They’re some of the most iconic hip-hop albums of all time, but if Dr. Dre had his way, he likely would never have appeared on any of his solo records.
Over the weekend, we passed the 20th anniversary of 2001, the legendary second album from Dr. Dre.
With The Chronic having been released in 1992 following the dissolution of N.W.A., it was 2001 that saw Dr. Dre become even more of a household name, with singles like ‘Still D.R.E.’, ‘The Next Episode’, and ‘Forgot About Dre’ turning into major hits the world over.
Featuring collaborations from iconic names like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Xzibit, Nate Dogg, and more, the album was undoubtedly a rather large gathering of some of the best and brightest in the world of hip-hop.
However, in a recent interview, Dr. Dre revealed that if it had been up to him, he likely would never have appeared on any of his solo records.
Check out Dr. Dre’s 2001: The Making Of A Classic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk7Wgj9s2eQ
Sitting down with friend and producer Jimmy Iovine for Apple Music’s The Making Of A Classic, Dr. Dre opened up about the legacy of 2001, how it came to be, and how he had no intention of actually lending his vocals to the record.
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“I’m trying to put myself in the studio with a lot of great artists, as far as the microphone work goes, and then I’m just trying to get on a song or two here and there,” Dr. Dre recalls of the album’s production.
“I mean, my first album – The Chronic – and the 2001 album, I believe, I might be on like four or five songs. It sounds and appears like I’m on more because of the way I sequence the songs and structured it.
“I didn’t wanna appear on the albums at all, to be honest,” he continues. “I just wanted to produce, find artists and produce them. And Doc – The D.O.C. – talked me into getting on the mic and doing this thing.”
While we are definitely glad that Dr. Dre did decide to perform on the record, we can’t help but wonder if it would have been as successful if he had only taken on the role of producer.
Amazingly, it took 16 years before we received a follow-up to 2001, with the planned album Detox eventually being shelved in favour of Compton. Here’s hoping we won’t be waiting another 16 years for his next record.
Check out ‘Still D.R.E.’ by Dr. Dre:
