Well, I’m peepin’ and I’m creepin’ and I’m creepin’
But I damn near got caught ‘cause my beeper kept beepin’
Now it’s time for me to make my impression felt
So sit back, relax and strap on your seat belt
You never been on a ride like this befo’
With a producer who can rap and control the maestro
At the same time with the dope rhyme that I kick
You know and I know, I flow some old funky shit
To add to my collection, the selection symbolizes dope
Take a toke, but don’t choke
If you do, you’ll have no clue
Of what me and my homie Snoop Dogg came to do
(“Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”)
I’d like to take this time to celebrate the landmark 25th anniversary of The Chronic, the explosive and highly influential triple-platinum-selling West Coast gangsta rap masterwork and debut solo album from super-producer, rapper and headphone guru Dr. Dre; the album’s silver anniversary occurred just a couple weeks ago. This is easily one of the top five or ten most important albums in hip hop history (also transcending just about all other genres) and a personal favorite of mine. Following Dre’s split from N.W.A and Ruthless Records the previous year over money disputes, The Chronic was the first release from infamous controversy-laden gangsta rap label Death Row Records (founded and operated by the ever-hulking and intimidating Marion “Suge” Knight), establishing the true and definitive “G-Funk sound” that was merely hinted at on Dre’s previous production work. Visually, it is remembered for its Zig-Zag rolling paper-inspired cover art; for those who own the CD, there is a giant marijuana leaf printed on the disc label, effectively completing the whole weed gimmick of the packaging.
From start to finish, the project is dominated by a sonically healthy mix of synthesizers, funky live instrumentation and old school flavor (largely inspired by the sounds of funk god George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective), coupled with stylishly violent and misogynistic lyrics that one would expect from your standard gangsta rap release. Dre raps on most of the album, and he sounds great on the mic (with the solo single “Let Me Ride” being just one perfect example) considering that most of his rhymes were ghostwritten by the likes of former N.W.A affiliate The D.O.C. (who had his vocal chords permanently damaged just a couple years earlier in a near-fatal car accident) as well as young new Death Row signees RBX and Snoop Doggy Dogg. The Chronic is also particularly notable for showcasing the vocal talents of the latter, who essentially acts as the album’s co-star, foreshadowing his own classic solo debut on the label the following year (Doggystyle, which was also produced by Dre). Snoop appears on a number of tracks, including the timeless singles “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” and “Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” (the latter of which takes verbal shots at the late, great Eazy-E (Dre’s former N.W.A bandmate)), as well as “Fuck Compton” rapper Tim Dog and 2 Live Crew founder Luther Campbell); Eazy additionally gets dissed on the memorable intro and the unlisted closing bonus track “Bitches Ain’t Shit”.
In addition to Snoop, The Chronic also helped launch the careers of Death Row artists and West Coast gangsta rap veterans Tha Dogg Pound (made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt; the former then known as Dat N***a Daz), The Lady Of Rage, RBX and the late, great Nate Dogg. Dre sticks solely to the production side of things on two of the album’s best songs, “Lyrical Gangbang” and “Stranded On Death Row”; both of which are outstanding posse cuts featuring verses from Rage, Kurupt (who was a fucking BEAST on the mic back then) and RBX, with the latter song also including a guest verse from Snoop as well as an intro/outro combo from none other than Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys.
Even the hilariously raunchy skits (“The $20 Sack Pyramid” and “The Doctor’s Office”) add to The Chronic‘s general entertainment factor, providing lots of laughs to an otherwise (mostly) aggressive project. The album is also not without its moments of social commentary, namely the cuts “The Day The N***az Took Over” (inspired by the riots in Los Angeles earlier that year following the acquittal of all four police officers involved in the brutal beating of black motorist Rodney King) and “Lil’ Ghetto Boy” (easily the mellowest song on here; a cautionary glimpse at the harsh realities of the streets and a call for young Black men to take action and accept responsibility); this mature content is amusingly followed right away by back-to-back blissfully ignorant hardcore solo cuts from Dre (“A N***a Witta Gun” and “Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat”, respectively).
I could talk about this classic joint (no pun intended) all day; I first heard it in 1999 when I was 14 years old and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m probably going to kick myself later for leaving out even more stuff I wanted to say about The Chronic, but by now you should already know what’s up anyway. I mean….you’ve only had 25 years to get hip. YOU NEED TO OWN THIS ALBUM IN SOME FORM. Period.
Happy West Coast Wednesday y’all….
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gxLa4CVioo?ecver=1]