| How to follow the phenomenally-successful The Chronic album must have caused superstar rap producer Dr Dre more than a few sleepless nights. Five years on, for 2001 he's gathered a plethora of prime, new rap talent around him, including his prodigy-of-the-moment, Eminem, and Xzibit (who duet on boombastic anthem "What's The Difference?"); and is reunited with former compadres Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and MC Ren. While the lyrical preoccupations remain the same--sex, sess (marijuana), girls, guns and cars--the predictably flawless production has been cranked up way beyond the G-Funk formula that found him fame. "Still D.R.E." is driven by the persistent pluck of a harmonium; "Light Speed" is all spooky, retro-future funk; and "Forgot About Dre" boosts kinetic, Timbaland-style beats with insistent strings and squalls of guitar. All in all, there's more than enough on here to satisfy the hardcore that Dre is back and business is booming. --Chris Campion |
|
