Dr. Dre Breaks Down The Sonic Secret Behind “2001”

Dr. Dre is not only one of the greatest producers in Hip Hop history, but he’s also revered by audiophiles for the quality, clarity and crispness of his speaker-rattling beats — a dedication to sonic perfectionism upon which his billion dollar Beats By Dre empire is built.

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Script: Andy Bustard
Voiceover: Ashia Skye
Video Edit: CT
Video Manager: Jeremy Hecht
Executive Producer: Sharath Cherian

For over 21 years, HipHopDX has been at the forefront of Hip Hop culture, reaching over 3.2 million readers and 5 million followers per month. As one of the longest-standing Hip Hop digital publications, DX not only stays current on Hip Hop culture, but continues to influence it, encourage it, and simultaneously reflect on its past. Our insightful, honest editorials, unbiased reviews, premier audio and video sections, and original video content, draws one of the most loyal followings online. As a part of Warner Music Group, HipHopDX is expanding internationally and continues to build upon the reputation it has garnered from decades of work.

#DRDRE

[smsofficial]

This is why Dr. Dre has and continues to have an edge over a lot of producers because he's a technician. He's not just a producer, beatmaker, musicians, and artists. He's also an engineer and a mixer. He's been doing this for nearly 40 years. Salute

[BOBBYCRAIGC]

"The Wash" soundtrack is super slept on and it's damn near as good as the chronic 2001

[gemsound]

One of my top 5 favorite albums of all time…I still play this today like it’s 1999.

[BKEFilmsUS]

The most underrated and forgotten part about the brilliance of 2001 is that it came out in the 1st wave of Down South dominance. When the album was announced, I waited to see if Dre would bite the South in any shape or form to stay relevant. He didn't. He kept his tempo. He stayed true to himself while coming up with some entirely new, original material. The popular sound at the time was purely Down South with No Limit, Cash Money, Suave House, Three 6, UGK, etc. dominating and New York was doing their thing with Rocafella, Ruff Ryders, etc. NOBODY from the West Coast had anything successful out. There was no such thing as a West Coast sound. G-funk would have sounded outdated. To drop a classic in the middle of that without conforming to anything going on around him was amazing.

[weaselwardance]

Oh wow, work on the bass and mids. Now we all know his best kept secrets

[insighttheformula]

I liked chronic 2001 better than the first one.. crazy thing is the first chronic is what made me fall in Love with hip hop

[MrDoublebeats]

I'm glad that you made this because so many producers make music for producers and not listeners

[sirenloud]

I always said the chronic 2001 was the best sounding album of music of modern music history was so crisp it was like 2001 space Odyssey I totally get what he was doing it was that good sounding crisp if you have a good stereo system try listening on flock audio or get the actual vinyl such a great listen to beginning to end especially the lowrider bouncing in the beginning of the skids it's just such a great album God damn thank God

[averagesavage]

I'm so glad Guru mentioned Quincey Jones in that tweet, everyone needs to go back and listen to Thriller on CD, no streaming, or better yet, Thriller on vinyl, and appreciate and recognize Quincy's golden ear decades before Dre and technology

[angelochavez]

That doctor Dre album was a classic One of the best Albums that ever dropped

[dianevrules]

The Chronic or Efil4zaggin are my favorites. Because they were raw af and not just loud af mastering. Dre 2001 didnt have a lot going on in the instrument departments. So it was easy af for most engineers to make those frequencies work together. Dre's Compton album or The Contract are better examples. Since he had a lot of instruments going in those songs

[loron]

One of my favorite albums of all time right up their with doggystyle and chronic #1 album

[TheImpalerBEATS]

isn't my favorite Dr. Dre album.
is My Fav Album in this world.

[MrWordsworth]

I just love listening to instrumentals on this

[juliuswilkerson]

Man I’m from Pittsburgh, 3 words. The Mel-Man!

[CHISENGA]

My Fav Dre production is on Doggystyle! My fav album by Dre is The Chronic from 1992 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[TheMixmaster]

You just gotta be born with the ear for it simple and plain

[HussOnTheBeat]

Idk why I really thought he was finna give us an effects chain or something 😂 😂 😂

[SPAlNKY]

Dr. Dre is in my top 5 Hip-Hop producers of all time. Dre is way better than any Hip-Hop producer of today. None of these current producers can NOT mess with Dre 👊🏿

[LytninStryke]

Chronic 2001 is amazing!!!! 🎵 🎧 🎹 🌿Dres the best!!!