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GRAMMYs

Dr. Dre

Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' | For The Record dr-dres-chronic-record

Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' | For The Record

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Roll back to 1992 and revisit the legendary debut solo album that has served as a blueprint for West Coast rap
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 14, 2018 - 5:56 pm

In 1991 Dr. Dre helped form Death Row Records, shortly after the disbanding of N.W.A., the rap group that launched him into music stardom. A year later he released his debut solo album, The Chronic. With the influential album came an innovative mix of the Funkadelic sound, G-funk and rap, the introduction of Snoop Dogg, and an era-defining blueprint for West Coast rap.

Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic': For The Record

The GRAMMY-winning rapper/producer extraordinaire, then just 27, released The Chronic on December 15, 1992 via his newly-formed record label, with distribution through Interscope Records. While Dre has had an incredibly impactful career in music and business, and both directly and indirectly influenced many other successful hip-hop artists, he has only released three studio albums of his own.Following The Chronic, his much-anticipated follow-up wasn't released until 1999 – 2001 (sometimes referred to as The Chronic 2001), now another classic. In the documentary The Defiant Ones, he cites his perfectionism as a major factor in holding up 2001, and in putting out more solo releases.

The Chronic brought us several classic hip-hop tracks and won Dre his first GRAMMY. The album's third single "Let Me Ride" won Best Rap Solo Performance, and the first single "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" was nominated for Best Rap Performance By A Duo or Group at the 36th GRAMMY Awards. A then-unknown 20 year-old Snoop Doggy Dogg rapped on many of the tracks, receiving his first GRAMMY nomination for his feature on "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang," and launching his solo career shortly after.

Snoop, introduced to Dre through his stepbrother Warren G, brought the laid-back 420-vibes that infused the album. Their collaboration, along with the others who worked on the album, including Warren G and Nate Dogg, created a classic sound that would define West Coast rap for the years to come. Dre's message was still from the California "gangsta" perspective, but with a slower flow and somewhat more laid-back vibe, producing a ground-breaking sound and a growing fan base. 

"I think the beauty of The Chronic was that each song carried a message that all together made up the culture of the West Coast," said rapper Sauce Money.

Many hip-hop artists – Kanye West included – and fans point to the album as one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time.

"It's the benchmark you measure your album against if you're serious," West wrote in 2010 for Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists list, which covered all genres and ranked Dre at No. 56.

Recognizing its immense influence, The Chronic was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2018, an honor limited to "recording[s] of lasting qualitative or historical significance."

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Nas

Nas

Photo: The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

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Nas' 'Illmatic' | For The Record nas-illmatic-record

Nas' 'Illmatic' | For The Record

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Revisit the streets of New York City in 1994 when the rapper's debut album set the stage for the resurgence of East Coast hip-hop
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 5, 2018 - 6:46 pm

The GRAMMY-nominated rapper Nas is nothing short of legendary, giving the world plenty of his smooth lyricism and iconic verses in his releases over the years. To date, he has released 11 studio albums, the most recent being the Kanye West-produced Nasir, which dropped this summer as part of West's Wyoming sessions releases. Since the start Nas has been turning heads and paving the way for other hip-hop artists. His debut LP, Illmatic, not only put him firmly on the map, but also provided a revitalization of the East Coast rap sound.

Nas' 'Illmatic': For The Record

A 20-year-old Nas released his first full-length album, Illmatic on April 19, 1994, to much critical acclaim. Source blessed it with a rare 5 Mic rating when it came out, an honor they had only given to 15 albums at the time of release. The LP was a work of love. It was produced by DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Large Professor, L.E.S. and Nas, in the rapper's hometown of New York City and shared a snapshot of life in the streets of NYC, set to melodic hip-hop beats. Nas shared his experience with the world in a raw yet refreshing way. As he raps on "N.Y. State of Mind," "Life is parallel to hell but I must maintain."

Source's Shortie captured the anticipation and excitement around the album in her 1994 review. "After peeping his soul on 'Live at the BBQ,' 'Back to the Grill,' and the official bomb, 'Halftime,' street dwellers and industry folks alike were predicting Nas' first album to be monumental," she shared. "I must maintain that this is one of the best hip-hop albums I have ever heard. Musically, when Nas hooked up with four of hip-hop's purest producers, it seems like all of the parties involved took their game to a higher level of expression," she furthered. Those would be echoed by countless fans and critics at the time and retrospectively.

As the rapper said himself when explaining the meaning of the title, the album most definitely is "supreme ill" or "as ill as it gets." The album debuted and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, and although its singles surprisingly did not chart, the songs, including "The World Is Yours" and "One Love," featuring co-producer Q-Tip, have had a long-lasting impact and staying power through speakers and in the hip-hop arsenal of records. These tracks, and the album as a whole, are often credited as creating the blueprint for the new East Coast hip-hop sound that thrived following its release.

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N.W.A's DJ Yella, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and MC Ren, 2016

N.W.A's DJ Yella, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and MC Ren

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

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For The Record: N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton' nwa-are-straight-outta-compton-record

N.W.A Are 'Straight Outta Compton': For The Record

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What started as an attitude that helped put Compton on the map grew into a worldwide music revolution celebrating the streets
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Jul 26, 2018 - 12:05 pm

A debut album that landed like a sledgehammer, 1988's Straight Outta Compton has become a legend in its own right. The featured N.W.A lineup was Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and MC Ren. The album was produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, and released on Ruthless Records, the label co-founded by Eazy-E and N.W.A manager Jerry Heller two years before.

For The Record: N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton'

Although it sold well initially, its landmark status rested on the controversies surrounding its gangsta lifestyle themes and attitudes. Its provocative tracks described the world N.W.A knew through their own eyes, including the title track, which elevated the group's hometown of Compton, Calif., "Express Yourself" and "Gangsta Gangsta." The album also included "F*** Tha Police," which resulted in the FBI and U.S. Secret Service sending threatening letters to Ruthless Records and the group's banishment from many venues.

Credited as one of the most influential hip-hop records of all time, in 2015, Straight Outta Compton the film appeared, dramatizing the 1988 impact of the album, with Ice Cube portrayed by his son O'Shea Jackson Jr. Confrontations with law enforcement and antagonism based on "F*** Tha Police" form a core element of both the 2015 drama as well as the drama on the streets that has never stopped.

Among the album's many aftermaths, Eazy-E died in 1995, Ice Cube went on to produce and star in his extensive filmography and the adventures of Dr. Dre touch on many other histories, including those of Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. Meanwhile, in recognition of its critical importance to music history, Straight Outta Compton was inducted into the Recording Academy's GRAMMY Hall Of Fame as well as the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

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Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Steely Dan at The Village in 1973

Steely Dan at The Village in 1973

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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History Of: The Village Studios history-visit-iconic-recording-studio-village-los-angeles-hidden-gem

History Of: Visit Iconic Recording Studio The Village, A Los Angeles Hidden Gem

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Watch the latest episode of GRAMMY.com's History Of video series above to learn more about the inconspicuous West Los Angeles gem, located just down the street from the Recording Academy headquarters
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 10, 2020 - 5:03 pm

There's something special about stepping into a space where albums you love were made. When you walk into historic Lost Angeles recording studio The Village and admire the countless gold and platinum records lining the walls, it's impossible not to feel inspired as you imagine the massive talent and creativity that the cozy building has held since 1968. If you listen closely enough, you can almost hear Stevie Nicks' angelic voice floating from Studio D or Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg bringing G-funk to life in Studio A.

History Of The Village Studios

History Of: The World-Famous Troubadour In West Hollywood

Watch the latest episode of GRAMMY.com's History Of video series above to learn more about the inconspicuous West Los Angeles gem, located just down the street from the Recording Academy headquarters. 

Hosting iconic artists throughout the decades, The Village is the birthplace of great albums like Fleetwood Mac's Tusk (1979), Janet Jackson's Damita Jo (2004), Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Lady Gaga's GRAMMY-winning A Star Is Born Soundtrack (2018) and Whitney Houston's GRAMMY-winning The Bodyguard Original Soundtrack (1992), to name a few.

Poll: From "Dreams" To "The Chain," Which Fleetwood Mac Song Is Your Favorite?

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Clarence Avant _The Black Godfather

Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

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Snoop Dogg, Obama, More Talk Clarence Avant In Doc black-godfather-snoop-dogg-barack-obama-diddy-more-talk-clarence-avant-new-doc

'The Black Godfather': Snoop Dogg, Barack Obama, Diddy & More Talk Clarence Avant In New Doc

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"Sometimes real power is behind the scenes, helping people achieve their dreams," producer Nicole Avant (and daughter of Clarence) said
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 7, 2019 - 3:28 pm

Today, a powerful new documentary telling the decades-spanning story of visionary music executive Clarence Avant, was released on Netflix. The Black Godfather, directed by Reginald Hudlin and produced by Avant's daughter Nicole Avant, features interviews from Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Lionel Richie and Former President Barack Obama, to name a few, all of whose lives were touched by Avant.

"Driven by a sense of equality, loyalty, and justice, Avant left the Jim Crow south behind to emerge as a powerhouse negotiator at a time when deep-seated racism penetrated every corner of America. Avant defied notions of what a black executive could do, redefining the industry for entertainers and executives of color and leaving a legacy of altruism for others to emulate," a press release explains.

The filmmakers also spoke with Geffen Records' David Geffen, actress Cicely Tyson, film/TV producer Suzanne de Passe and GRAMMY winners Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones, who earned his 28th GRAMMY Award this year, for Quincy, the doc directed by his daughter Rashida Jones.

"This story is important to me not just because it's my father, but it's a story of civic engagement, social activism and the power of giving back. I want people to be inspired to help others and share the blessing," Nicole Avant told The Hollywood Reporter during the film's premiere on Monday. "Sometimes real power is behind the scenes, helping people achieve their dreams."

Avant was honored by the Recording Academy earlier this year, with the GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons Award at the Clive Davis-hosted Pre-GRAMMY Gala. He also received the Academy's Trustees Awards back in 2008, celebrating individuals whose music careers (outside of performing) have made "significant contributions" to the recording industry.

Music. Power. Respect. Clarence Avant used them to empower people of all colors to change the world. "Letter To My Godfather" is an original song by me and @ChadHugo​ from the @Netflix​ documentary #TheBlackGodfather in select theaters and on Netflix.https://t.co/HEqhKlBBSY pic.twitter.com/WXUu2QNZvf

— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) June 7, 2019

The ever multifaceted GRAMMY winner Pharrell Williams paid tribute to Avant today, releasing a new track featured in the film, called "Letter To My Godfather." He wrote on Twitter: "Music. Power. Respect. Clarence Avant used them to empower people of all colors to change the world." Neptunes co-founder Chad Hugo assisted production on the shimmering song.

The Black Godfather is available to watch now on Netflix. The GRAMMY Museum in downtown Los Angeles will be screening the film on June 25, followed by a conversation with the director and producer; more info here.

Ari Lennox On Representing Dark-Skinned Black Women, Why She Loves Roots Picnic & More

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.