On this date in 1996, Death Row Records, led by then CEO Suge Knight, dropped an exclusive Christmas project for the holiday season. Sadly, this album was released just shy of three months after the tragic shooting death of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas.
The album featured all of Death Row’s favorite acts including Michel’le, who at the time was involved with Knight, Snoop Dogg and The Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg, Danny Boy and several other up and coming artists on the label. The star-studded line-up rehashed many Christmas soul classics and carols including “Silver Bells,” “Frosty Thee Snowman,” and “White Christmas.” With 200K in sales, the virtually unheard of album didn’t do too bad. The best part was that it was reportedly all for charity.
Salute to the entire Death Row for releasing this under the radar Hip-Hop classic!
On this day in 1999, legendary super-producer Dr. Dre put out Chronic 2001, his last album before a 16-year hiatus. Containing some of the most known tracks in rap, Chronic 2001 has been extremely successful over the years. As of July 2013, the album has been certified septuple platinum, selling 7,664,000 copies in the United States alone and with the recent success of the film Straight Outta Compton, one can only imagine the increase in its sales that is to come. Dr. Dre is an artist known for the breaks he takes between albums. Chronic 2001, the follow-up to The Chronic, came seven years after its predecessor and although it may have been an excruciating period of time to wait, each project he’s delivered has been more than worth the time spent wondering what it would consist of.
The quality of work that makes up Chronic 2001 is epic. Of course, the production of this album is more solid than most coming from Dre himself along with Mel-Man and Lord Finesse, but the vocal features that were at Dre’s disposal due to his success at the time also helped to make this project such a classic. Rappers such as The D.O.C., Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Xzibit, Nate Dogg, and Eminem made appearances on this album. It would be an understatement to say that this project was an influential part of west coast rap and culture.
As previously stated, this album was widely regarded and critically acclaimed. It debuted in 1999 at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart where it peaked and sold 516,000 copies in its first week. The album also claimed the #1 spot on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, #4 on the UK Album Chart, and #17 in the Dutch Albums Chart. As far as its legacy, the album has made its appearances on music charts worldwide since its release and is #17 on the Billboard 200 chart for the 2000s. Its hit single “Still D.R.E.”, is certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA and is a household name in the Hip Hop world.
Dr. Dre’s successes following this album are enough to make a second movie about. His influence on rap and rap culture spans a generation and his place in pop culture as a whole has been cemented due to what he has accomplished. We can only sit back and watch what the mastermind that is Dr. Dre has in store for us in the coming years.
The unmistakable G-Funk sound of Southern California created a style that in the ’90s shaped Hip Hop culture in its own image. Since its conception by Dr. Dre with The Chronic, G-Funk has become one of Hip Hop’s most unique and distinguished sub-genre and has spread West Coast culture across the globe. On this day in Hip Hop history, we celebrate the birth of the self-proclaimed King of G-Funk Nate Dogg.
Known for his smooth, soulful vocals on the hooks of some of the ’90s most popular G-Funk cuts, Nate Dogg became one of the most recognizable voices of the genre. His music career began in 1990 when he and his cousin, Snoop Dogg, formed the group 213 along with fellow Long Beach rapper Warren G. After gaining clout in the newly exploding California rap scene; the group recorded their first demo at the iconic V.I.P. Record Store in Long Beach. The demo was passed along to Dr. Dre, giving Nate Dogg and the rest of 213 a break they needed.
Nate Dogg’s first placement was on Dr. Dre’s classic debut, The Chronic, singing the outro to “Deeez Nuuuts.” He would sign with Death Row Records following the praise and acclaim he received after the album’s release. With Death Row, Nate Dogg continued to sing hooks and harmonize over tracks for various artists on the label. in 1994, he and Warren G released their first hit single, “Regulate.”
