Alright fine, I'm no expert when it comes to hip-hop (when did they start calling it hip-hop instead of rap, anyway?), but since I enjoy a variety of musical styles in my leisure time, I am occasionally involved in the pastime of listening to rap music. It just so happens that I've been listening to quite a bit of it lately, and I've got some random thoughts to write about. Maybe they will form some sort of cohesive blog post in the end? Let's find out.
Item 1: Dr. Dre has released a single off of his long-awaited new record, Detox. Outside of a few featuring credits in songs, this is the first new Dr. Dre song that I've heard since his 1999 LP, 2001. Eleven years! Dr. Dre has always been my favourite rap artist, and I consider 2001 his best work, so I've literally been waiting almost half my life for a follow-up to it. Can it possibly appease his fans after that long a time? The closest comparison I can think of is when George Lucas brought out the new Star Wars trilogy-- and we all know how those were received. If the single is any indication though, it seems like Dre hasn't lost the magic. "I Need a Doctor" is a solid track to be sure, featuring a catchy beat and inspired lyrics by Eminem, that culminates in a grand return by Dre wherein he calls out "fairweather" friends and professes his love to Eminem. It gets borderline bromantic between the two of them, and it's not the best song Dre's ever produced, but it's not a bad start; I can't wait to hear more. Supposedly Detox is finally coming in February, but I've been citing release dates for it since grade nine, so we'll see.
