Yet The Chronic is first and foremost a party album, rooted not only in '70s funk and soul, but also that era's blue party comedy, particularly Dolemite. The Rodney King riots are unequivocally celebrated, but the war wasn't just on the streets Dre enlists his numerous guests in feuds with rivals and ex-bandmates. He sounds utterly unaffected by anything, no matter how extreme, which sets the tone for the album's misogyny, homophobia, and violence. There was nothing in rap quite like Snoop's singsong, lazy drawl (as it's invariably described), and since Dre's true forte is the producer's chair, Snoop is the signature voice. Snoop livens up every track he touches, sometimes just by joining in the chorus - and if The Chronic has a flaw, it's that his relative absence from the second half slows the momentum. But none of The Chronic's legions of imitators were as rich in personality, and that's due in large part to Dre's monumental discovery, Snoop Doggy Dogg. What's impressive is that Dre crafts tighter singles than his inspiration, George Clinton - he's just as effortlessly funky, and he has a better feel for a hook, a knack that improbably landed gangsta rap on the pop charts. Here Dre established his patented G-funk sound: fat, blunted Parliament-Funkadelic beats, soulful backing vocals, and live instruments in the rolling basslines and whiny synths. Dre's 1992 solo debut, The Chronic, transformed the entire sound of West Coast rap. With its stylish, sonically detailed production, Dr. Thirty years on The Chronic remains an unfiltered and unflinching, albeit deeply unsettling document of its time.The Chronic is a Studio Album by Dr. Bringing expletive riddled gangsta rap into the mainstream by contrasting the harsh realism and desperation of life on the streets with irresistibly deep grooves and super smooth production is no small feat. Suburban kids couldn't get enough of the diss tracks, boasts and brags, and vivid depictions of guns, sex and drugs of LA gang life, on tracks like ‘Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin)’, 'Deeez Nuuuts' and 'Let Me Ride', that also unfortunately, casually espoused misogyny and homophobia as well.ĭre’s fusion of P-Funk, soul samples and live instrumentation has seen him hailed as the Quincy Jones of Hip Hop. The huge hit song, and its heavily rotated video for that matter, gave notice that hip hop was no longer just an East Coast concern. With its thumping beat, thick bass and high pitched keys, ‘Nuthin’ But A G Thang’ was nothing short of an instant classic, introducing the masses to Snoop and Dre’s refined G-Funk sound, whilst also conjuring the stifling heat and dense urban LA environs. Many didn’t count on Dr Dre having a secret weapon in his corner, a star in the making called Snoop Doggy Dogg. Though doubts circulated as to how he would fare on his own. Dre had certainly demonstrated his technical prowess on the Compton group’s releases, as well as for many other Ruthless acts. He’d just split acrimoniously with N.W.A and label, Ruthless Records. In the early 90s, times were desperate, and stakes were high for Dr Dre.