It's been more than a decade and a half since Dr. Dre has released a solo album, and his fans have been patiently waiting since then. Dr. Dre FINALLY announced his first album in 16 years will be released Friday, August 7 under the title "Compton A Soundtrack". But with his last album being such a success, why has it taken so long?
It all started in 2002, when Dre said in an interview with MTV that he would be releasing a new album in summer of 2003. The album was named "Detox", and the concept was that he would tell one story through one character's eyes. "Everybody that appears on my album is going to be a character, so it's basically going to be a hip-hop musical." The hype was insane, coming off the success of his last album, "2001", which remained on the Billboard Top 200 for three years and went six times platinum in the US alone.
Dre later announced that Detox would be released late 2003 so he could focus on Ice Cube's upcoming album that never came to materialize.
In March of 2003, Dre claimed he gave his best beats to 50 Cent for "Get Rich or Die Tryin'", all the while Interscope swore up and down Detox would release by the end of the year.
After much questioning, Dre's record label, Aftermath, confirmed that the album would launch late 2004. Scott Scorch, producer, tried rebuilding the hype, saying Detox was "the most advanced rap album musically and lyrically we'll probably ever have a chance to listen to."
In August 2004, Dre announced he was putting Detox on hold to produce Game's debut album, "Documentary", as well as focus on producing music for his label's artists. However, in November 2004, Eminem dropped his album Encore. On the title track, "Encore", he said "And don't worry about that Detox album. It's coming. We gonna make Dre do it." Dre shortly after announced that the album was back on.
In July 2006, Scratch Magazine ran a cover story on the album titled "Hip-Hop's Unreleased Masterpiece... Coming Soon?", in which producer Insomnie "Mahogany" Leeper was quoted as saying "The road Dre led me down was like, 'I'm thinking of making the album like a movie, like having 16-bar jazz pieces, live instruments.’”
In September 2007, Dre has an interview with the LA Times and is reveals that protegé Bishop Lamont will be "heavily featured", in a style like Snoop Dogg on The Chronic or Hittman on 2001.
In 2008, Snoop Dogg promises the record is real, saying "He played so much music for me it knocked my head off." Dre says in an interview that he's shooting for a November or December release and confirms that TI, Nas, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne will be featured.
In 2009, "This is Detox (feat TI and Kobe)" and leak. Also, the first Detox release plays in a Dr. Pepper commercial. Drake is rumored to be featured on the album. Dr. Dre promises that Detox will release in 2010. He says he has more time following the releases of Eminem's Relapse and 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin.
In 2010, Jimmy Iovine and Dre announce the first single off of the album, "Under Pressure (feat Jay-Z)", will be released soon. The song leaks, and is a success. The success of the track seems to light a fire within Dre and he releases two more singles, "Kush (feat Snoop Dogg and Akon)" and "I Need A Doctor (feat Eminem and Skylar Grey)". Dre and Iovine also launch a million-dollar advertising campaign for Detox.
A number of leaks hit the web in 2011, including "Syllables (feat Eminem, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Stat Quo)", "Mr. Prescription (feat Sly, Nikki Grier, and Slim the Mobster)", and "Chillin (feat Swizz Beatz)". This seems to make Dre lose some inspiration, and he announces that he's "gonna take a bit of a break."
In 2012, Dre and Kendrick Lamar release "The Recipe", which is later revealed to have been intended for Detox. 50 Cent says in an interview that he thinks that Detox might only be an EP, and he thinks Dre has lost his inspiration for the album.
In 2014, singer-songwriter Marsha Ambrosius says that she went to Hawaii to work on a number of projects, including Dre's new album. She reveals that it is no longer called Detox. Aftermath in-house producer Dawaun Porter confirms that Detox has been scrapped but him and Dre are working on a new project.
In March of 2015, Dre announces that he is working on the soundtrack for the upcoming NWA movie, Straight Outta Compton. In July, Ice Cube announces that Dre's new album will come out on August 1st.
Dre later announces that his new album, "Compton A Soundtrack", will be released August 7th, 2015. It is inspired by the NWA movie and features Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and BJ The Chicago Kid. The album and tracklist can be found here.
So what happened to Detox? He didn't like the album.
"It wasn't good. The record, it just wasn't good. I'ma keep it all the way 1000 with you, I mean seriously, I worked my ass off on it, but I didn't think I did a good enough job. I couldn't do that to my fans, I couldn't do that to myself to be honest."
Jack Griffin is a writer for the VAVEL USA Technology and Music sections. Follow him on Twitter at @jacksonlgriffin.
