In 2010 Kanye West heaped some high praise on Dr. Dre's The Chronic: He called the album the hip-hop equivalent of Stevie Wonder's 1976 Album Of The Year GRAMMY winner, Songs In The Key Of Life.

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

The Chronic was a series of coincidences backed by like-minded individuals all with one goal in mind: to create a work that would stand the test of time. It was a perfect storm — yielding one GRAMMY for Best Rap Solo Performance for "Let Me Ride." The Chronic would go on to sell millions, and like West mused, would serve as the prototype for any serious musician who existed within the hip-hop space.

A quarter-century later, its presence is still felt in the aftershocks of an earthquake that was more than a year in the making.

When The Chronic arrived on Dec. 15, 1992, Dr. Dre was living life in a vacuum. He was coming off the high of the post-N.W.A era, where his friendship with Eazy-E had rotted considerably and de-facto group leader Ice Cube vehemently parted ways with both N.W.A and Ruthless Records to pursue his own solo trajectory.

Dre was still somewhat wound around the pen of manager Jerry Heller that inked his recording contract years earlier, though Suge Knight — a then-strong-yet-silent enforcer — would handle the messiness while Dre focused on his solo debut LP via Death Row Records (with Interscope Records serving as the distributor).

Societally, the country was in a state of flux. The Los Angeles riots had finally dwindled in mid-May 1992, though the scars of the Rodney King verdict and a constant cloud of police brutality lingered in the streets. While The Chronic boasts a sufficient amount of fun, weed, money, and women, there still exists an element of anger fueled by both Dre's beef with Eazy as well as the ongoings of a world as seen through Dre's then-27-year-old eyes.

Once Dre met Snoop Doggy Dogg (as he was then called) through stepbrother Warren G, it was truly trouble when Compton and Long Beach, Calif., came together. Dre had already laid a foundation for his sound by the time the final N.W.A album, 1991's Niggaz4Life, would drop, but there was a vibe he was after. Snoop — possessing a mix of gang ties and weed smoke — when paired with Dre's P. Funk sampling, mixed with breaks and live instruments, provided an aggressive yet relaxed sound.

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg at the 1993 MTV Movie Awards
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com/Getty Images

"It wasn't actually a sound, rather it was a production method," explains Dan Charnas, author of The Big Payback: The History Of The Business Of Hip-Hop and professor at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. "It was [Dre's] blending of breakbeats undergirded by real instruments. There was sort of this cleanliness and presence to his production that very much contrasted the noise ethos of the Bomb Squad and Public Enemy."

The product was called G-Funk, an amalgam of the past, present and future. It would come to life as soon as the team started working on The Chronic.

"As soon as we left the N.W.A situation, came 'Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang,'" explains The Chronic collaborator and songwriter Colin Wolfe.

But The Chronic would be put on hold mid-process and attention would be diverted to Snoop and Dre's other collaborative work, the soundtrack to the 1992 film Deep Cover. By then Dre and Snoop were branded as a dynamic duo and once the crew switched gears back to The Chronic, the direction would be set thanks to "… 'G' Thang."

The studio sessions were all love, where Hennessy and weed permeated the atmosphere as Dre and his tightknit team conceived his magnum opus.

"There was no grand scheme, it was everyone coming together to make really great songs and the album began to take shape on its own," remembers The Chronic songwriter The D.O.C. "The weed smoke and the energy of the crew Snoop brought around. We worked vicariously off that energy. It was the space and time where everything came together as it should have."

"The greatest part was watching the guys write and learn how to make bars," explains The Chronic mixer Chris "The Glove" Taylor. "D.O.C. would say [to the other artists], 'Write 16 lines on this legal pad and when you get to 16 lines, you're done.' Imagine a studio of cats believing they were taking over the world and doing whatever the hell they wanted to because we had Suge outside. There was an invincibility that we felt."

The songs were products of their environment. "F* Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')" would bring a comedic yet venomous dis pointed at Eazy-E and his cohorts, while "Lil' Ghetto Boy" would speak to the state of Los Angeles in the midst of the riots. Other songs like "High Powered" and "Stranded On Death Row" were both menacing yet honest, reflective of the world in which Dre & Co. lived.

"We had to change some of the lyrics," Wolfe recalls, "as the tone was too intense given what was happening in L.A."

"It was too insightful at times. We were sitting [in the studio] watching the news. It was scary," Taylor adds. "Not only that but we had to change locations for the videos because of our high 'gang visibility.'"

The crew would later have to move Snoop's "Gin And Juice" video to another location (Taylor's mother's house) for that same reason.

The aforementioned "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" was soaked in gangster vibes yet it was the Moog synthesizer Wolfe used to create the now infamous whistling keys in the intro that would define an entire decade of West Coast rap. Together, it was a project for everyone. While N.W.A was arguably too abrasive for some listeners, Dre's solo debut struck a balance of street meets stoner, thereby broadening the album's reach.

"A lot more white folks smoke weed than are in gangs, so it was something they too could sink their teeth into and the whole world could just vibe on the same plane," says The D.O.C.

It even crossed coasts, despite the project's very identifiable West Coast sound.

"When Dre dropped that monster, you just couldn't deny it. I never saw so many people in New York banging it in their systems," says rapper Sauce Money. "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."

Coincidentally, there was a bigger machine behind it as well. Los Angeles' KPWR-FM (Power 106) was in the early stages of bringing a hip-hop skewed format to pop radio. By the time The Chronic dropped, the station was already geared to move their evening jocks, the Baka Boyz, to daytime — marking the biggest move for hip-hop in L.A. radio history.

"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."

"The Chronic was the flagship record for the launch of the very first hip-hop-branded pop station," says Charnas, who also hosted a segment during the Baka Boyz's "Friday Night Flavas." "It was just after that when Power 106 came up with the slogan 'Where Hip-Hop Lives' and the first album to live there was The Chronic. It was a cultural explosion."

Twenty-five years later, the ripple effect of The Chronic lives on.

From the weed rap of artists like Wiz Khalifa to the modified gangster rap of Kendrick Lamar, what Dr. Dre built with his team was a movement that would be picked apart and serve as inspiration for years to come.

In many ways, The Chronic was Dr. Dre's crowning achievement, as his later work and top albums by his peers would be lined up against it. It was lightning in a bottle, and lightning rarely strikes twice.

But like many timeless albums, it took a village — from Dre, Snoop, The D.O.C., Warren G, Nate Dogg, and Kurupt to Wolfe, Taylor and the engineers. Even Suge Knight. Everyone played a role, and the results made history.

"We loved each other enough to really focus in on making that art as best we could make it, even with all the bulls* we were surrounded by and all the drama that was going on in the outside world," says The D.O.C. "We were all lasered in on making that album great. In my humble opinion, The Chronic is the best hip-hop album ever made."

2018 GRAMMYs: 9 Facts About The Rap Field Nominees

(Kathy Iandoli has penned pieces for Pitchfork, VICE, Maxim, O, Cosmopolitan, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and more. She co-authored the book Commissary Kitchen with Mobb Deep's late Albert "Prodigy" Johnson, and is a professor of music business at select universities throughout New York and New Jersey.)

In the win heard around the world, Beyoncé became the person with the most GRAMMYs of all time at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Her win for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for RENAISSANCE put her at 32 golden gramophones — and in host Trevor Noah's eyes, that solidified her title as the GRAMMY GOAT.

But while Beyoncé's latest GRAMMY feat is unquestionably impressive, the "BREAK MY SOUL" singer wasn't the only artist who experienced a piece of GRAMMY history at the 65th GRAMMY Awards.

There were several special moments at the Premiere Ceremony, including the first-ever GRAMMY Awards for Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical (Tobias Jesso Jr.) and Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media ("Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarok"). At the Telecast, Kim Petras scored a major win for the transgender community with her Best Pop Duo/Group Performance victory, and Dr. Dre was the inaugural recipient of his namesake Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.

Below, take a look at some of the history-making feats from the 2023 GRAMMYs.

Milestone Moments

As Kim Petras and Sam Smith accepted the GRAMMY for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their risqué collaboration, "Unholy," Smith let Petras do the talking because of a very special feat: She was the first trans woman to win in the category.

Earlier at the Premiere Ceremony, Germaine Franco became the first woman of color to win Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media, which she won for composing the Disney animated film Encanto. (Notably, Encanto swept all three of the categories for which it was nominated, also winning Best Song Written For Visual Media for "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media.)

Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde rang in a country first, as their win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (for "Never Wanted to Be That Girl") marked the first female pairing to win the category — and the first GRAMMY win for both artists!

Notable Firsts

There were seven new awards given at the 2023 GRAMMYs, making those seven recipients the first to receive their respective honors. These were the first-time winners at the Premiere Ceremony: Tobias Jesso Jr. (Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical), "Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarok" (Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games And Other Interactive Media), Wet Leg (Best Alternative Music Performance for "Chaise Longue"), Bonnie Raitt (Best Americana Performance for "Made Up Mind") and J. Ivy (Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for The Poet Who Sat By The Door).

At the Telecast, Dr. Dre became the first recipient of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award; shortly after, Iranian singer/songwriter Shervin Hajipour and his song "Baraye" received the first Special Merit Award for Best Song For Social Change. 

There were a few other notable firsts at the Premiere Ceremony. Taylor Swift's Best Music Video win for "All Too Well: The Short Film" was the first time an artist won the category for a video directed by the artist themselves.

When jazz favorite Robert Glasper's Black Radio III won Best R&B Album, it marked his second win in the category — and an interesting one at that. His first win came in 2013 thanks to the original album in the trilogy, Black Radio, meaning his 2023 win was the first time an album and its sequel album have won in the category. 

Elsewhere, two student groups celebrated some historic GRAMMY firsts: The Tennessee State University Marching Band became the first collegiate band to win a GRAMMY after receiving the golden gramophone for Best Roots Gospel Album, and the New York Youth Symphony became the first youth orchestra to win Best Orchestral Performance.

Exciting Rarities

Viola Davis added a GRAMMY to her ever-impressive empire, which meant she is now officially an EGOT (Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar, Tony) winner. Her GRAMMY win for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording helped her become the third Black woman to earn an EGOT, and the first to secure the status at the GRAMMY Awards, following Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Hudson. 

Bronx-born jazz singer Samara Joy was awarded the GRAMMY for Best New Artist — only the second time a jazz artist has won the award, and the first since Esperanza Spalding's win in 2011.

Jack Antonoff became the third producer to win Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical winner in consecutive years; Babyface did so in 1996 and 1997, and Greg Kurstin achieved the feat in 2016 and 2017.

Last but certainly not least, "Into The Woods" joined elite ranks by winning the GRAMMY for Best Musical Theater Album. Stephen Sondheim's 1987 original won the category in 1989, making it only the fourth Broadway show to earn two Best Musical Theater Album GRAMMYs alongside "Gypsy," "Les Miserables" and "West Side Story." It's also the second year in a row a piece of GRAMMY history was born from the category, as "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical" creators Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear became the youngest winners in 2022.

10 Must-See Moments From The 2023 GRAMMYs: Beyoncé Makes History, Hip-Hop Receives An Epic Tribute, Bad Bunny Brings The Puerto Rican Heat

The 2023 GRAMMYs' ambitious, world-beating tribute to hip-hop's 50th anniversary is getting a lot of ink — for a very good reason.

Featuring an ensemble ranging from progenitors like Grandmaster Flash and Run-DMC, to legends such as Too Short and Missy Elliott, and modern-day practitioners like Lil Baby, GloRilla and Lil Uzi Vert, the tribute segment was stunning not only on a logistical level, but on conceptual, emotional and historical planes.

But the Recording Academy's tribute to this landmark in time wasn't siphoned off to that 15-minute segment — not even close. In fact, the entirety of Music's Biggest Night radiated with the courageous, intrepid, forward-thinking spirit of hip-hop.

The tribute performance was just one of many nods to rap during GRAMMY week. Days before, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott and Dr. Dre were honored by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective in a ceremony that contained performances by Snoop Dogg, 2 Chainz and Ciara. And the pre-GRAMMY gala featured a performance from Weezy, Latto and Lil Baby.

At Music’s Biggest Night, the hip-hop love roared fully to life. Here are five ways hip-hop took over the 2023 GRAMMYs, a foreshadowing of an entire year in celebration of the epochal artform — with the extended hip-hop tribute as a springboard.

GloRilla performing at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Photo: Getty Images for the Recording Academy

A Global Hip-Hop Rager For The Ages

Until Music's Biggest Night, to fit hip-hop's evolution and essence into 15 minutes would seem logistically untenable. But the Academy did the impossible.

The Questlove-curated set moved lightning-quick from '70s and '80s pioneers, to 2000s radio dominators like Nelly, all the way to the current era.

Like with the last Super Bowl's ensemble cast of rap greats, the result was emotionally walloping, historically edifying and visually spectacular.

Most importantly, the music was exceptional — a tip of the hat to a precious form of American expression. To anyone who still subscribes to some form of stigma — you don't know what you're missing.

The Rap Categories Contained Serious Jewels

Let's take a step back, though, and examine the 2023 GRAMMYs' hip-hop nominees and winners themselves.

Kendrick Lamar was well-represented in both the General and Rap fields, and commensurately for Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers and Lamar's non-album single "The Heart Pt. 5."

For the former, Lamar won Best Rap Album; for the latter, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. With the success of "The Heart Pt. 5," he is now the most-awarded artist in the latter category.

Together, these offerings comprise something of a creative and emotional watershed for Lamar. As for Pusha T, It's Almost Dry — nominated for Best Rap Album — contained some of his most crystal-sharp coke raps to date.

Plus, the sheer range of guests on DJ Khaled's GOD DID — nominated for Best Rap Album — could be the ultimate testament to his indomitable spirit, curatorial acumen and infectious sense of largesse.

This also applies to fellow nominees from Future, who won Best Melodic Rap Performance for "WAIT FOR U," to Jack Harlow, who was nominated liberally throughout the Rap field.

Given the level of craft throughout, hip-hop isn't just ripe to be celebrated for its past, but for its boundless future.

Dr. Dre Was Presented With A Global Impact Award

At the 2023 GRAMMYs, seven-time GRAMMY winner Dr. Dre was the recipient of the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his multitude of achievements through his innovative, multi-decade career.

Dr. Dre was presented the award after a plethora of televised bona fides, and offered his thanks to the Recording Academy and Black Music Collective for the prestigious honor in light of the Recording Academy's celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

A tribute to Takeoff during the 2023 GRAMMYs. Photo: Getty Images for the Recording Academy

Quavo Performed A Moving Tribute To The Late Takeoff

There's a bittersweetness to celebrating hip-hop on a global scale in 2023, as so many of its best and brightest have died far too young in recent years.

Among these tragedies was the senseless death of Takeoff, one-third of the family-bound rap trio Migos, along with Offset and Quavo.

Read More: Remembering Takeoff: Why The Unassuming Rapper Was Foundational To Migos

As part of the In Memoriam segment, backed by worship ensemble Maverick City Music, Quavo honored his late nephew with a soul-searing version of "Without You."

"Tears rollin' down my eyes / Can't tell you how many times I cried," he rapped before an empty microphone stand, poignantly hung with Takeoff's chain. "Days ain't the same without you / I don't know if I'm the same without you."

John Legend, Fridayy, and DJ Khaled performing at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

DJ Khaled & Company Closed The Curtain With "GOD DID"

At the end of the ceremony, DJ Khaled brought out collaborators Jay-Z, John Legend, Lil Wayne, Fridayy, and Rick Ross for a rendition of GOD DID's title track, which was nominated for Song Of The Year, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.

Seated horizontally in an opulent, Last Supper-esque tableau, the stars sang their hooks while bathed in purple light, closing out the 2023 GRAMMYs with laconic flair.

It was a fitting conclusion to Music's Biggest Night, one that placed hip-hop where it belongs: on the top shelf.

2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Winners & Nominees List

At the 2023 GRAMMYs, seven-time GRAMMY winner Dr. Dre was the recipient of the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his multitude of achievements through his innovative, multi-decade career.

Dr. Dre was presented the award after a warm introduction by his friend and collaborator LL Cool J as well as a plethora of televised bona fides naming him a global icon.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Dre offered his thanks to the Recording Academy and Black Music Collective for the prestigious honor in light of the Recording Academy's celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. He also gave a shoutout to "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (1981) as a catalyst for his decades-long musical career that has defined West Coast hip hop.

“What I love about this award is that it uses my name to inspire the next generation of producers, artists, and entrepreneurs to reach for their greatness and demand that from everybody around you,” Dr. Dre said in his speech. “Never compromise your vision, at all. Pursue quality over quantity, and remember that everything is important. That is one of my mottos. Everything is important.”

Read More: How Hip-Hop Took Over The 2023 GRAMMYs, From The Golden Anniversary To 'God Did'

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2023 GRAMMYs.

Ahead of the 2023 GRAMMYs, revered GRAMMY Award-winning artists Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, and Lil Wayne and music executive Sylvia Rhone will each receive the Recording Academy Global Impact Award for their personal and professional achievements in the music industry at the Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective.

The second annual Black Music Collective event and official GRAMMY Week event takes place Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles and is sponsored by Amazon Music and Google Pixel Phone. It will once again feature first-time GRAMMY nominee Adam Blackstone as the musical director of the evening. Recording Academy Board of Trustees Vice Chair Rico Love will also return to Chair the event.

Dr. Dre is a seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist, producer, founder, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics. His career has spanned over three decades starting as a member of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru shortly after, he co-founded the revolutionary group N.W.A.  In 1996, Dre launched Aftermath Entertainment, where over the years, he discovered hip-hop superstars such as 50 Cent, The Game, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, and Eminem.

Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott has remained relevant as a true visionary and pioneer for women in hip-hop for over 25 years. The multi-GRAMMY-Award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer made an immediate impact on the music industry with her critically acclaimed debut album Supa Dupa Fly. Her experimental sound and groundbreaking music videos changed the music landscape and challenged artists not to conform to the norm. Among other awards and accolades, Elliott became the first woman rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Virginia native has produced for and collaborated with artists such as Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Ciara, Lil' Kim, J. Cole, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Chris Brown, and Lil Wayne.

Lil Wayne has left a lasting impact on the culture as a five-time GRAMMY Award-winning, multiplatinum rap icon, Young Money Entertainment founder and CEO, Young Money APAA Sports founder, acclaimed author, pro skater, and philanthropist. By 2020, he cemented his legacy forever as "one of the best-selling artists of all time." Among many milestones, he emerged as "the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100," logging a staggering 183 entries – the third most of all time. Simultaneously, Wayne owns and operates Young Money Entertainment, the company that ignited the careers of Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, and many more.

Sylvia Rhone has set the pace for the music industry as one of the most impactful, influential, and important executives in history. She has devoted her professional life to music, she broke a glass ceiling for the first time, and changed the landscape forever as the “only African American and first woman ever” to be named Chairwoman and CEO of Elektra Entertainment Group in 1994. She made history once more in 2019 when Sony Music Entertainment selected her as Chairwoman and C.E.O of Epic Records, enshrining her as "the first woman CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company and the first Black woman to attain such a title." Along the way, Rhone has impressively left an indelible imprint on pop, hip-hop, rock, heavy metal, R&B, soul, and electronic music with an impeccable track record. She has shepherded the success of everyone from Missy Elliott, Anita Baker, the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Jason Mraz, Busta Rhymes, Pantera, and Metallica to Lil Wayne, Kelly Rowland, Akon, Kid Cudi, Nicki Minaj, A Tribe Called Quest, Fabolous, Tamia, and Gerald Levert, just to name a few. Currently, she is at the helm of Epic Records where she has overseen historic releases from Future, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, DJ Khaled, Camila Cabello, and many more. A music industry trailblazer for four decades, Rhone has catalyzed the careers of artists who have changed music and the world at large — and she will continue to do so.

As these independent legacies are set to be honored with a Global Impact Award for their personal and professional achievements in the music industry, rediscover Dr.Dre, Missy Elliott, and Lil Wayne with these playlists curated by Amazon’s music experts.