30 years after the release of Dr. Dre’s debut album, fans can enjoy it in its entirety, once again.
Dr. Dre’s The Chronic became an enigmatic piece of work throughout the streaming era. At one point, fans could only find the album on Apple Music. In 2020, it finally hit all streaming services in time for 4/20. However, it vanished from streamers later on.
Today, Dre and Interscope, the album’s original distributor, teamed up to re-release the project on DSPs on Feb. 1st to commemorate the 30th anniversary. Additionally, Interscope and Dre dropped a new merch collection to celebrate the milestone.
“I am thrilled to bring the Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records. Working alongside my longtime colleagues, Steve Berman and John Janick, to re-release the album and make it available to fans all over the world is a full circle moment for me,” said the iconic producer.
The album initially disappeared from streaming services following Snoop Dogg’s acquisition of Death Row Records. He claimed that the album was officially under Death Row, which Dre’s lawyer later clarified wasn’t exactly true.
Nonetheless, The Chronic became an integral part of hip-hop’s history since its release. It marked Dre’s official beginning as a solo artist following the success of N.W.A. Additionally, it also helped catapult Snoop Dogg’s career.
“Dr. Dre is without a doubt one of the most iconic and groundbreaking artists in the modern era,” said Steve Berman, Vice Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M. “Dre’s solo career all started with the The Chronic, one of the most celebrated recordings of all time. To have this album at Interscope once again where we work with Dre and his amazing team at Aftermath day in and day out is incredibly gratifying for me personally and all of us at Interscope.”