Drop Knowledge...Not Bombs

To start a segment on modern rap/hip-hop music producers that I'll be writing about, I've chosen the unimitable Dr. Dre (nee Andre Young).

Brought up in the gang-controlled streets of Compton in LA, starting with the World Class Wreckin' Cru, Dre took samples from tracks by legendary artists such as George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, creating a sub-genre called G-funk, which smashed into the rap music scene in the early 1990s. He was helped by his half-brother Warren G (known for his Regulate ft. Nate Dogg). Immediately chart topping, rappers such as Snoop Doggy Dogg (as he was then known) released songs like the true first G-funk song Deep Cover in 1992. This single introduced the world to the now infamous artist, whose laid-back, relaxed "drawl" vocal style fitted well with Dre's beats.

G-funk was characterised by its slow, heavy bassline, which came from the funk music it sampled. It also used female backing vocals, with a hypnotic groove. Dre slowed the beat down and, using a synthesizer, built up the different layers. It used a keyboard lead, which characterised the genre.

In 1992, Dr. Dre released his classic The Chronic. This defined the genre, and is considered one of the first "classics" from the rap genre, and put Compton on the map, paving the way for rappers such as The Game. Singles like Nuthin' But A "G"-Thang epitomised the talent found in both Dr. Dre and his protege Snoop Doggy Dogg. This release was totally different to other rap albums out at the time. It wasn't politically charged like Public Enemy, or party music like the Beastie Boys. It was the first foray for gangsta rap, and a new style of lyrical content.

As a founding member of N.W.A, he produced their first album, Straight Outta Compton, which managed to sell over 2 million copies, with an absence of airplay due to the explicit lyrics.

Dre also introduced the public to a young white rapper, called Marshall Mathers aka Eminem. Marshall's "Slim Shady" stage persona gave Dre a new style, more upbeat, with an emphasis on a rolling, fast bassline, and heavily synthesized loop, best demonstrated in the track The Real Slim Shady, from Eminem's first album.

His release of 2001 in 1999 was only his second release, yet it again showed the public what Dre could to, both lyrically and as a producer. He has also contributed to albums by The Game, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Nate Dogg, Rakim, Busta Rhymes and Eve.

In 2004, Dr. Dre was ranked #54 in Rolling Stone Magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, truly showing the impact he has had on the music world, both as a producer and a rapper. Always surrounded by controversy, he truly is one of the best producers music has ever seen. We can only hope his delayed release Detox is as groundbreaking.