November 16, 1999 · Dr. Dre returned with a studio album whose production sounded deliberately spare and enormous.
1999 – Dr. Dre releases 2001
On “Still D.R.E.,” the piano figure makes the record recognizable almost immediately. “Forgot About Dre” gives Eminem a faster lane and lets Dre answer him from a steadier pocket. Both songs use space as carefully as they use hooks.
The cast is large, but the mixes keep each voice in focus. That arrangement helped the album function as a reintroduction for Dre and as a platform for the different personalities moving through his studio.
“The Next Episode” is another lesson in economy. A familiar guitar figure and a few well-placed entrances do most of the work, leaving the hook to arrive as a release after the verse exchanges.
Release date and album details · Hear a track on Apple Music.
2000 – DJ Screw dies in Houston
Houston’s DJ Screw died on November 16, 2000. His slowed, cut-up mixtapes gave local rappers room to improvise and made the DJ’s manipulation of time part of a record’s identity. The anniversary falls one year after the release of 2001, linking two producers who shaped the sound of their cities in very different ways.
Read next · Browse Today in Rap History or explore Raptology documentaries.
Natalia is a Rap and Hip Hop enthusiast. After graduating from The New School of New York’s Public Relations Program and taking a course in Journalism at Michigan State University, she decided to dedicate her life to the music publishing business and to the discovery of new talent. She helps new artists gain exposure to the masses via online marketing and publications.
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