Andre Young or Dr. Dre, if you prefer, has always had one of the best ears in hip hop music. Since his time with N.W.A. he has known what beats would attract the music buying public. The hooks and beats continue to come to him and he doles them out seemingly at will. Compton is where he grew up and now it is the album that tells the tale of Dr. Dre’s time in or mark upon the music world. We are six years removed from his last album and now he has released the mythical body of work that he has hinted about since the nineties. It goes hand in hand with the biopic Straight Outta Compton that has just been released in cinemas. We hear what living in and being from the suburb means to the man. The anger that fueled him during the beginning of his career is shown to still be still there. Only the man behind it is more mature and better able to express it. While the lyrics might look backwards the music is very forward thinking. The production values are modern au bout and the contagious beats are layered one on top of another. His rap style has always been a little rough and you can see how he continues to learn about that when he receives guests like Eminem and the wonderful Kendrick Lamar. There are ups and downs on the album but you can be sure that you will never be bored listening.
Dr. Dre – Compton
