Dr. Dre - Compton

Dr. Dre
Compton
2015

16 years. It has been 16 years since we have heard a new album from Dr. Dre. Detox was the follow up to The Chronic: 2001 the one that was going ot bring Dre back into the forefront. Delay after delay and an eventual scrapping all together meant that Detox was never to be. In hindsight it was probably for the best because Compton was the album Dr. Dre was meant to make. Compton is not only a great album from a pioneer in the genre it also shows Dre doing what He has always been the best at, elevating everyone around him. From Kendrick to Snoop and even The Game Dre gets the absolute best out of everyone He works with and they are better for it. But, this record unlike previous ones is not about them, it is about him. Summarizing and coming to terms with the end of a career shoes us two sides of Dr. Dre, the billionaire family man and the former gangster. "It's All on Me" is that summation song where we hear Dre, the only rapper on the track, going over his history piece by piece, a man reflecting on what was and pondering what may be. What is clear on this record is that Dr. Dre may have one of the best ears for music. This record is in no way a rehash of The Chronic each beat is wholly new and would be a gift to anyone in the game today. Thankfully Dr. Dre has not given in to the temptation to take on the tone and intonation of the current vibe rappers and reminds the listener how rap can, and should, sound.

There is a sense of pace with this record which is possibly due to the fact that Dr. Dre had promised this record on a certain date come hell or high water. It meant He couldn't second guess himself, couldn't let the music become stagnant while He tinkered. Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly was clearly an influence as well and he puts down arguably some of the best verses on the record though Dre's voice is the clear front man throughout. All that goodness being said I can't discuss this album without bringing up the elephant in the room: The fact that Dr. Dre put this out exclusively on Apple Music is absolute bullshit. Even though He has claimed that all proceeds will be donated to charity, why not release this on a wide level for even more access/cash? Something this good should be shared with the world not shilled for the almighty big A. What is going to happen is people will use their free trail (As I did) to hear this album then never add it to a playlist, never listen again. It is an absolute shame because this is a great record, maybe one of the best of his career and this limited release has the potential to let it fade into obscurity. Is it worth using your free trail with Apple Music to listen to? The answer is absolutely. Now is it worth switching from Google Music or Spotify just to hear this record, the answer is no and this bait and switch to get you to do so should be all the more reason to resist. But in the end, this record is fucking great. Damn.

9 out of 10