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
Old Time's Sake
Dr. Dre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is your fucking captain speaking
We will soon be reaching an altitude of four million and a half feet
That's eight million miles in the sky
Please, undo your seat belt for takeoff
You are now free to smoke about the cabin
I'm Dre from back in the day from
Choking a bitch to smacking her face from
Stacking up bodies to
Racking their kegs up from
Racking a bitch to
Stacking them crates up
I'm still hungry
And I'm back with a tapeworm
And we was happening and rapping and tame at me
Shady for us competition
Faggot, there ain't none
Speak of the devil
It's attack of the rain man
Chainsaw in hand, blood stain on my apron
Soon as the blade spun run, they run away from
Who wanna play dungeon?
No one is safe from
In search of a brain surgeon
A great one
Wait, the day ain't funny man
It's urgent
I need one
Two boxes of detergent and a paint gun
And an emergency squirt gun to spray A-1
So one more time for old time's sake
Dre, drop that beat and scratch that brake
Now just blow a little bit of that smoke my way
And let's go
You are now smoking with the best (the best)
I said one more time for old time's sake
Dre, drop that beat and scratch that brake
Now just send a little bit of that smoke my way
And let's go
You are now smoking with the best (the best)
Smoke signal in the sky like Verizon wireless
A nice environment
Surprised, entirely hypnotized by the sound I surround the hydrants
Taking lives of firemen
Say goodbye, here I am again
Naked wives and Vicadin
Before I begin to get so high; pussy boy, I could spin
Fin, fin
Fuck the handle I fly off the hinge
Let that boy off the bench, coach and throw it to him
There he goes in his trench coat, no clothes again
Baby, make us some French toast and show us some skin
I show you every inch grows of my foreskin
Show me nipple I pinch, throw up, and throw up a ten
Now you know it's a sin to tease, blow us again
The sorcerer of intercourse, if it's forced, it's him
Don't fight the feeling if you're feeling the force within
And when you wake up in the morning next to the porcelain
So one more time for old time's sake
Dre, drop that beat and scratch that brake
Now just blow a little bit of that smoke my way
And let's go
You are now smoking with the best (the best)
I said one more time for old time's sake
Dre, drop that beat and scratch that brake
Now just send a little bit of that smoke my way
And let's go
You are now smoking with the best (the best)
Now where there's smoke, there's fire
Where there's fire, there's flames
Where there's flames, there's chronic
Either you high or you ain't
I got no time for no games
Nah uh, he ain't playin'
He's gonna get the AK and aim it right at your brain
I'm slightly insane
Vodka and kreatine
Hypnotic and red bull
It's an incredible energy drink
And it's given me wings
I believe I can fly
While I pee on a girl
You won't catch me, CSI
It's as easy as pie
And as simple as cake
Dre, get on the mic and make them tremble and shake
Now put your smoke up in the air
And raise your henny and coke
And if you really wanna get fucked up, just let me know
We can smoke till there's no more lighter fluid to do it
Lets get into it
You smoking with the triest and truest
I got the Midas touch
When it comes to rolling shit up
You motherfuckas ain't smoking
You just holding shit up
Now here we go
Let's get up, get down, hold up a blunt
I smoke the kinda stuff that make the records go number one
Cuz if at first you don't succeed, won't hurt to smoke some weed
Now them words are just a little more personal for me
Seeing is how I blew up off of puffing them trees
Well puffing ain't enough for me
Fuck yeah, light it up Cheech, come on
Smoke me out, cuz
Give me contact buzz
Get me on track
They love me when I'm on that stuff
But this earth calling Shady, man come on back (what?)
Man we're losing him; he won't even respond back (fuck! )
Now look at all the pretty women in here
(Damn bitches)
Dre, it's hot
I think we better go check on their temperatures
I give them the thermometer
You get the bandages
Now baby just bend over
This won't hurt a damn bit,
And give me one more time for old time's sake
Dre, drop that beat and scratch that brake
Now just blow a little bit of that smoke my way
And let's go
You are now smoking with the best (the best)
I said one more time for old time's sake
Dre, drop that beat and scratch that brake
Now just send a little bit of that smoke my way
And let's go
You are now smoking with the best (the best)
The song "Old Time's Sake" by Dr. Dre and Eminem is a celebration of their past collaboration and a statement of their continued relevance and dominance in the rap scene. The first lines of the song are spoken by Dr. Dre as a mock announcement by a pilot, setting the stage for the high-flying, drug-laced lyrics to come. Eminem's verse is filled with violent and sexual imagery, as he boasts about his skill and fame and taunts his rivals. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "one more time for old time's sake," emphasizing the nostalgia and respect these rappers have for their shared history.
The verses of the song are filled with intricate wordplay and references to both pop culture and their personal journeys. Dr. Dre references his days with the group NWA and the violence and rebellion associated with that era. Eminem's verse is more focused on his personal struggles with addiction and fame, as well as his often outrageous and confrontational style. The chorus of the song serves as a bridge between these two perspectives, highlighting the shared experiences of these two rap icons and their dedication to pushing the boundaries of the genre.
Overall, "Old Time's Sake" is a powerful statement of the continued relevance and impact of Dr. Dre and Eminem in the rap world. It combines bravado, humor, and introspection into an unforgettable rap anthem that will continue to be celebrated for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Good evening!
Greetings, I welcome you.
This is your fucking captain speaking
I'm in charge here, pay attention to what I'm about to say.
We will soon be reaching an altitude of four million and a half feet
We're going really high up, folks. Strap in.
That's eight million miles in the sky
We're going so high that it's like we're traveling eight million miles up.
Please, undo your seat belt for takeoff
You're free to move around now, but hold on tight.
You are now free to smoke about the cabin
Feel free to light up, but be careful.
I'm Dre from back in the day from
NWA from black and the gray from
I'm Dre from the old days, from the group NWA, when things were rough.
Choking a bitch to smacking her face from
Stacking up bodies to
Racking their kegs up from
Racking a bitch to
Stacking them crates up
I used to do terrible things, from violence against women to murder to stealing.
I'm still hungry
And I'm back with a tapeworm
I'm still wanting more, and ready to go to extremes to get what I want.
And we was happening and rapping and tame at me
Shady for us competition
Faggot, there ain't none
I was killing it in the rap game with my buddy Shady, and no one could touch us.
Speak of the devil
It's attack of the rain man
Chainsaw in hand, blood stain on my apron
Now we're dealing with a disturbed psychopath, armed and dangerous.
Soon as the blade spun run, they run away from
Who wanna play dungeon?
People are terrified, and who would want to mess with me?
No one is safe from
In search of a brain surgeon
A great one
Wait, the day ain't funny man
It's urgent
I need one
Two boxes of detergent and a paint gun
And an emergency squirt gun to spray A-1
I need help, and it's not a joke. I need a serious brain surgeon, some cleaning supplies, and a weapon to protect myself.
So one more time for old time's sake
Dre, drop that beat and scratch that brake
Let's do this like we used to, for nostalgia's sake.
Now just blow a little bit of that smoke my way
And let's go
You are now smoking with the best (the best)
Pass me that joint, and let's get this party started. You're lighting up with some of the best in the game.
I said one more time for old time's sake
Now just send a little bit of that smoke my way
Again, let's do this like in the old days. And pass that marijuana over.
Smoke signal in the sky like Verizon wireless
A nice environment
Surprised, entirely hypnotized by the sound I surround the hydrants
It's like we're sending a signal to the world that we're getting high, and it feels really good.
Taking lives of firemen
Say goodbye, here I am again
Naked wives and Vicadin
But I'm not just getting high, I'm also living dangerously and causing others harm.
Before I begin to get so high; pussy boy, I could spin
Fin, fin
But my buzz is getting stronger, and it's making me feel invincible.
Fuck the handle I fly off the hinge
Let that boy off the bench, coach and throw it to him
There he goes in his trench coat, no clothes again
Baby, make us some French toast and show us some skin
I'm off the rails now, and I'm not playing by anyone's rules. Let's get this party even crazier, and let's objectify women while we're at it.
I show you every inch grows of my foreskin
Show me nipple I pinch, throw up, and throw up a ten
I'm getting raunchier and more vulgar by the second.
Now you know it's a sin to tease, blow us again
The sorcerer of intercourse, if it's forced, it's him
Don't stop now, we're just getting started. I take control when it comes to sex.
Don't fight the feeling if you're feeling the force within
And when you wake up in the morning next to the porcelain
If you feel like you want to have sex with me, don't hold back. And when you wake up tomorrow morning hungover and vomiting, don't say I didn't warn you.
Now where there's smoke, there's fire
Where there's fire, there's flames
Where there's flames, there's chronic
Either you high or you ain't
Where there's marijuana, there's a flame to light it, and where there's marijuana and a flame, there's a high waiting for you.
I got no time for no games
Nah uh, he ain't playin'
He's gonna get the AK and aim it right at your brain
I don't have time for messing around. I'm serious, and if you don't believe me, I'll use violence to prove my point.
I'm slightly insane
Vodka and kreatine
Hypnotic and red bull
It's an incredible energy drink
And it's given me wings
I've lost my mind a little bit, and I'm using alcohol and energy drinks to fuel my wild behavior.
I believe I can fly
While I pee on a girl
You won't catch me, CSI
It's as easy as pie
And as simple as cake
Dre, get on the mic and make them tremble and shake
I feel so powerful and invigorated that I could even pee on someone and get away with it. Nothing can stop me now, not even the law. And Dre, let's keep this party going and make people go wild with our music.
Now put your smoke up in the air
And raise your henny and coke
And if you really wanna get fucked up, just let me know
Let's get really messed up now, and if you want in, just give me a signal.
We can smoke till there's no more lighter fluid to do it
Lets get into it
You smoking with the triest and truest
I got the Midas touch
When it comes to rolling shit up
You motherfuckas ain't smoking
You just holding shit up
We're going to smoke so much that we'll run out of lighter fluid. And don't worry, I'm an expert at rolling joints. And the rest of you amateurs are just getting in our way.
Now here we go
Let's get up, get down, hold up a blunt
I smoke the kinda stuff that make the records go number one
Cuz if at first you don't succeed, won't hurt to smoke some weed
Now them words are just a little more personal for me
Seeing is how I blew up off of puffing them trees
Well puffing ain't enough for me
Fuck yeah, light it up Cheech, come on
Let's smoke some more and get this party really started. My music is so good because I'm high when I make it, and that's just who I am. Smoking is part of my identity, and I'll never stop. So come on, let's keep puffing away.
Smoke me out, cuz
Give me contact buzz
Get me on track
They love me when I'm on that stuff
But this earth calling Shady, man come on back (what?)
Man we're losing him; he won't even respond back (fuck! )
Keep smoking with me and I'll get so high that I'll lose touch with reality. But I know I have to come back down to earth eventually. Wait, am I okay? I think I might be in trouble.
Now look at all the pretty women in here
(Damn bitches)
Dre, it's hot
I think we better go check on their temperatures
I give them the thermometer
You get the bandages
Now baby just bend over
This won't hurt a damn bit,
But before I bring it back down, let's check out all the women in here. They're so sexy. Hey Dre, let's make sure they're okay, and I have an idea for how we can do that. We'll call it a medical exam.
And give me one more time for old time's sake
Before we stop, let's do this one more time, for old time's sake.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK BATSON, ERIC COOMES, TREVOR LAWRENCE JR., MARSHALL MATHERS, DAWAUN PARKER, ANDRE YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ermis
on Fuck You
best dr.dre song and that phone call in the beginning funny ash