4. Still D.R.E. feat. Snoop Dogg

To tell you the truth: I was sleeping. The first time I pumped this album in my system, I was disappointed. I remember saying to a friend: 'it's aight, but not too dope'. Well, I have been listening to this now for many, many times, and now I know how wrong my first impression was. This here is the bomb. For real. This is very dope.

Dr. Dre should have finally set his eternal stone on the producers field of fame. He (and not to forget his sidekick Mel Man) completely reinvented himself, fading away from that Death Row G-Funk style (apart from the wackest beat on here "Fuck You", where Dre and Mel are too Dogg Pound sounding). Well, maybe it's not a complete reinvention, but a taking the not yet ripe vibe of a "Been There Done That", or the by him influenced Bud'da tracks on Xzibit's second album, and building on that, going over the books, studying it, and taking it to that excellence level. The crystal clear quality of this recording, give tracks like "The Watcher", "Big Ego's", "Xxplosive" (especially the guitar) and "Bang Bang" a new deepness, that gets enhanced by all the details that show producer greatness. And what also shows confident greatness, is that Dre let one guy produce another track, and with it being the last on the album, not an unimportant, somewhere in the middle track, but one that has to hold the album together. I'm talking about "The Message", produced by the Lord Finesse. An unlikely choice, since Dre and Finesse were very unlikely to ever be mentioned in the same sentence, but a selection that shows that Dre is not on some ego trip to give respect, were respect is due.

Beat moments that prevent this album from being perfect in that category, are the too similar sounding "Still D.R.E." and "Big Ego's". While each of the songs is dope, the strong piano of both tracks make you wonder why they had to be put one after the other. On "Forgot About Dre", he tries to pull of a Timbaland beat, what just no one can do like the guy that originated it. So don't try. The sample to "The Next Episode" was previously heard on Missin' Linx "M.I.A.", and had more soul there. It's also shows, that Dre is not giving any sample credit to anyone. Lawyers: hello??

Keeping the interludes sparse, they can't really go on your nerves, like on just another fuck episode ("Pause 4 Porno") that was tired the second time around some one put it on wax. But the "Ed-Ucation" skit by Eddie Griffin ("What happened to just fallin in love with a nigga with a bus pass?"), is actually so funny, maybe even truthful, and backed up with a beautiful beat, that this must be what Prince Paul was actually having in mind, when he introduced the world to interludes.

Lyrically Dre has stepped up his game. Or his ghostwriter did. However, his flow got better, and his delivery is extra nice on a track like "The Watcher". In absolute casual smoothness he drops the words to this thoughtful and truthful track, when he goes: "things just ain't the same for gangsters / times is changing, young niggaz is aging / becoming O.G.'s in the game and changing / to make way for these new names and faces", he continues with "I've seen em come, I've watched em go / watched em rise, witnessed it and watched them blow / watched em all blossom and watched em grow / watched the lawsuits when they lost the dough / best friends and money? I lost them both / went and visited niggaz in the hospital" and finishes with "but now we got a new era of gangsters / hustlers and youngsters living amongst us / looking at us, now calling us bustaz / can't help but reminisce back when it was us / nigga we started this gangsta shit! / and this the motherfuckin thanks I get?". Checking the credits, then Eminem gets some props for these tight lyrics too (read them by clicking here).

Another cut to check out lyrically is "What's The Difference". Spitting with Xzibit and Eminem, Dre goes: "I still remember the window of the car that you went through / that's fucked up, but I'll never forget the shit we been through / and I'ma do whatever it takes to convince you / cause you my nigga D.O.C., and Eazy I'm still with you / fuck the beef, nigga I miss you, and that's just bein real wit you" before spitting some venom, that is probably directed at Ice Cube. And later in the cut, the cool chemistry that Em and Dre share can be heard with "Stop the beat a minute! I got something to say / Dre, I wanna tell you this shit right now while this fucking weed is in me / I don't know if I ever told you this, but I love you dawg / I got your motherfuckin back, just know this shit / -Dre- Slim, I don't know if you noticed it / but I've had your back from day one, nigga let's blow this bitch / -Em- I mean it dawg, you ever need somebody offed, who's throat is it? / -Dre- Well if you ever kill that Kim bitch, I'll show you where the ocean is".

Dre has grown up (check "Bang Bang" for that). He's a legend but does not force feed you this information, like a LL. On "Still D.R.E." he goes "and I still got love for the streets". He proves it with giving Defari, King T, MC Ren, Xzibit, Kokane, Eminem and Lord Finesse some shine on the album, as well as putting new cats on, like Hittman, Knoc-Turn'al or Six-Two. Now the street has to show Dre his well deserved love too.