Chronic 2001 (2LP) [Explicit Lyrics]

Dre 2001 has been out for awhile now, but for some stupid reason, I did not buy it until recently. No matter how much new rap I buy, Dre 2001 still is in the front row of my CD collection in the car. And it's not just Dre's raps that make this CD great, it's the wonderful compilation of the talent of other rappers joining in on Dre's classic beats that make this album really shine. Xzibit and Eminem highlight my favorite song of the album, "What's the Difference." And of course, Snoop Dogg makes appearances on this album, most excellently in the well-played "Next Episode" and "Still Dre."

There are countless other good songs on this album, including "The Watcher", "Forget about Dre", "Housewife", "Ackrite", ....wait a minute, I'm listing all the songs here.

Then again, that's the incredible final point about Dre 2001: every song on this album is listenable. It's one of those rare albums that you'll pop in your car CD player, and listen to from beginning to end. I sure hope this isn't Dr. Dre's last album, but if it is, he'll at least have convinced the world not to "forget about Dre."

Yes and no. The tight play between the drum and the bass on 'The Watcher' mixed with Dre's voice (and powerful lyrics) creates one of the best songs on the CD. 'Still D.R.E.' rides an irritating but catchy hook throughout the same song, and the first Eminem track 'What's the Difference' is made even better (from the promo) byt the addition of an organ.

However, it's the year 2000, and musical tastes have changed. Too bad Dr. Dre hasn't changed as much as I had hoped. I'd expect him to match the musical audacity found in some of the more interesting producers (Swizz Beats, DJ Premier, RZA, the Dust Brothers) around today. Sadly, Dr. Dre delivers the expected and fails to match the breakthrough that was 1992's 'The Chronic.' If you don't have that album, buy it. If you do, don't expect anything exciting from 'Chronic 2001'. Maybe Dr. Dre will come out with another musical landmark with 'Chronic 2010' (or whatever is next).