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DKC Public RelationsIn honor of today’s 4/20 bud-smoking holiday, Tidal and Spotify are giving fans and hip-hop aficionados more of a reason to celebrate listening to Dr. Dre’s post-N.W.A. debut album, 1992’s The Chronic.
The Chronic was named after a slang term coined for high-quality cannabis by Snoop Dogg in 1992. It would become the legendary producer and rapper’s first solo album since departing from N.W.A. and the label Ruthless Records over finances. Dre throws a few insults at the label and its owner, former N.W.A member, Eazy-E, on the track “[F] Wit Dre Day.”
Regarded as one of the most influential albums of 90s hip-hop, The Chronic introduced G-Funk, a subgenre within gangsta rap, boasting soulful samples from the Ohio Players, James Brown, Boogie Down Productions and the late R&B legend Bill Withers, who died March 30.
A lover of instruments, Dre’s production infuses guitars, flutes, funky rhythms and bass sounds, setting the tone for West Coast rap and launching careers for Snoop, rapper/producer Daz Dillinger, late singer Nate Dogg, Warren G,, Lady of Rage‘s “Afro Puffs“, D.O.C., and more.
The Chronic featured three Billboard Hot 100 singles, including “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and “Let Me Ride,” which won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1994 Grammy Awards.
In honor of the album, Spotify is also offering a curated playlist dubbed “I Love My West Coast Classics.”
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