'all think I'ma let my dough freeze? Ho, please, You better bow down on both knees, Who you think taught you to smoke trees? Who you think brought you the oldies? Eazy-E's, Ice Cube's, and D.O.C.'s, The Snoop D-O-double-G's, and the group that said "Motherfuck the police!", Gave you a tape full of dope beats to bump when you stroll through in your hood, And when your album sales weren't doing too good, who's the Doctor they told you to go see? Y'all better listen up closely, all you ****** that said that I turned pop or The Firm flopped, Y'all are the reason that Dre ain't been getting no sleep, So fuck y'all, all of y'all, if y'all don't like me, blow me, Y'all are gonna keep fucking around with me and turn me back to the old me… ”
It’s crazy to think that a man with Dr. Dre’s proof of work had his skills questioned. But high pressure environments breed ruthlessness and you’re only as good your most recent showing - this all goes back to being really good at what you do. Dr. Dre is an amazingly gifted musician and artist with astonishing talent. He was the problem solver that made a difference. He defined eras and sub-genres that are still revered 30+ years later. He launches and resurrects careers. Like he said, he’s the doctor you go to see during pivotal moments.
So it’s no surprise that the NFL turned to him to mend bridges, improve their overall image, further immortalise their crown jewel and grandest event. They turned to Dr. Dre - who is in the midst of another hiatus, again with media attention around his personal life/legal battles and dealing with more recent grievances - to prescribe the antidote to re-energise fans and viewers of the sport which hasn’t covered itself in glory over the past few years.
Does this mean that we can expect Deto- you know what, nevermind.
Do yourself justice, utilise your mind.
WhosAria
A Word On The Song/Artist
Dr. Dre’s contributions to hip-hop speaks for itself. It’s hard to understate how impactful and pioneering his legacy is and will continue to be. His role in G-Funk and Gangsta Rap, alongside his production credits for some of the greatest artists and albums that are now household names, is staggering.
He is a once in a lifetime musician which hip-hop must cherish, but also acknowledge that there are distasteful elements of his character that he should continue to be held accountable for in a reasonable manner.
“Forgot About Dre” is a song that can get any setting off it’s feet. As with the rest of the 2001 album and Dre’s catalogue, it’s sonically flawless from start to finish, and as lyrically crisp as any other great pieces of hip-hop from it’s time and beyond.