The Song of the Day is:
Dr. Dre – “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”
From the album The Chronic (1992)
Well I’m peeping and I’m creeping and I’m creep-in
But I damn near got caught, cause my beeper kept beeping
Now it’s time for me to make my impression felt
So sit back, relax and strap on your seat belt
You never been on a ride like this before
With a producer who can rap and control the maestro
At the same time with the dope rhyme that I kick
You know and I know, I flow some old funky sh—
To add to my collection, the selection
Symbolizes dope, take a toke but don’t choke
If you do, you’ll have no clue
On what me and my homie Snoop Dogg came to do
Andre Young – Tracy Curry – Calvin Broadus
If 2021 were to end right now, I don’t think many people would give it a very good review. Unsurprisingly, the troubles of 2020 didn’t just vanish in December 31, in fact some of them seemed to come to a head, and history has already been made in the dawning days of the year. One person who probably wouldn’t give this year a kind review is Dr. Dre, who has already spent most of 2021 in a hospital. The rapper/producer/entrepreneur was lucky though, so maybe he has an optimistic outlook. See, on January 5, Dre was rushed to the hospital after suffering a brain aneurism, and he was finally released from care last night. If he has any lasting effects from this traumatic experience, he hasn’t publicly stated so. As a solo musician, member of NWA and widely-sought producer, Dre became one of the sonic architects of the late eighties and nineties. The musical foundations he laid were often built around 1970’s soul or funk samples (Parliament/Funkadelic’s catalog proved to be a treasure trove), ear-catching upper register synthesizer lines and verses that exemplify both the good and bad of inner city life in America. He didn’t invent gangsta rap, but he did have his own unique and widely copied sound that became defined as G-Funk. Another talent of Dre’s is discovering new talent. He proved invaluable in cultivating the careers of Ice Cube, Eminem, 50 Cent, his stepbrother Warren G and, of course, Snoop Dogg (Warren G is seen in the song’s music video, but not heard). Snoop Doggy Dogg, as he was then known, exploded on the rap scene via this song, and his nasally flow was the perfect counterpoint to Dre‘s baritone. As chill as they both sounded, both maintained a certain amount of menace that conveyed these were not individuals to be crossed. Snoop is all over this album as a major supporting player, and he also helped fuel the other singles “F— wit’ Dre Day” and “Let Me Ride”. The main sample from “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thing” comes from the lesser-known Leon Haywood soul gem “I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You”. ‘G’ Thing” was a massive hit that propelled its source album, The Chronic, into being one of the best-selling and most acclaimed rap albums of all time. That acclaim hasn’t subsided either, it’s now in the library of Congress. Dre is certainly not a prolific musician, having only released two albums in the decades that followed The Chronic, but money has never been an issue for him, especially after he sold the company Beats Electronic, founded by him and Jimmy Iovine, to Apple for three billion dollars. Dre is an icon who will probably become the first double inductee rapper in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (following his 2016 induction as part of N.W.A., though former bandmate Ice Cube has a good shot at this distinction as well). Hopefully, Dr. Dre recovers speedily and fully so he can return to not making music (just teasing ya, Dre!).
If you enjoy the blog, please consider helping me pay the dues paypal.me/MichaelSliwa.
Thanks!
Hear Today, Grown Tomorrow 