Langston Collin Wilkins, Ph.D. (@StreetFolkLCW)
Dr. Dre means a lot to me as a hip hop head and scholar.
N.W.A.’s two group albums and Dre’s first solo album, The Chronic (1992) are among my favorite records of all time. I bought The Chronic 2001 the day it came out in 1999 and it dominated the soundtrack to my sophomore year in high school. In the succeeding years, I was one of the many who eagerly anticipated the rumored release of Dr. Dre’s third solo album, then called Detox. Several years into graduate school, I finally gave up in the possibility of Detox’s existence. With his age, perfectionism, and business endeavors (Beats, etc), I also assumed that we would never get another solo album from “the Good Doctor.”
With that said, I was certainly shocked to read an article about the forthcoming release of Compton: A Soundtrack, Dr. Dre’s third solo album. I’ve been burned a few times, so I didn’t take the album’s existence as fact until I saw the pre-order available on Apple Music. Like I did with 2001 almost 16 years ago, I bought Compton the day it dropped. Here are a few of my thoughts about the album after a weekend of repeated spins:
-The production, not surprisingly, is incredible. Dr. Dre and his team of producers created a soundscape that is knocking, funky, and cinematic. The sound is firmly rooted in Dr. Dre’s long established aesthetic, but with particular and effective nods to modern trends.
– There is a perfect mesh of rookies and seasoned vets. Newcomers like Justus and Jon Conner offer compelling performances that build anticipation for their future projects. OGs like Ice Cube, Cold 187um, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Eminem and The Game sound rejuvenated. Even Dr. Dre, whose performance I was most concerned about, ranges from solid to good.
– Kendrick Lamar cannot be stopped. His “Deep Water” verse will go down in history. He shined on Compton similar to Eminem on 2001 and Snoop on The Chronic.
– I was concerned about the subject matter before driving in. What kind of messages would a 50 year-old, almost billionaire Dr. Dre communicate to his diverse fan-base? I left fairly impressed. Dr. Dre and guests artists touch on the perils of street life, the current state of hip hop, the complexities of fame, racism and, of course, there were a ton of battle-based raps. Ultimately, with Compton, we find Dr. Dre reflecting on his rise from a fledgling teenage DJ from Compton to a multi-faceted and globally recognized media mogul. At the same time, he offers explicit critiques of both hip hop and society that are informed by the wisdom gained from his dynamic life experiences.
There isn’t much that I dislike about this album. I would’ve welcomed an actual N.W.A. reunion track. Also, a title track featuring Compton MCs, both old and new, would’ve been cool. Nevertheless, Dr. Dre dropped a masterful album that serves as the perfect quasi-soundtrack to the upcoming N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton. If this is indeed his last solo effort, then he certainly went out on top.
Langston Collin Wilkins, Ph.D. (@StreetFolkLCW) recently completed his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at Indiana University. His dissertation is entitled, Screwston, TX: the Impact of Space, Place, and Identity on Music Making in Houston, Texas’ Hip Hop Music Scene. Follow him on his tumblr, Straight Gangersterism.
Tags: compton, dr. dre, n.w.a., straight outta compton
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