Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, King T, Sticky Fingas, Ms. Roq, RBX, Defari, Xzibit, Knoc-Turn'al, Six-Two, Eddie Griffin, MC Ren, Kokane, Rell, Traci Nelson, Jake Steed, Time Bomb, Devin AKA The Dude, Mary J. Blige, Tray-Dee (vocals); Aaron Harris, Laylow (various instruments); Sean Cruise (guitar); Carl Breeding, Scott Stocrch, Finesse, Camara Kambon (keyboards); Mel-Man, Mike Elizondo, Colin Wolfe (bass); Taku Hirano (percussion); DJ Pen (scratches); Koka, T.Y. Nichols (background vocals). | | Engineers include: Ted Reiger, Steve Macauley, Alex Sinn. | | "Guilty Conscience" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By Duo Or Group. | | "Forgot About Dre" won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. DR. DRE 2001 was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "The Next Episode" was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. | | Personnel: Dr. Dre; Sean Cruse (guitar); Scott Storch, Camara Kambon, Dinky Bingham, Carl Breeding (keyboards); Mike Elizondo, Colin Wolfe, Preston Crump, Mel-Man (bass); Taku Hirano (percussion); DJ Pen (scratches). | | Engineers include: Richard "Segal" Huredia, Dave Tenhouten, Tom Gordon. | | "Still D.R.E." was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. | | The Slim Shady LP announced not only Eminem's arrival, but it established that his producer Dr. Dre was anything but pass?, thereby raising expectations for 2001, the long-anticipated sequel to The Chronic. It suggested that 2001 wouldn't simply be recycled Chronic, and, musically speaking, that's more or less true. He's pushed himself hard, finding new variations in the formula by adding ominous strings, soulful vocals, and reggae, resulting in fairly interesting recontextualizations. Padded out to 22 tracks, 2001 isn't as consistent or striking as Slim Shady, but the music is always brimming with character. If only the same could be said about the rappers! Why does a producer as original as Dre work with such pedestrian rappers? Perhaps it's to ensure his control over the project, or to mask his own shortcomings as an MC, but the album suffers considerably as a result. Out of all the other rappers on 2001, only Snoop and Eminem -- Dre's two great prot?g?s -- have character and while Eminem's jokiness still is unpredictable, Snoop sounds nearly as tired as the second-rate rappers. The only difference is, there's pleasure in hearing Snoop's style, while the rest sound staid. That's the major problem with 2001: lyrically and thematically, it's nothing but gangsta clich?s. Scratch that, it's ber-gangsta, blown up so large that it feels like a parody. Song after song, there's a never-ending litany of violence, drugs, pussy, bitches, dope, guns, and gangsters. After a full decade of this, it takes real effort to get outraged at this stuff, so chances are, you'll shut out the words and groove along since, sonically, this is first-rate, straight-up gangsta. Still, no matter how much fun you may have, it's hard not to shake the feeling that this is cheap, not lasting, fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | With 2001, Dr. Dre has managed to do the seemingly impossible: resurface yet again after a five-year disappearance from the rap game, and shatter all expectations. The first two tracks lull the listener into thinking this is going to be a mellow, G-funk outing, but when the piano loop and beat commence in "Still D.R.E.," it's obvious Dre is still light years ahead of the rest. The seemingly disparate styles of guest artists MC Ren, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem are all unified by Dre's singular musical vision. | | What makes this record stand out from any other gangsta rap recording before it, however, are the flashes of brutal honesty that pepper the lyrics ("What's the Difference"). Something about Dre's persona and delivery softens his often misogynistic, violent lyrical content. It's as if the audience understands he's only posturing and knows that, deep down, he is a dedicated family man (something he proudly admits). Other standouts on this highly impressive return to the spotlight include "F*** You," "Big Ego's," and the self-explanatory "Still D.R.E." |
Producer: Dr. Dre; Mel-Man |
Musical Guests | | Snoop Dogg | | Eminem | | Defari | | Kurupt | | Nate Dogg | | King T | | RBX | | Xzibit | | Devin | | Mary J. Blige | | Tray-Dee | | Hittman | | Six-Two | | Eddie Griffin | | Ms. Roq | | Traci Nelson | | Mel-Man | | Charis Henry | | Knoc-Turn'al | | Kokane | | Mc Ren | | Time Bomb | | Jake Steed | | Rell |
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