Dr. Dre began his career in music as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru and he later found fame with the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A, which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life. His 1992 solo debut The Chronic, released under Death Row Records, led him to become one of the best-selling American performing artists of 1993. In 1996 he left Death Row to found his own label Aftermath Entertainment, producing a compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath, in 1997 and releasing a solo album titled 2001 in 1999.
During the 2000s he focused his career on production for other artists, while occasionally contributing vocals in other artists' songs. Rolling Stone named him among the highest-paid performers of 2001 and 2004. Dr. Dre also had acting roles in the 2001 films The Wash and Training Day. In 2011, his final solo studio album, Detox, is set to be released following much delay and speculation.
Early life
The first child of Verna and Theodore Young, Dr. Dre was born as André Romelle Young on February 18, 1965. His mother was only 16 years old at the time of his birth, after being impregnated by teenage boyfriend Theodore, whom she later married. Young's middle name, "Romelle", came from Theodore Young's unsigned, amateur R&B singing group The Romells. In 1968 his mother divorced Theodore Young for another man, Curtis Crayon, and had other children with him, including two sons named Jerome and Tyree (both of whom are now deceased)[8][9] and daughter Shameka.[10] As a young child, Young was fascinated with vinyl records spinning on phonographs; his family's record collection included many popular R&B albums of the 1960s and 1970s, from such singers as Diana Ross, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. According to an interview with the Los Angeles Times, his mother Verna found R&B music to be a relief from the two jobs she had to work daily.[11] Despite economic troubles, she continued to encourage Young not to give up in life. During Verna's second marriage, Young and his step-brother Tyree were raised primarily by their grandmother and Curtis Crayon, as their mother spent much time in search of work.[12]
In 1976 Young began attending Vanguard Junior High School and had a new sister named Shameka. However, due to gang violence around Vanguard, he transferred to nearby Roosevelt Junior High School.[13] Verna later married Warren Griffin, whom she met at her new job in Long Beach,[14] which added three new stepsisters and one new stepbrother to the family. The stepbrother, Warren Griffin III, would eventually become a rapper under the stage name Warren G.[15]
Young attended Centennial High School in Compton during his freshman year in 1979 but transferred to Fremont High School due to poor grades. On December 15, 1981, Young fathered a son with Lisa Johnson, however Curtis Young was not brought up by his father and they only met when Curtis had become rapper Hood Surgeon about 20 years later.[16] He was nearly enrolled to an apprenticeship program at Northrop Aviation Company until poor grades at school made him ineligible. Therefore, he focused on social life and entertainment for most of his high school years.[17]
Music career
World Class Wreckin' Cru (1984–1985)
Inspired by the Grandmaster Flash song "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel", he often attended a club called The Eve After Dark to watch many DJs and rappers performing live. Thus, he became a DJ in the club, initially under the name "Dr. J" based on the nickname for Julius Erving, his favorite basketball player. At the club, he met aspiring rapper Antoine Carraby, later to become member DJ Yella of his group N.W.A.[18] Soon afterwards he adopted the moniker Dr. Dre, a mix of previous alias Dr. J and his first name, referring to himself as the "Master of Mixology".[19] He later joined the musical group World Class Wreckin' Cru under the independent Kru-Cut Records in 1984. The group would become stars of the electro-hop scene that dominated early 1980s West Coast hip hop, and their first hit "Surgery" would prominently feature Dr. Dre on the turntables and sell 50,000 copies within the Compton area.[20] Dr. Dre and DJ Yella also performed mixes for local radio station KDAY, boosting ratings for its afternoon rush-hour show The Traffic Jam.[21]
Due to the amount of time Dr. Dre was spending on his rap music he frequently skipped school, affecting his education. His absences also jeopardized his position as a diver for his school's swim team. However, when he did attend he received good grades in certain classes. After high school, he attended Chester Adult School in Compton following his mother's demands for him to get a job or go to school. After brief attendance at a radio broadcasting school, he relocated to the residence of his father and residence of his grandparents before returning to his mother's house.[22] He later dropped out of Chester to focus on performing at the Eve's After Dark nightclub.[23]
N.W.A and Ruthless Records (1986–1991)
In 1986 he met rapper Ice Cube, who collaborated with Dr. Dre to record songs for Ruthless Records, a rap record label run by local rapper and drug dealer Eazy-E. N.W.A however, along with fellow west coast rapper Ice T, debuted with rhymes including profanity and gritty depictions of crime and life on the street. No longer constricted to racially charged political issues pioneered by rap artists such as Public Enemy or Boogie Down Productions, N.W.A shot out with hardcore and realistic perspective of street violence and local black gangster lifestyle. Propelled by the hit "Fuck tha Police", the group's first full album Straight Outta Compton became a major success, despite an almost complete absence of radio airplay or major concert tours and warnings from the FBI.[2] The FBI sent letters to Arabian Prince, Ice Cube and Eazy-E urging them to stop releasing their music as a response to the large amount of complaints they had received about the group's lyrical content and use of expletives.[24]
After Ice Cube left N.W.A over financial disputes, Dr. Dre produced and performed for much of the group's second album Efil4zaggin. He also produced tracks for a number of other rap acts on Ruthless Records, including Above the Law, and The D.O.C. for the album No One Can Do It Better.[25] In 1991 at a music industry party in Hollywood, he assaulted television host Dee Barnes of the Fox television program Pump it Up, after he felt dissatisfied by a news report of hers on the feud between the remaining N.W.A members and Ice Cube. Thus, Dr. Dre was fined $2,500 and given two years' probation and 240 hours of community service, as well as a spot on an anti-violence public service announcement on television.[26][27]
The Chronic and Death Row Records (1992–1995)
After a dispute with Wright, Young left the group at the peak of its popularity in 1991 under the advice of friend, and N.W.A lyricist, The D.O.C. and his bodyguard at the time, Suge Knight. Knight, a notorious strongman and intimidator, was able to have Wright release Young from his contract and, using Dr. Dre as his flagship artist, found Death Row Records. In 1992 Young released his first single, the title track to the film Deep Cover, a collaboration with a rapper whom he met through his own stepbrother and rapper Warren G, Snoop Dogg.[2] Dr. Dre's debut album was The Chronic under Death Row Records. Young ushered in a new style of rap, both in terms of musical style and lyrical content.[28]
On the strength of singles such as "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang", featuring protegé Snoop Doggy Dogg and hits like "Let Me Ride" and "Fuck wit Dre Day (and Everybody's Celebratin')" (known as "Dre Day" for radio and television play), The Chronic became a cultural phenomenon, its G-funk sound dominating much of hip hop music for the early 1990s.[2] In 1993 the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album multi-platinum,[29] and Dr. Dre also won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for his performance in "Let Me Ride".[30] For that year, Billboard magazine also ranked Dr. Dre as the eighth best-selling musical artist, The Chronic as the sixth best-selling album, and "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" as the 11th best-selling single.[3]
Besides working on his own material, Dr. Dre produced Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle, which became the first debut album for an artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 album charts.[31] Young also produced other West Coast rap albums of Death Row Records, including Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound and the album Regulate...G Funk Era by his stepbrother Warren G. In 1994 Dr. Dre produced the soundtracks to the films Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case and the single "No Diggity" by Blackstreet. He collaborated with fellow N.W.A member Ice Cube for the song "Natural Born Killaz" in 1995.[2]
In 1995, just as Death Row Records was signing rapper 2Pac and positioning him as their major star, Young left the label amidst a contract dispute and growing concerns that label boss Suge Knight was corrupt, financially dishonest and out of control. Thus, in 1996, he formed his own label Aftermath Entertainment directly underneath the distributor label for Death Row Records, Interscope Records.[2] Consequently, Death Row Records suffered poor sales by 1997, especially following the death of 2Pac and the racketeering charges brought against Knight.[32]
Move to Aftermath Entertainment (1996–1998)
The Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath album, released on November 26, 1996, featured songs by Dr. Dre himself as well as by newly signed Aftermath artists, and a solo track "Been There, Done That", intended as a symbolic farewell to gangsta rap.[33] Despite being classified platinum by the RIAA[34], the album was not very popular among music fans.[2] In October 1996 Dr. Dre appeared on the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, broadcast on the NBC television network in the United States, to perform "Been There, Done That".[35] In 1997 Young produced several tracks on Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album; although the album went platinum, it was met with similarly negative reviews from critics. Rumors began to abound that Aftermath was facing financial difficulties.[36]
The turning point for Aftermath came in 1998, when Jimmy Iovine, the head of Aftermath's parent label Interscope, suggested that Young sign the white Detroit rapper Marshall Mathers, artistically known as Eminem, to Aftermath. Young produced three songs and provided vocals for two on his controversial album, ("My Name Is", "Guilty Conscience" and "Role Model") in 1999.[37]
2001 (1999–2000)
Dr. Dre's second solo album, 2001, released in the fall of 1999, was considered an ostentatious return to his gangsta rap roots.[38] It was initially titled The Chronic 2000 to imply being a sequel to his debut album The Chronic but was re-titled 2001 after Death Row Records released an unrelated compilation album earlier in 1999. Other tentative titles included The Chronic 2001 and Dr. Dre.[39] The album featured numerous collaborators, including Devin the Dude, Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Nate Dogg and Eminem. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the website All Music Guide described the sound of the album as "adding ominous strings, soulful vocals, and reggae" to Dr. Dre's style.[38] The album was highly successful, charting at number two on the Billboard 200 charts[40] and has since been certified six times platinum,[29] thus reaffirming a recurring theme featured in its lyrics, stating that Dr. Dre was still a force to be reckoned with, despite the lack of major releases in the previous few years. The album included popular hit singles "Still D.R.E." and "Forgot About Dre", both of which Dr. Dre performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live on October 23, 1999.[41] Dr. Dre won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2000,[2] and joined the Up in Smoke Tour with fellow rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube that year as well.[42]
During the course of the popularity of 2001, Dr. Dre was involved in several lawsuits. Lucasfilm Ltd., the film company behind the Star Wars film franchise, sued him over the use of the THX-trademarked "Deep Note".[43] The Fatback Band also sued Dr. Dre over alleged infringement of its song "Backstrokin'" in his song "Let's Get High" from the 2001 album; Dr. Dre was ordered to pay $1.5 million to the band in 2003.[44] The online music file-sharing company Napster also settled a lawsuit with him and heavy metal rock band Metallica in the summer of 2001, agreeing to block access to certain files that artists do not want to have shared on the network.[45]
Focus on production (2001–present)
Following the success of 2001, Dr. Dre focused on producing songs and albums for other artists. He produced the single "Family Affair" by R&B singer Mary J. Blige for her album No More Drama in 2001.[4] Other successful albums that he produced for Aftermath have included the major-label debut album by Queens, New York-based rapper 50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin', in 2003. The album featured the Dr. Dre-produced hit single "In da Club", as a joint production between Aftermath, Eminem's boutique label Shady Records and Interscope.[46] Dr. Dre also produced "How We Do", a 2005 hit single of rapper The Game from his album The Documentary.[47]
Another copyright-related lawsuit came upon Dr. Dre in the fall of 2002, when Sa Re Ga Ma, a film and music company based in Calcutta, India, sued Aftermath Entertainment over an uncredited sample of the Lata Mangeshkar song "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" on the Aftermath-produced song "Addictive" by singer Truth Hurts. In February 2003, a judge ruled that Aftermath would have to halt sales of Truth Hurts' album Truthfully Speaking if the company would not credit Mangeshkar.[48] In April 2003 rapper Ja Rule released a mixtape of freestyle raps criticizing Dr. Dre and his associated artists 50 Cent and Eminem.[49] At the Vibe magazine awards show in November 2004, Dr. Dre was attacked by a fan named Jimmy James Johnson, who was asking for an autograph. Johnson, in September 2005, was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to stay away from Dr. Dre until 2008.[50] For an issue of Rolling Stone magazine in April 2005, Kanye West praised Dr. Dre as among the greatest performing artists of all time.[51]
In November 2006 Dr. Dre began working with Raekwon on his album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II.[52] He also contributed to the rap albums Buck the World by Young Buck[53] and Curtis by 50 Cent.[54] Other upcoming albums that he is involved with includeThe Reformation by Bishop Lamont,[55] The Nacirema Dream by Papoose,[56] Here I Am by Eve,[57] and L.A.X. by The Game.[58] Among planned but unreleased albums during Dr. Dre's tenure at Aftermath have included a full-length reunion with Snoop Dogg titled Breakup to Makeup, an album with fellow former N.W.A member Ice Cube which was to be titled Heltah Skeltah, an N.W.A reunion album, and a joint album with fellow producer Timbaland titled Chairmen of the Board.[59][25][60]
Detox: Final album
Detox is to be Dr. Dre's final album.[7] In 2002, Dre told Corey Moss of MTV News that he intended Detox to be a concept album.[6] Work for the album dates back to early 2004,[61] but later in that year he decided to stop working on the album to focus on producing for other artists but then changed his mind; the album had initially been set for a fall 2005 release.[62] After several delays, the album was finally scheduled to be released sometime in 2008 by Interscope Records, which has not set a firm release date for the album as of September 2007.[7] Producers confirmed to work on the album include Bernard "Focus" Edwards Jr.,[63] Hi-Tek,[64] J.R. Rotem,[65] RZA,[66] Jay-Z,[67] and Warren G.[68]
Film career
In 2001 Dr. Dre appeared in the movies The Wash and Training Day.[69] A song of his, "Bad Intentions" (featuring Knoc-Turn'Al) and produced by Mahogany, was featured on The Wash soundtrack.[70] Dr. Dre also appeared on two other songs "On the Blvd." and "The Wash" along with his co-star Snoop Dogg. In February 2007 it was announced that Dr. Dre would produce dark comedies and horror films for New Line-owned company Crucial Films, along with longtime video director Phillip Atwell. Dr. Dre announced "This is a natural switch for me, since I've directed a lot of music videos, and I eventually want to get into directing."[71]
Musical influences and style
Dr. Dre has said that his primary instrument in the studio is the Akai MPC3000, a drum machine and sampler, and that he uses as many as four or five to produce a single recording. He cites George Clinton, Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield as primary musical influences. Unlike most rap producers, he tries to avoid samples as much as possible, preferring to have studio musicians re-play pieces of music he wants to use, because it allows him more flexibility to change the pieces in rhythm and tempo.[59] In 2001 he told Time magazine, "I may hear something I like on an old record that may inspire me, but I'd rather use musicians to re-create the sound or elaborate on it. I can control it better."[72] Other equipment he uses include the E-mu SP-1200 drum machine and other keyboards from such manufacturers as Korg, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Moog, and Roland.[73]
After founding Aftermath Entertainment in 1996, Dr. Dre took on producer Mel-Man as a co-producer, and his music took on a more synthesizer-based sound, using fewer vocal samples (as he had used on "Lil' Ghetto Boy" and "Let Me Ride" on The Chronic, for example). Mel-Man has not shared co-production credits with Dr. Dre since approximately 2002, but fellow Aftermath producer Focus has credited Mel-Man as a key architect of the signature Aftermath sound.[74]
In 1999 Dr. Dre started working with Mike Elizondo, a bassist, guitarist, and keyboardist who has also produced, written and played on records for female singers such as Poe, Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette,[75] for his album 2001. Elizondo has since worked for many of Dr. Dre's productions.[76][77] Dr. Dre also told Scratch magazine in a 2004 interview that he has been studying piano and music theory formally, and that a major goal is to accumulate enough musical theory to score movies. In the same interview he stated that he has collaborated with famed 1960s songwriter Burt Bacharach by sending him hip hop beats to play over, and hopes to have an in-person collaboration with him in the future.[59]
Work ethic
Dr. Dre has stated that he is a perfectionist, and is known to pressure the artists with whom he records to give flawless performances.[59] In 2006 Snoop Dogg told the website Dubcnn.com that Dr. Dre had made new artist Chauncey Black re-record a single bar of vocals 107 times.[78] Dr. Dre has also stated that Eminem is a fellow perfectionist, and attributes his success on Aftermath to his like-minded work ethic.[59]
A consequence of this perfectionism is that some artists that initially sign deals with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label never release albums. In 2001, Aftermath released the soundtrack to the movie The Wash. featuring a number of Aftermath acts such as Shaunta, Daks, Joe Beast and Toi. To date, none have released full-length albums on Aftermath and have apparently ended their relationships with the label and Dr. Dre. Other noteworthy acts to leave Aftermath without releasing albums include King Tee, 2001 vocalist Hittman and 1980s rap icon Rakim.[79]
However, over the years word of other collaborators has surfaced. During his tenure at Death Row Records, it was alleged that Dr. Dre's half brother Warren G and Tha Dogg Pound member Daz made many uncredited contributions to songs on his solo album The Chronic and Snoop Doggy Dogg's album Doggystyle (Daz received production credits on Snoop's similar-sounding, albeit less successful album Tha Doggfather after Young left Death Row Records).[80]
It is known that Scott Storch, who has since gone on to become a successful producer in his own right, contributed to Dr. Dre's second album 2001; Storch is credited as a songwriter on several songs and played keyboards on several tracks. In 2006 he told Rolling Stone:
"At the time, I saw Dr. Dre desperately needed something," Storch says. "He needed a fuel injection, and Dr. Dre utilized me as the nitrous oxide. He threw me into the mix, and I sort of tapped on a new flavor with my whole piano sound and the strings and orchestration. So I'd be on the keyboards, and Mike [Elizondo] was on the bass guitar, and Dr. Dre was on the drum machine".[81]
Current collaborator Mike Elizondo, when speaking about his work with Young, describes their recording process as a collaborative effort involving several musicians. In 2004 he claimed to Songwriter Universe magazine that he had written the foundations of the hit Eminem song "The Real Slim Shady", stating, "I initially played a bass line on the song, and Dr. Dre, Tommy Coster Jr. and I built the track from there. Eminem then heard the track, and he wrote the rap to it."[77] This account is essentially confirmed by Eminem in his book Angry Blonde, stating that the tune for the song was composed by a studio bassist and keyboardist while Dr. Dre was out of the studio but later programmed the song's beat after returning.[82]
Furthermore, in the September 2003 issue of The Source, a group of disgruntled former associates of Dr. Dre complained that they had not received their full due for work on the label. A producer named Neff-U claimed to have produced the songs "Say What You Say" and "My Dad's Gone Crazy" on The Eminem Show, the songs "If I Can't" and "Back Down" on 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', and the beat featured on Dr. Dre's commercial for Coors beer.[79]
Although Young studies piano and musical theory, he serves as more of a conductor than a musician himself, as Josh Tyrangiel of Time magazine has noted:
Every Dre track begins the same way, with Dre behind a drum machine in a room full of trusted musicians. (They carry beepers. When he wants to work, they work.) He'll program a beat, then ask the musicians to play along; when Dre hears something he likes, he isolates the player and tells him how to refine the sound. "My greatest talent," Dre says, "is knowing exactly what I want to hear."[72]
Although Snoop Dogg retains working relationships with Warren G and Daz, who are alleged to be uncredited contributors on the hit albums The Chronic and Doggystyle, he states that Dr. Dre is capable of making beats without the help of collaborators.[83] It should be noted that Dr. Dre's prominent studio collaborators, including Scott Storch, Elizondo, Mark Batson and Dawaun Parker, have shared co-writing, instrumental, and more recently co-production credits on the songs where he is credited as the producer.
It is also widely acknowledged that most of Dr. Dre's raps are written for him by others, though he retains ultimate control over his lyrics and the themes of his songs. As Aftermath Producer Mahogany told Scratch: "It's like a class room in [the booth]. He'll have three writers in there. They'll bring in something, he'll recite it, then he'll say. 'Change this line, change this word,' like he's grading papers."[84] As seen in the credits for tracks Young has appeared on, there are often multiple people who contribute to his songs (although it should be noted that often in hip hop many people are officially credited as a writer for a song, even the producer). As a member of N.W.A, The D.O.C. wrote lyrics for him while he stuck with producing.[85] Popular rapper Jay-Z ghostwrote lyrics for the single "Still D.R.E." from Dr. Dre's album 2001.[39]
Discography
* 1992: The Chronic
* 1999: 2001
* 2008: Detox
Awards and nominations
* "Let Me Ride"—Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance - 1994
* "California Love"—Grammy Award Nomination as Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with 2Pac and Roger Troutman) - 1997.
* "No Diggity"—Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (with Blackstreet and Queen Pen) - 1998
* "Forgot About Dre"—Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group - 2001 | (with Eminem)
* "Still D.R.E."—Grammy Award Nomination Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with Snoop Dogg) and The Source Awards Nomination Single of the year (2000)
* The Marshall Mathers LP—Grammy Award for Best Rap Album - 2001 (with Eminem)
Personal life
Marriages and family
From 1990 to 1996 Dr. Dre dated singer Michel'le, who frequently contributed vocals to Death Row Records albums. In 1991 the couple had a son, Marcel. In May 1996 Dr. Dre married Nicole Threatt, who was formerly married to NBA player Sedale Threatt.[86] Dr. Dre and Nicole have two children together: a son named Truth (born 1997) and a daughter named Truly (born 2001).[87] He is also the biological father of rapper Hood Surgeon (real name Curtis Young), impregnating his mother, Lisa Johnson, at 16 when he was 17.[88]
Income
In 2001, Dr. Dre earned a total of about $52 million from selling part of his share of Aftermath Entertainment to Interscope Records and his production of such hit songs that year as "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige. Rolling Stone magazine thus named him the second highest-paid artist of the year.[4] Dr. Dre was ranked 44th in 2004 from earnings of just $11.4 million, primarily from production royalties from such projects as albums from G-Unit and D12 and the single "Rich Girl" by singer Gwen Stefani and rapper Eve.[5]
Filmography
Year Title Role
1992 Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video Himself
1994 Set It Off Black Sam
2000 Up In Smoke Tour Himself
2001 Training Day Paul
The Wash Sean
Game Over
Dr. Dre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mad at us cause we on top
I love to see niggas gettin' money
Better get it while the gettin' is good
Get it while you can, man
And stop hatin' me, fuckin' with my shit cause I got more hustle than you
Get yours, get yours baby
Know what? I'm makin' moves, puttin' cash behind plans
To blow up, will he style like this
Everyday I parlay, sip Henne and Tanqueray
Stay in the mix like Alezay
V.I.P., my shit parked valet
On the prowl again to get hunnies familiar with the smile again
Some try to assault Dre, its still cavi
I'm eatin' steak while they struggle to break the slave mentality
I givin' livin' definition long as my hearts tickin'
I fought and made the world listen
Whatever fly Dr. Dre invented
Turn on the box and let my son watch these studio clowns on 60 inches
I push a rover, shit platinum before the sessions over
Rap master with the Houston heat holder
These players best to get they shit in check
Cause when I get my hustle on ain't no playin' with a full deck
[Chorus: x2]
Lord please, murder my enemies (Yeah)
Burn em at a thousand degrees
And lord please let me make mo cheese
Cause I ain't quite ready to leave (No)
Buck the whole world
Meant that, gotta stay strapped
Cause 99.9 a niggas, carry they gats
Super fist fightin' shit might come down to dyin'
When the time comes down for the tryin' I got nine
Reasons why niggas shouldn't step in my face
With the nonsense, cause I'm always heated and you can taste this
Audi little something out the seams a my trousers
With no hesitation I got a team to come clown ya
I down ya, so let your people know what they face
With the type of individual that'll bomb a sub-station
Kaboom! and everybody dies outside
There ain't no escapin' the Reaper so don't try
Go ahead, close ya eyes, who the next to step?
Face down, hit, bleedin' on the steps a death
Check yo self, you just been invaded by true soldiers
December 31st, 96 (the game is over)
[Chorus]
(I've got all my life to live, plus with all my love to give)
Smokin' weed I never trail, I lead
Spendin' dough, tripped the cost of a ride like it was pocket money, Gs
But these are the things real players do
Talkin' shit is real things that the haters do
I'm namin' you
Shit's thick, its time to run for shelter
I kept the word, things could happen to marks like it was helter skelter
Dear diary, I'm runnin' outta pages
Fadin', in and out, takin' purple hazes
The dazes, Revelations in the last stages
Red sky's institute, the silent horns playin
I'm prayin' with tears in my eyes
Cause I'm tryin' to make it into eternal peace without dyin'
But they eyein' my bank account with beams on my rover
The killa failed to launch his attack (the game is over)
[Chorus]
In "Game Over," Dre raps about his success and the envy it draws from others. He encourages others to get money and stop hating on him, as he has more hustle than them. He brags about his wealth, sipping Hennessy and Tanqueray while living in luxury. Dre has faced threats and attempts on his life, but he's unafraid, heavily armed, and takes pride in knowing that he's a target due to his accomplishments. Dre also reflects on the consequences of his lifestyle, knowing that he's a marked man who must always be vigilant. He asks God for protection and wealth, as he's not quite ready to leave this world just yet.
One interpretation of "Game Over" is that Dre is calling out his haters and enemies, challenging them to step up and try to stop him. He's flaunting his success while acknowledging the risks it entails. The chorus of the song emphasizes the danger and violence that Dre faces, but also his determination to keep going.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, what's up with these niggas out here
I don't understand why some people are so jealous and disrespectful towards us.
Mad at us cause we on top
They are mad because we have succeeded and become famous.
I love to see niggas gettin' money
I am happy when I see other people becoming successful and making money.
Better get it while the gettin' is good
You should take advantage of opportunities while they're available.
Get it while you can, man
Don't wait too long to pursue your dreams or seize your opportunities.
And stop hatin' me, fuckin' with my shit cause I got more hustle than you
Stop being jealous and trying to interfere with my success because I work harder than you do.
Get yours, get yours baby
You should focus on achieving your own goals and success.
I'm seeing millions, niggas don't understand
I can visualize the potential for success and making a lot of money, but some people don't see that.
Know what? I'm makin' moves, puttin' cash behind plans
I am taking strategic steps and investing money to make my dreams a reality.
To blow up, will he style like this
I want to become extremely successful and famous with my unique style of music.
Everyday I parlay, sip Henne and Tanqueray
I spend my days networking and socializing with others while drinking Hennessy and Tanqueray.
Stay in the mix like Alezay
I stay active and involved in the entertainment industry like the drink Alezay.
V.I.P., my shit parked valet
My car is parked by a valet in the VIP area, indicating my status.
On the prowl again to get hunnies familiar with the smile again
I am going out again to meet attractive women who are impressed by my success and confidence.
Some try to assault Dre, its still cavi
Some people still try to attack me and bring me down, but I am still valuable.
I'm eatin' steak while they struggle to break the slave mentality
While some people are still stuck in a mindset of poverty and struggle, I am enjoying a wealthy and abundant life.
I givin' livin' definition long as my hearts tickin'
I want to live a life that truly embodies the meaning of living while I'm still alive.
I fought and made the world listen
I overcame obstacles and fought for my success, making the world pay attention to my music.
Whatever fly Dr. Dre invented
Whatever new music or ideas that I come up with, people will be interested because it is coming from Dr. Dre.
Turn on the box and let my son watch these studio clowns on 60 inches
My son can watch these other music artists on the TV while I focus on my own success.
I push a rover, shit platinum before the sessions over
I have achieved platinum success before even finishing my music sessions.
Rap master with the Houston heat holder
I have a reputation for being a master of rap music with fiery skills like those in Houston.
These players best to get they shit in check
Other music artists should focus on their own skills and stop trying to compete with me.
Cause when I get my hustle on ain't no playin' with a full deck
When I am working hard to achieve my goals, I am doing it intelligently and strategically, so others shouldn't try to mess with me.
Lord please, murder my enemies (Yeah)
I am praying for my enemies to be eliminated.
Burn em at a thousand degrees
I want my enemies to suffer and fail in a severe manner.
And lord please let me make mo cheese
I am asking for God's blessings in making more money and achieving further success.
Cause I ain't quite ready to leave (No)
I am not done enjoying my life and success yet, so I want to keep going.
Buck the whole world
I am fighting against the world and its negativity.
Meant that, gotta stay strapped
I am serious and focused, and always ready for whatever comes my way.
Cause 99.9 a niggas, carry they gats
Most people are armed with weapons for protection or aggression.
Super fist fightin' shit might come down to dyin'
A serious fight could potentially result in death.
When the time comes down for the tryin' I got nine
If I need to defend myself, I have a weapon ready to use.
Reasons why niggas shouldn't step in my face
There are many good reasons why people should not confront me directly.
With the nonsense, cause I'm always heated and you can taste this
If someone tries to start something, I am always ready to get angry and confrontational.
Audi little something out the seams a my trousers
I have a weapon hidden in my pants.
With no hesitation I got a team to come clown ya
I am always prepared and have a team of people ready to support me if needed.
I down ya, so let your people know what they face
I am capable of taking down my enemies, and people should be careful when dealing with me.
With the type of individual that'll bomb a sub-station
I am the type of person who could potentially commit violent acts.
Kaboom! and everybody dies outside
If I set off a bomb, many people would be killed.
There ain't no escapin' the Reaper so don't try
No one can escape death, so avoid getting involved in conflicts or antagonizing others.
Go ahead, close ya eyes, who the next to step?
People should think carefully before confronting me, as it could result in serious consequences.
Face down, hit, bleedin' on the steps a death
If someone confronts me, they could be physically assaulted and potentially killed.
Check yo self, you just been invaded by true soldiers
These confrontations show who the true warriors and fighters are.
December 31st, 96 (the game is over)
The year 1996 is over, indicating that a new era and time for success has begun.
Smokin' weed I never trail, I lead
I am a leader who sets the standard for smoking weed and having a good time.
Spendin' dough, tripped the cost of a ride like it was pocket money, Gs
I am spending a lot of money on things that others might consider frivolous or unnecessary.
But these are the things real players do
These are the types of things that successful and wealthy people can afford to do.
Talkin' shit is real things that the haters do
Haters and jealous people will always talk badly about those who are more successful than they are.
I'm namin' you
I am specifically calling out and addressing the haters and envious people.
Shit's thick, its time to run for shelter
The situation has gotten dangerous, and it's time to hide and take cover.
I kept the word, things could happen to marks like it was helter skelter
I warned everyone that something bad could happen to those who cross me, similar to the events of the Manson family's murders on Helter Skelter.
Dear diary, I'm runnin' outta pages
I am running out of time and opportunities to write my story of success and wealth.
Fadin', in and out, takin' purple hazes
I am getting high and losing focus and clarity in my life.
The dazes, Revelations in the last stages
I am experiencing a time of confusion and enlightenment as I near the end of my life.
Red sky's institute, the silent horns playin
As I face the end of my life, I am witness to a surreal and strange world.
I'm prayin' with tears in my eyes
I am praying and begging for help and guidance with great emotion.
Cause I'm tryin' to make it into eternal peace without dyin'
I want to find peace and happiness in my life without having to face death.
But they eyein' my bank account with beams on my rover
People are jealous and greedy, wanting to take advantage of my wealth and success.
The killa failed to launch his attack (the game is over)
My enemies failed to harm me or bring me down, indicating that the time for their power has come to an end.
(I've got all my life to live, plus with all my love to give)
I have much more to offer and give in my life before it's over.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRAD JORDAN, O'SHEA JACKSON, RICHARD S. III VICK, ANDRE YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J Dalaigh
Aliens Agree:
Tip::
A saucer flies by using thrust vectoring.
The SAUCER:
Flight controls: It uses scale like flight controls, the more advanced the craft the more scales and the better the diffusion system.
Think of a ballon your hold the end till you want the thrust released and it propels the ballon in the direction opposite the pressure release. The system can fly both air and water, steam out the front and water out the back. Jet fuel burns are 1600 nuclear is 4,000-5,000. Think of a reactor it has a cooling pool. The more advanced ships dont need the water but missiles cant engage underwater and well if your a nuclear missile hunter the subs are there.
Advantages: It could close flight surfaces to preserve pressure to allow for short duration hops into space. Say you launch a missile at her, otherwise no she will not go into space, gravity could also be used to pull the craft back down, however, residue pressure can maneuver it in space if the flight control surfaces are unharmed during an encounter. Flies underwater, long loiter time, advanced weapons...its a farming tool. lol
If in the event of compromise she will destroy herself, half into orbit the other half into the earth it's a shape charge with titanium the craft skin and nuclear charge ie core explosion. would probably take care of the hope of ever putting it back together. That is in my opinion. look up asteriod over russia in 2013, low approach angle and heading towards a major city. Sorta gave it away.
If it is AI driven as I would assume as your not getting any feedback in RF or other comm. means then she is only approaching aircraft that have left from nuclear weapons capable assets. Some very powerful people hate nuclear. IMO educated guess.
Also AI avoidance ballistic missile detection satelites, listening stations underwater...
Weapons on this system are very impressive, but, it is honestly a farming tool, as it can influence the weather and so forth with its weapons system, think water from Air technology
It is a day after support system.
More information
look up project Pluto. It outlines the main propulsion, then wrap it, as I said above for your craft.
Pyramids make excellent saucer parking, 😂 also all societies that have pyramids had advanced astrological knowledge. Mayans called the interstellar object and Egypt showed stasis, without technology. However, ALL societies that built them are ruins. They would be the only building capable of surviving sustained highwinds or water, as well.
These ships are small and man made, instellar object it is not. 👽 Saucer parking angle of the pyramid slope allows for edge thrust shot down without tilt of the bigger true Alien ships. Unless you believe in time travel. 😂 Plus a few batteries for that type of perfection of construction of the pyramids, abate, they put helicopter and plane of in the inner chamber 😂 shit happens mitigate risk.
Can you provide ideas on:
🧬 Black hole: event horizon to event horizon, time travel, through the tenacle of space time? 😂 Think if your in a skin cell and then you move to a brain cell, reality would be about electrical conduction and such not carbon as it is here. Anyway purely fun
Genesis is Gene-is overall universe design. 😂 Black holes and White holes: it's a tentacle like a cell in your body but of a supreme being. 😂 Now that's crazy...True, Alien thinking
One last ET idea flying the whole solar system won't work it creates to much delay in gravity. Could tell you how but...
Planet collision ie. Asteroid belt, plus with mourning you'll meet Jesus in the clouds, haha it's the ocean 😂 the earth spins as it does the oceans get forced up, Antarctica becomes middle america it has the most mass and Chicago becomes the north pole and then the ocean falls consuming the people. In the event of a pause of gravity
Bible verses: Meet Jesus on the clouds.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 They we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Matthew 26:64
Jesus said to him,"you have said so. But I tell you, from no on you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the eath will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen
Bible Verse: Flying solar system--Anti Gravity search dark sun in the bible
Acts 2:20
The sun shall be turned to Darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
Sun to darkness it burns yet doesnt smoke it has gravity at its core.
Moon to blood is moon in the shadow of earth, no gravity to pull towards sun
Revelation 6:12
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood.
The tectonic plates will shift as I stated above.
2 Peter 3:10, Matthew 24 1-51, Malachi 4 1-3 etc.
Good news if you made it this far:
At least parking in the south pole pryamids will be where the Mayans left it... See crazy is that shit, read you're Bible Search Dark Sun on open bible search engine.
I AM DUDGEON
It’s a sad day when a mash up sounds better than 99% of the shite that’s been produced in the past 15 years..👌🏻
Blazi
This ain’t true, and only the people replying saying its true are just as ignorant. Admit that u guys never listened to a single modern verse. U just dont like the fact that rap genres changed
Thomas Blanc
Try UK or Korean rap/drill. that's where its at now.
J Dalaigh
Aliens Agree:
Tip::
A saucer flies by using thrust vectoring.
The SAUCER:
Flight controls: It uses scale like flight controls, the more advanced the craft the more scales and the better the diffusion system.
Think of a ballon your hold the end till you want the thrust released and it propels the ballon in the direction opposite the pressure release. The system can fly both air and water, steam out the front and water out the back. Jet fuel burns are 1600 nuclear is 4,000-5,000. Think of a reactor it has a cooling pool. The more advanced ships dont need the water but missiles cant engage underwater and well if your a nuclear missile hunter the subs are there.
Advantages: It could close flight surfaces to preserve pressure to allow for short duration hops into space. Say you launch a missile at her, otherwise no she will not go into space, gravity could also be used to pull the craft back down, however, residue pressure can maneuver it in space if the flight control surfaces are unharmed during an encounter. Flies underwater, long loiter time, advanced weapons...its a farming tool. lol
If in the event of compromise she will destroy herself, half into orbit the other half into the earth it's a shape charge with titanium the craft skin and nuclear charge ie core explosion. would probably take care of the hope of ever putting it back together. That is in my opinion. look up asteriod over russia in 2013, low approach angle and heading towards a major city. Sorta gave it away.
If it is AI driven as I would assume as your not getting any feedback in RF or other comm. means then she is only approaching aircraft that have left from nuclear weapons capable assets. Some very powerful people hate nuclear. IMO educated guess.
Also AI avoidance ballistic missile detection satelites, listening stations underwater...
Weapons on this system are very impressive, but, it is honestly a farming tool, as it can influence the weather and so forth with its weapons system, think water from Air technology
It is a day after support system.
More information
look up project Pluto. It outlines the main propulsion, then wrap it, as I said above for your craft.
Pyramids make excellent saucer parking, 😂 also all societies that have pyramids had advanced astrological knowledge. Mayans called the interstellar object and Egypt showed stasis, without technology. However, ALL societies that built them are ruins. They would be the only building capable of surviving sustained highwinds or water, as well.
These ships are small and man made, instellar object it is not. 👽 Saucer parking angle of the pyramid slope allows for edge thrust shot down without tilt of the bigger true Alien ships. Unless you believe in time travel. 😂 Plus a few batteries for that type of perfection of construction of the pyramids, abate, they put helicopter and plane of in the inner chamber 😂 shit happens mitigate risk.
Can you provide ideas on:
🧬 Black hole: event horizon to event horizon, time travel, through the tenacle of space time? 😂 Think if your in a skin cell and then you move to a brain cell, reality would be about electrical conduction and such not carbon as it is here. Anyway purely fun
Genesis is Gene-is overall universe design. 😂 Black holes and White holes: it's a tentacle like a cell in your body but of a supreme being. 😂 Now that's crazy...True, Alien thinking
One last ET idea flying the whole solar system won't work it creates to much delay in gravity. Could tell you how but...
Planet collision ie. Asteroid belt, plus with mourning you'll meet Jesus in the clouds, haha it's the ocean 😂 the earth spins as it does the oceans get forced up, Antarctica becomes middle america it has the most mass and Chicago becomes the north pole and then the ocean falls consuming the people. In the event of a pause of gravity
Bible verses: Meet Jesus on the clouds.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 They we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Matthew 26:64
Jesus said to him,"you have said so. But I tell you, from no on you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the eath will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen
Bible Verse: Flying solar system--Anti Gravity search dark sun in the bible
Acts 2:20
The sun shall be turned to Darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
Sun to darkness it burns yet doesnt smoke it has gravity at its core.
Moon to blood is moon in the shadow of earth, no gravity to pull towards sun
Revelation 6:12
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood.
The tectonic plates will shift as I stated above.
2 Peter 3:10, Matthew 24 1-51, Malachi 4 1-3 etc.
Good news if you made it this far:
At least parking in the south pole pryamids will be where the Mayans left it... See crazy is that shit, read you're Bible Search Dark Sun on open bible search engine.
Mesut
Güzel
yikes
@Jim Profis Saw it. It was good. Lots of new rappers are also good, y'all just boomers.
Banda Romantica Mix
This song never gets old. No matter how much I listen, I never get bored.
Juha-Matti Kangassalmi
These guyes ...makes history (y)
KeviManDJ YT
Eminem,Snoop e Dr.Dre Lendas do Rap.
Random Dave Vlogs
Absolute banger. Whoever put this together is a legend.