It’s been 13 years since Dr. Dre released Chronic 2001 — seemingly, at least according to some, deading a pretty illustrious and prolific career as a rapper and producer. In reality Dre kept making songs for both himself and other artists, but it’s the decade-long wait on rumoured-to-death follow-up Detox (plus his move into lucrative side ventures) that’s given credence to the naysayers.
Dre, who started producing in 1985, still enjoys a massive cult fanbase: multiple generations of rap lovers who grew up on his groundbreaking production style, which fused the groove of ’70s funk with aggressive hip-hop drums. They love him so much that, since 2003, fans around the world have been celebrating Dre Day on his birthday, every February 18. This year a group of Toronto rap fans are joining in by bringing the party to Augusta House on Saturday. “Toronto can be a little East-Coast-centric in its taste in rap music and I’m usually a little standoffish about full-on tribute parties, but Dre Day just seems to work in my mind,” says party thrower Matt Langille (a.k.a. Ghetto Gold Matt). “I also like the idea of celebrating a legend while he’s still alive. Maybe if Dre Day grows enough it will push him to finally release Detox.”
Didn’t know the guy who made your $300 headphones had a discography deeper than rap? Planning on going as an extra from CB4? I got Langille, Jesse Heifetz of vintage emporium F As In Frank, and DJ Skratch Bastid to give me the rundown so you ackrite come Saturday night.
1) Dre made gangster rap, pioneered a west coast sound, and boosted your favourite rappers.
Matt: “In a genre where your typical shelf life is one to two years max, he’s been able to stay completely relevant through a changing landscape for almost 30 years. Dre helped catapult and bring gangster rap to the mainstream with the success of N.W.A., he discovered and launched Snoop’s career, was at the forefront of Death Row Records, one of the biggest rap labels at one time. He also signed Eminem and spearheaded that movement, and was instrumental in the early careers of The Game and 50 Cent. But if you wanted to get real nerdy with it, musically, he’s always been ahead of the curve when it comes to sampling and sample choices, has gotten to a lot of records prior to anyone else and used some very interesting music to build his soundscapes.”
2) He still effs up the club with songs made before you were born.
Skratch: “Express Yourself” is Dr. Dre’s solo song from NWA’s first album, Straight Outta Compton. Banging drums and a classic loop lifted from Eazy-E’s father, Charles Wright, from his song of the same name. It still sounds great in a club 26 years later and contains the famous pre-Chronic line, ‘I still express yo I don’t smoke weed or cess.’”
3) Dre did electro and flamboyance before Kanye told you it was cool.
Matt: “His production style, from very early on in his career, was essentially making electro records: from the World Class Wreckin Cru, to the sample-heavy N.W.A., Eazy-E, and D.O.C. And my personal favourites, Above The Law, where he took samples that are really well-known today but was using them first and, more importantly, in a way that was groundbreaking for the time. Plus, we’ve all seen him in the sequined outfits and make-up with the Wreckin Cru, but it was the ’80s — there was WAY more flagrant stuff happening, that’s tame by comparison.”
4) He’s a producer’s producer.
Skratch: “The third single from The Chronic, ‘Nuthin’ But A G Thang‘ is the biggest g-funk song of all time, but you should all know that one by now. The extended club mix of ‘Let Me Ride’ echoes the feel of ‘G Thang,’ but calls in George Clinton for some added authenticity to the Parliament Funkadelic derivative. Clocking in at over 10 minutes, this remix really shows off Dre’s skills as a producer.”
5) Gangster rap’s influence signaled a unique fashion movement.
Jesse: “Dre Day is a pretty fitting party for F As In Frank to be involved with because of that whole west coast style. We’ve been selling fashion-based vintage and new vintage (’80s/’90s) since the 2000s online and now we’re bringing that into stores that are your run-of-the-mill ‘thrift’ retail. We grew up in a time where there weren’t any brands catering to hip-hop so rappers and crews were creating their own ‘uniforms.’ In the late ’80s and early ’90s, the east coast was more into Afrocentric stuff, like kente cloth and funky colours, and the west coast was rocking a lot of sports apparel. Particuarly, N.W.A. was wearing L.A. — the Kings, the Raiders, Starter jackets and snapback caps.”
Items below available at F As In Frank, 418 Queen Street West. Starter pull-over ($99), hats ($60-$200)6) Dre moved beyond rap, while maintaining his own unique sound.
Skratch: “By 2001, Dre was one of the biggest producers in the world. The beat for ‘Family Affair’ by Mary J. Blige is rumored to have sold for over $1 million. It reached just about every market you could imagine and was still distinctly Dre: sparse, clean and head-nod inducing.”
Celebrate Toronto’s first annual Dre Day at Augusta House this Saturday, February 18 with DJs ghettogoldmatt, Kaewonder and Skratch Bastid.
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Anupa Mistry writes about music for Toronto Standard. You can follow her on Twitter at @_anupa.
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