Now considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time (critically, and commercially), Dr. Dre's 1999 sophomore album '2001' made Dre's 7+ year old debut album, 1992's ''The Chronic' seem more dated than driving a Datsun. Among the hits on '2001', "Still D.R.E", was among the most popular, and the song happens to have one of the most recognizable melodies (especially the very beginning), of any hip hop song ever made...
Song # 3. "Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre.
Dr. Dre - Still D.R.E (YouTube)
[Snoop]
Still Snoop Dogg and D-R-E (Guess who's back)
Still, still doing that shit, right?
The song begins with Snoop Dogg letting everyone know the OG'S (Original GangsterS) are back making music together, just like they did on 'The Chronic'.
[Dr. Dre]
Oh for sure, check me out
It's still Dre Day, A.K.
Before I chrome the lot, can't keep it home a lot
'cause when I frequent the spots that I'm known to rock
You hear the bass from the trunk when I'm on the block
Dre begins his verse referencing songs from his previous albums, and then reminding every one that he's still been bumpin' hip hop everywhere he goes, even though he hasn't been making it.
Ladies, they pay homage, but haters say Dre fell off
How, N###@? My last album was "The Chronic"
They want to know if he still got it
They say rap's changed, they want to know how I feel about it
Ladies still love Dre, after all he is a doctor...but 'haters' have been hating, mostly because Dre hasn't made an album in a while. To his haters, Dre points out that a lack of an album doesn't mean that he's fallen off (after all, his first album, 'The Chronic' was a massive success just as 2001 was), but rather, that he has been on a vacation of sorts.
[Snoop - singing]
If you ain't up on pace
Better catch up, says snoop...
[Dr. Dre]
Dr. Dre is the name, I'm ahead of my game
Still, puffing my leafs, still with the beats
Still not loving police (Uh huh)
Still rock my khakis with a cuff and a crease
Still got love for the streets, repping 213
Still the beat bangs, still doing my thang
Since I left, ain't too much changed, still
Dre drops a verse to shut up the critics. He says hes still making beats, still smoking weed, still hates police, hasn't changed his fashion style, still 'reps' the streets, and his hip hop still bumps. He then ends the verse with the poignantly true "since I left, ain't too much changed...", effectively shutting down potential haters by pointing out that he is still the same person who impressed hip hop lovers years ago, so there's no reason to believe his new stuff should be any different.
[Chorus:]
[Snoop Dogg]
I'm representing for them gangsters all across the world
Still hitting them corners in them low low's girl
[Dr. Dre]
Still
taking my time to perfect the beat
And I still got love for the streets,
it's the D-R-E [Repeat 2x]
The Chorus is standard catchy hip hop fare. It attempted to appeal to the mass audience who would eventually be dancing to Dre's banger. The rappers reiterate that they still are doing what they've always done...nothing has changed (for the worse, anyways).
Since the last time you heard from me I lost some friends
Well, hell, me and Snoop, we dipping again
Kept my ear to the streets, signed Eminem
He's triple platinum, doing 50 a week
Still, I stay close to the heat
Dre begins verse 2, letting us know that it's been long enough since he made a record that some of the people he loved have died (for instance Eazy E, who was Dre's NWA bandmate), but, he says, at least he's still rolling with Snoop Dogg. He also points out he's signed Eminem, and thus has been able to stay involved in the music game. He seems to drop this as a reminder that he hasn't been completely dormant.
And even when I was close to defeat, I rose to my feet
My life is like a soundtrack I wrote to the beat
Treat my rap like Cali weed, I smoke till I sleep
Wake up in the A.M., compose a beat
I bring the fire till you're soaking in your seat
He almost lost everything, but instead of letting it get to him, he wrote lyrics and made music. He then drops a DOPE metaphor, comparing his weed smoking to his music in the senset hat the only time he doesn't do either is when he is sleeping.
It's not a fluke, it's been tried, I'm the troop
It's "Turn Out the Lights" from the World Class Wreckin' Cru
I'm still at it, After-mathematic
In the home of drivebys and ak-matics
Swap meets, sticky green, and bad traffic
I dip through then I get skin, D-R-E
Dre continues by boasting that he doesn't believe himself to be a fluke, and in fact insinuates there is no possibility that he's a fluke. He drops his label name (Aftermath) in between lines about still living the Los Angeles area, where there's too much traffic, just enough weed, a few swap meets, lots of drive bys, and just enough D-R-E.
[Chorus]
It ain't nothing but more hot shit
Another classic CD for y'all to vibe with
Whether you're cooling on a corner with your fly bitch
Laid back in the shack, play this track
Just a reminder that he's still making the fire, and it should be bumped everywhere.
I'm representing for the gangsters all across the world
(Still hitting them corners in them low low's girl)
I'll break your neck, damn near put your face in your lap
Try to be the king but the ace is back
Dre continues by again reminding us that he is still a gangster, and still riding in low-riders. And he can still beat your ass. Then he reminds you, the listener, that there's no point in trying to top him, since he's back (using a clever metaphor, too).
[Snoop - singing]
So if you ain't up on thangs
But, SNOOP, he is!
[Dr. Dre]
Dr. Dre be the name still running the game
Still got it wrapped like a mummy
Still ain't tripping, love to see young blacks get money
Spend time out the hood, take they moms out the hood
Hit my boys off with jobs, no more living hard
Barbeques every day, driving fancy cars
Still gonna' get mine regardless
This verse is about his love for the game (of rap). He reminds the listener that he's still the king, and he likes to help his friends. And no matter what people say, Dre is going to keep doign whatever he wants to (which is true, as evidenced by his continously delayed third CD, Detox).
[Chorus x1.5]
[Snoop]
Like that, right back up in ya
'95 plus four pennies
Add that shit up, D-R-E right back on top of thangs
Smoke some with your dog
No stress, no seeds, no stems, no sticks!
Some of that real sticky icky
A little weed, put it in the air
For you's a fool D.R.
Snoop's verse concludes the song by poignantly asking the listener to smoke some good shit and remember how awesome Dre's music is.
Analysis: The song lyrically is so-so, there are some classic lines, but also some filler, however the beat is top notch. This song is one of the most recognizable songs in hip hop, and so you've got to give it to Dre. He made a song that wanted to say "I'm back, so think what you want, because I'm still going to do my own thing", and by becoming a commercial hit, the song reaffirmed his intentions tenfold.
Dre's Moral: Don't let people bring you down, most people make judgments they aren't qualified to make. Oh, and smoke weed.
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