Compton

by 
AlbumAug 21 / 201516 songs, 1h 1m 44s98%
West Coast Hip Hop Gangsta Rap
Popular Highly Rated

In 2015, Dr. Dre shocked a skeptical music world by dropping *Compton*, the long-awaited follow-up to 1999 chart monster *2001* that many expectant fans had come to believe was apocryphal. Loosely pegged to the release of the N.W.A biopic, *Straight Outta Compton*, the album found the West Coast rap founding father fully embracing his legacy as an auteur—an expert curator who knows his role and plays it to stylish, hard-boiled perfection. Dr. Dre has often compared his albums to films, and *Compton* sounds more cinematic than anything in his discography; with its all-star ensemble cast, it feels perfect for the age of Marvel movies that it surfaced into. Every beat sounds expensive and high stakes, often changing shape with the entrance of a new voice—either a legacy act, reigning royalty, or a protégé on the rise. Dre did not return just to cash in on nostalgia; he thoughtfully pits the greatest minds of his generation and the next couple—Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Eminem—against a panoply of new talent from his home city, as a challenge to all parties to be on top of their game. As a rapper, Dre works to demonstrate the extent to which he can evolve with the times and play off of his collaborators. In “Genocide,” he goes toe-to-toe with his city’s star hip-hop talent, Kendrick Lamar, rapping in high, hoarse, and energized tones to complement Lamar’s own idiosyncratic, range-switching style. Elsewhere, then-newcomer Anderson .Paak assumes the Nate Dogg-like role of G-funk crooner but adds his own sense of urgency and eccentricity—see his inspired, unhinged interplay with Dre on “All In a Day’s Work.” *Compton*’s beats reflect a pangenerational viewpoint as well. There are dustier, sample-driven moments like “It’s All On Me” and satisfying throwback G-funk tracks like the Snoop Dogg collab “Satisfaction.” But there are also more curious variations on the theme—the lightly drunken neo-soul groove of “Animals”—and wild detours like the glitchy pseudo-trap in the second half of \"Medicine Man.\" The album might be called *Compton*, but there’s a global quality about this music, reflective of so much hip-hop that came in the decade and a half during which Dre was largely absent from the pop music sphere as a soloist.

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8.8 / 10

Compton is Dr. Dre's first record in 16 years, following news that his long-awaited Detox has been scrapped. Billed as a soundtrack to coincide with the new N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, the album finds him sounding charged-up, relevant, and coming to terms with his career for himself, not others.

8.8 / 10

Compton is Dr. Dre's first record in 16 years, following news that his long-awaited Detox has been scrapped. Billed as a soundtrack to coincide with the new N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, the album finds him sounding charged-up, relevant, and coming to terms with his career for himself, not others.

B

Dr. Dre is one of the architects of West Coast rap and a pillar of hip-hop production. He is responsible for producing a large portion of California’s great gangsta rap catalog and for pioneering G-Funk, a bold re-envisioning of traditional funk sampling. After rising to prominence as the de facto leader of N.W.A.,…

B

Dr. Dre is one of the architects of West Coast rap and a pillar of hip-hop production. He is responsible for producing a large portion of California’s great gangsta rap catalog and for pioneering G-Funk, a bold re-envisioning of traditional funk sampling. After rising to prominence as the de facto leader of N.W.A.,…

7 / 10

7 / 10

6 / 10

Dr. Dre's returns after a 16-year wait with an album-long song cycle featuring confused production and killer guest spots.

6 / 10

Dr. Dre's returns after a 16-year wait with an album-long song cycle featuring confused production and killer guest spots.

6.8 / 10

Dr. Dre has been worried about his legacy since at least 2000, when his Grammy-winning song "Forgot About Dre" led the…

6.8 / 10

Dr. Dre has been worried about his legacy since at least 2000, when his Grammy-winning song "Forgot About Dre" led the…

Check out our album review of Artist's Compton on Rolling Stone.com.

Check out our album review of Artist's Compton on Rolling Stone.com.

If this proves to be Andre Young's epitaph, we’ll remember him as a titan straddling decades, a man in some ways bigger than hip-hop.

If this proves to be Andre Young's epitaph, we’ll remember him as a titan straddling decades, a man in some ways bigger than hip-hop.

9 / 10

Compton is the album we didn't realize we wanted from Dr. Dre.   While we all thought we were waiting for the long-gestating and intermina...

9 / 10

Compton is the album we didn't realize we wanted from Dr. Dre.   While we all thought we were waiting for the long-gestating and intermina...

8 / 10

Like those huge ‘COMPTON’ letters towering ominously over the LA skyline on the sleeve, Dr. Dre’s new album – his first

8 / 10

Like those huge ‘COMPTON’ letters towering ominously over the LA skyline on the sleeve, Dr. Dre’s new album – his first

The all-too-predictable misogyny and grumbling are offset here by fantastic production and righteous anger

The all-too-predictable misogyny and grumbling are offset here by fantastic production and righteous anger

7 / 10

7 / 10

Harking back to his NWA days, Dr Dre has created a state of the nation album almost overburdened with ideas and fresh talent

Harking back to his NWA days, Dr Dre has created a state of the nation album almost overburdened with ideas and fresh talent

7 / 10

7 / 10