So following on from my previous post.... http://mog.com/RobinH/blog/185484
I must confess to never really getting big into Gangsta Rap, G-Funk, or Rap, for that matter. Sure, I got interested in Hip-Hop around the time of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's, 'The Message' and again around Salt'n Pepper's, Push It. But, of course, it's a million miles away from Dr Dre's, 'The Chronic', and despite being exposed to bands such as NWA and Public Enemy via friends who had got into hip-hop/rap from Public Enemy's association with Anthrax. I still find it a challenge to listen to such bleak descriptions of daily existence and personal relationships.
I just can't seem to identify with any of the lyrics, but then I suppose that's a bit difficult when you are sitting in a bungalow in a quiet village in Sussex with a cup of Camomile tea to help you wind down after a day spent sorting out computer problems. The two don't really mix. The only Gangster you would want to be, in my scenario, is a Gangster of Love.
But the music, well that is another matter. I am really impressed by the arrangement of samples on tracks and the way Dre has chosen rappers whose delivery suits the themes, arrangements and grooves so well. If you are interested in what is used sample-wise, and where, check out the entry for the album on wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronic#Track_listing
I must admit the album did stimulate a lot of interesting questions in my mind, such as, "is Dre simply placing a mirror up against our misogynistic, xenophobic and materialistic society", "at what point after this did the concept of 'pimp chic' appear in popular culture". I'm still mulling over these questions after several days. If the album was designed to get me thinking about how we relate as 'social groups' to 'other', then it did its job.
I also got thinking about what I was listening to at this time which would caused me to completely miss this album, ahhh, I was big into Rage Against The Machine and Therapy?
Discover Dr. Dre!
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Excellent Post! I think Dre is, above all things, a pop record producer who made an excellent album of material he thought would sell. In the 80's he was a gheri-curled cat making electro records which were the thing of the moment and the furthest you could get from G-Funk. If it sounds that way, I don't mean it negatively, I mean that he's one of the rare folks who know what the people want, before they even want it.
Enjoying what I hope will be a series.
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I didn't even own this until about a month ago when my brother (who listens to hardcore and is in a band, also very far away from rap) gave me a copy.
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Great dissection of an album. I've enever been able to hear it because all those samples make it sound like a poor Parliament/Funkadelic record to me...but I've loved just about everything he's touched since this. Maybe I should put it on while I'm cleaning the house or something.
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I think he defined G-Funk with that synth lick from the Ohio Players- Funky Worm.◄.When it came out I was in the Jonh camp and I still am essentially. I don't think there's any occasion I'd pull this record out for.
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who possibly listened to grandmaster flash and didn't get affected?
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Cody B: I def need to spend some time checking out some of those sample sources. Maybe I should create a Deezer playlist based on the tracks that the samples off The Chronic were 'lifted' from.
brittanybf: Hey, your comment got me thinking about Rapcore, had to dig out some Stuck Mojo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEnPNGxYqlo
Jonh: Housework and G-Funk, damn that's hardcore. Mmm, houseclearing with a baseball bat.
indiepixie: Yes, I'm always amazed where the 'Message' turns up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX6lDU-kJU0
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robin, Stuck Mojo are a band I haven't heard or even thought about for such a long time. Seeing this blew me away and brought me back to the days of trading mix tapes with the boys who were listening to Stuck Mojo and bands like Madball, and Snapcase. Thanks for that!
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Canadian hip-hop went off in a different direction with mild social commentary and reggae/sunshine influence. With my background listening to artists like k-os, K'naan, Cadence Weapon and Corneille, this stuff sounds like it comes from a different universe. I guess that is the point you're making - Dr. Dre exposed his world, and here we are in ours!
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(darmuzz: i love K-os!)