Compton: A Soundtrack, Dr. Dre’s first album in 16 years, may be little more than corporate hip-hop, but the good doctor still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for BET
As he enters his 50th year, Dr. Dre is an elder statesman of the hip-hop game.
His days of prowling the streets of Compton, Calif. are long behind him; his ‘hood these days is in Brentwood, in a gated mansion just outside of San Francisco. Despite his years away from the street cred spotlight, the beat that drove him to success in the salad days of N.W.A. is still alive and well in his new effort, Compton (Aftermath/Interscope), his third album, and first in 16 years.
Inspired by the upcoming biopic Straight Outta Compton, the new album is the polar opposite of the N.W.A. classic that shares the same name as the movie that tells their story. Whereas the 1988 album was an explosion of rhythmic rage, in an era where “bangin’ on wax” was still a new concept, Compton is a much more subdued affair.
This is not about rap as expression of hunger and strife. This is hip-hop as technical alchemy. Compton is polished and glossy, but make no mistake, it’s expertly crafted to remind you of Dre’s talent as a legendary producer who has only the best of resources at his disposal.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The album opens to fanfare, letting the listener know that this is hip-hop as theatre, not a street-level effort. The sound is as impeccable as one would expect, and as the booming voice of legendary newsman Bill Kurtis gives a brief history of Compton as American Dream Gone Dark, before the first track, “Talk About It” crashes in with a sense of…mediocrity.
Dre has always been a producer first, even from his humble beginnings with the World Class Wreckin’ Cru back in the day. As such, Dre’s first mission is always to promote up and coming artists backed by his beats, which can always be a hit-or-miss proposition. This time, it’s King Mez and Justus who kick off the album in “Talk About It”, and while the beat is nice, their performance simply hits with a thud.
The tracks that follow are competent, but maybe a little too laid back for their own good. The lyrics get better, with heir to the throne Kendrick Lamar serving as a bright point on “Genocide” and “Darkside/Gone”, but it isn’t until the seventh track, “Loose Cannons” that Compton feels like a version of Dre from yore.
Featuring Xzibit, COLD 187um and Sly Piper, the song delivers the first dose of virile intensity that mirrors Dre’s N.W.A. days, and it’s more than welcome. This is the song that shows how vital Dre can be as a producer, especially when matched with competent MC’s. However, “Loose Cannons” presents a problematic image of a woman’s murder as the post-song skit borrows heavily from a scene from Goodfellas. It’s a wholly unnecessary addition, and even though the song harkens back to the blood stained history of gangsta rap, it makes little sense to the overall narrative.
Ice Cube reteams with Dre on “Issues”, a solid throwback, but listening to Cube rap now only reminds how dusty his delivery is, certainly the mark of a comfortable life years removed from the intensity of the street. Despite the cobwebs, it’s still an enjoyable track.
Others joining the party include Snoop Dogg on “One Shot One Kill” and “Satisfaction” and Eminem, who reminds us during “Medicine Man” he’s still the same Slim Shady we remember, for better and worse.
The high water mark of the album, “Deep Water” is Dre doing Dre right. When Dre shines the brightest, it’s through the right collaboration, and here he and Kendrick Lamar are absolutely on the same page in both lyrics and sound in a song that will have even the biggest skeptic nodding along with the beat in implicit approval.
Compton, right or wrong, is the album we deserve from Dr. Dre at this point in his life, and it’s wholly enjoyable. That he’s able to produce something even half as good as this at 50 is a feat in a genre of music historically dominated by the young and tempestuous.
Dre can still produce the beats that matter, and even if it’s not a home run, it’s certainly a victory lap on heavy rotation the rest of the summer.
Hashim R. Hathaway (Uncle Shimbo) is the host of the Never Daunted Radio Network, and proud father to NeverDaunted.Net. You can reach him on Twitter @NeverDauntedNet