Dr. Dre's "2001": A Braggadocious Reflection Of Life In The Late '90s As a Superstar

Following up the critically acclaimed The Chronic is an arduous task for any MC. After Dr. Dre's debut solo album, he had to find a way to reinvent himself while also maintaining the same swagger which gave his music such widespread appeal.

After listening to 2001 (Which was ironically made in 1999), it is obvious that Dr. Dre has not lost his grip on the music industry in the slightest. In fact, 2001 made Dr. Dre an undeniable west coast superstar.

The 23 track behemoth of an album has features from other music greats during the time of recording. Snoop Dogg, Hittman, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Xzibit, and more all provide this album with wild personality.

The album opens with The Watcher. A brutally honest reminder to all those who doubted Dre in the past and continue to. One of the main appeals to Dr. Dre's music is his ability to take the simple sounds heard in everyday life and transform them into something brilliant. For this opening track, Dre took the sound of an alarm clock and added his signature drum patterns to it making an incredibly catchy beat. This made for an opening track that set the tone for the rest of this album.

At the time of its recording, Dre was consistently criticized for trying to rap due to his status as a producer. During the '90s, it was unheard of to be a multi-talented MC like most entertainers are today. You either rapped or you produced in the realm of hip-hop. That was it. Dre pushed boundaries by being able to successfully do both.

Of course, this wouldn't be a proper Dr. Dre project without the certified hits. For 2001, There are four main hits that seem to be timeless: Forgot about Dre, Still D.R.E., The Next Episode, and What's the Difference. These four tracks have consistently been on Billboard's top 500 list for over two decades now.

To be quite honest, it is difficult to tell what specifically makes these tracks so appealing. Perhaps it's the menacing nature of Dre as he tells his audience in the track Forgot About Dre to keep his name out of their mouths or else... (Keep in mind this was made in the '90s, a time where blatant threats were commonplace in rap). Or maybe the appeal comes from the ability of Dre to have his lifestyle seem somehow relatable to a normal person.

Now, we may not be able to afford the same luxuries as Mr. Dre, but it sure as hell feels like we are stepping into his shoes when he goes on the mic.

That is what makes music timeless for listeners. We are teleported into a whole different world. One in which we are able to take on a persona that suits us better than our own.