And Jill Scott shows up for the soulful pulse of “For the Love of Money,” and while Dre’s verse is the highlight, the track is pretty strong overall. The beat to “Just Another Day” does recall the ’90s West Coast, despite the almost Mystikal-like flow the verses take. However, he does adapt to the change of pace rather than relying on his classic lazy flow. Snoop arrives for the almost rock groove of “One Shot One Kill,” though it has the kind of drive that could leave you to miss Snoop’s contribution if you blink. Actors aside, it’s musically immaculate even with the abundance of new Pro-Tools smoke and mirrors. Dre’s production skills balance this out. Xzibit is a welcome addition to “Loose Cannons,” living up to his mission statement of “stopping these bitch niggas from runnin’ they mouth.” Ice Cube stumbles out of Studio City and into the booth for “Issues,” but he’s a little rusty when it comes to his flow. There’s a long list of notable emcees on the album aside from Dre. There is also an odd shout-out to Eazy-E, whom Dre aired his beef with on The Chronic. And considering the track revolves around a sample of a Wings song, it still captures a grittier swagger to “Darkside/Gone,” even with a coat of auto-tune slithering around some of the vocals at the time. The smooth beat glides underneath the verses like Rappin 4-Tay’s “I’ll Be Around.” Dre’s voice muscles its way into the midst of “All in a Day’s Work,” but overall there are many more layers of R&B vocals on the album than you would have found on The Chronic. The first glimpse of the old-school funk that was once the calling card for West Coast hip-hop during Dre’s rule in the ’90s thumps on “It’s All On Me.” This scenario marries old school and new school as Dre narrates his days from NWA to partnering with Snoop. You might find yourself waiting for Dre’s commanding voice to cut through the clutter, but don’t hold your breath too long-those moments are few and far between, but effective when they do occur. The lyric “ we load up pro-tools” on Dre’s first team-up with Kendrick Lamar explains one of the things that has changed in how Dre assembles his beats. A companion piece of sorts to the biopic Dre produced about the rap crew that put him on the map, it is not a retro homage to his days in NWA and, perhaps to a fault, finds its place in the modern hip-hop market.
Dre to find the inspiration to make this album. It’s been 16 years since his last solo album, and it took working on the film Straight Outta Compton for Dr. Dre since the release of his 1992 rap classic The Chronic.
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