Dre featured in new Game track with Snoop

We were cautiously optimistic earlier this month when we mentioned that Dr. Dre was helping out the Game with The R.E.D. Album. The two rappers repairing their relationship and dropping those crazy Halloween-evoking beats (as well as dropping, in the Game's case, names) sounds great — but only if the powers that be ever let us hear it. Thankfully, a glimmer of hope called "Drug Test" has leaked onto the Internet, giving us proof that the album really does exist and might actually come out one day. And on top of that, the track goes ahead and throws Snoop Dogg into the mix. Look, they're doing it — they're really doing it!

Source - http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/07/the_game_dr_dre_and_snoop_dogg.html

Ex aftermath producer Focus talks about Dre, Detox and Aftermath

This is only part of the interview, where he talks about Dre.  Full interview link below.

DX: Did you and Dre part on good terms?

Focus...: Yeah we were together for seven, almost eight, years and we were working on the same projects. We were working on Detox. After so many years people were asking how it was sounding as no one else had heard it. I felt like I was talking about a myth that wasn’t in existence. Some people had heard the leaked tracks and they were now hearing Dre talk about it so now it is probably coming to fruition.

But I was there in the early stages and it started to get frustrating to sit there, going day in and day out, working on a project that was not seeing the light of day. So it was easier for me to go off on my own and make my own music as I had neglected so many things; my family, myself, other genres of music and I was just sitting there, focused on making things for Dre and it just got frustrating. Before I did anything where it wouldn’t have been cool between Dre and myself, I just told him I appreciated everything he had done, but it was time to go and do something for myself.

DX: Do you feel that’s what the expectations were or are of you?

Focus...: Yeah, as when you look at a lot of the fans who follow me, and I call them family, a lot of my family are avid listeners and they always make the comparison that Dr. Dre is better than Focus... or Focus... is better than Dr. Dre or that Dr. Dre needs Focus... and it is something I am never going to get away from. I will never be able to get people to avoid putting my name and Dre’s in the same sentence and that gets frustrating.

DX: But with that being said, does being branded with Dre and having been under the Aftermath umbrella for so long, does that have something to do with what you are feeling now?

Focus...: I feel that working with Dr. Dre, I had the joy and pleasure of working with on of my main mentors. I got to build relationships that I wouldn't have been able to build and it definitely opened doors for me that wouldn't have been easily opened on my own. So I do appreciate everything Dre and Aftermath did for me. I’d never say anything other than that. Bit it is very hard when all you what to make is music and I could have probably done the same thing if I was telling everyone that my father was Bernard Edwards from Chic. I tried my best to do it on my own so I could survive on my own.

A lot of people don't liken their careers to their lives and they don't liken that a successful career comes from a successful personal life. I get all my inspiration from my family. I know when all is said and done that if I was to never sell another track, my family is still going to love me and accept me for who I am, so I am still somebody.

DX: Do you see yourself with a credit on Detox?

Focus...: No. One thing I thought and took it to the bank was when Dre said to me, "You know Foc, this album can’t come out without one from you on there," and I was like "This is Dre saying this," and I thought if I was to send him something he will find something we can build on and work on it. I invited him to Atlanta to sit with me in the studio and he was all for it, but it never came to fruition. I lost heart after that and I don’t want to just sit here sending him beats. Maybe there is an ounce of ego in there, who knows but I did say to him, “I am the most separated from your project than anyone, I need to know where you are trying to get to.”

DX: No hard feelings?

Focus...: None whatsoever. If it weren’t for Dre and Aftermath my career wouldn't be what it is. I would love to work with him again.

Source - http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1743/title.producers-corner-focus

Dre, Snoop, Warren G, Kurupt togther - behind the scenes

50Cent to unveil new Dre track???

50 CENT JUST TWEETED


"I LOVE DRE but I'm putting his next single psycho out tomorrow at 2:00"

"Your gonna love it its a big song I just don't think it deserves a great set up sense they can't seem to get it right when it comes to me"


Sources - http://twitter.com/#!/50cent/status/96096983546204161

http://twitter.com/#!/50cent/status/96098226163290113

The Detox Cycle: Dre & Snoop back together again

Dr. Dre is all alone. All of the great mythologically delayed records have been released. Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy," Chef Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2," the Who's "Lifehouse," all for sale on the open market in some form.

No tears need be shed for Andre Young, who is selling headphones and soda and cars in steroidal numbers. Occasionally, he drops a single that receives radio play but that no one really seems to like. And he toils on to make "Detox." Endlessly, so we're told. Even though the first rule of "Detox" is that you don't talk about "Detox." However, when you ask anyone off the record who has heard the project, they will assure you of its excellence with a weird Benedictine reverence.

What Dre really needs is someone following him around to make the hip-hop "Lost in La Mancha." Unfortunately, that will never happen. So we mainly get a series of awkward interviews done by someone shoving a camera into Dre's face at an opportune moment. According to the news from the latest interview, Snoop and Dre are back working in the studio together.

If you'll recall past "Detox" drama, earlier this summer Dre and Snoop had a falling-out that led to Snoop criticizing Dre's work habits. But the new video finds the pair hanging out and giving the cosign to Watts rapper Jay Rock. Dre offers high praise for Jay Rock's new record, "Follow Me Home," with a series of unprintable phrases, while Snoop chimes in: "You've been stamped. Now you've been approved. Now go do what you do." 

As for Dre doing what Dre does, expect more delays. On the Detox Cycle, we are back to where we began. Unless we aren't and at this very moment Dre is putting the finishing polish on the album's capstone track. But I doubt it.

Source - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/07/the-detox-cycle-dr-dre-and-snoop-are-back-together-again.html

Paul Oakenfold would love to work with Dre

Paul Oaken fold is a Brittish producer who has helped many musicians including Mark Ronson, Tiesto and  David Guetta.  He also contributed to the music score for Bourne Identity  and other movies.  Below is the part of the interview where he mentions Dre.

You have worked with so many incredible artists your back catalogue is beyond impressive, but is there anyone you would love to work with in the future?

I would love to collaborate with Dr Dre. I just think it would be a really interesting collaboration to work with someone who is a pioneer in his world and comes up with these really creative beats.

Source - http://www.skiddle.com/news/all/-I-would-love-to-collaborate-with-Dr-Dre-Paul-Oakenfold-talks-to-Skiddle/9724/

Jay Rock album listening session

Dre and Snoop Dogg in Cannes, France

It was a West Coast reunion overseas when Dr. Dre met up with Snoop Dogg in Cannes, France. The hip-hop veterans, along with Warren G, kicked it at Gotha nightclub for Snoop’s concert presented by Beats by Dr. Dre. Tha Doggfather surprised guests when he brought out a buff Dre to share the stage with him on their Cali classics. Envy the lucky partygoers by peeping the rest of the pics.

 Source - http://www.rap-up.com/2011/07/19/dr-dre-and-snoop-dogg-connect-in-cannes/

Favour from you to trigger Facebook Group upgade

The time has come when the Dr Dre Detox Facebook group will need to be upgraded. In order for this to happen i need you the community to be active and add comments in the wall section of the group. 

So I will ask a simple question, to which I want you to respond only in the Facebook group.  The comments for this post only is closed, to make sure you comment on the group instead with your response the question below.

From all the Detox or potential Detox leaks, what is your favourite track?

 Respond here

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119270501459864

The Rebirth of Instrumental Hip-Hop (The Planets and not Detox)

When the excitement over Detox started up again last year, Dr. Dre even teased his next, next album -- an instrumental project called The Planets, with songs inspired by the "personalities of each planet." We're still waiting for Detox, so the chances of ever hearing Dre go all Gustav Holst are slim, but a nutty, no-rapping release about space actually sounds more interesting than a decade-in-the-making sequel to The Chronic 2001. Plus, there's plenty of enthusiasm for boundary-pushing instrumental hip-hop right now.

The subgenre quietly and creatively returned this year, and last month saw the arrival of two game-changing releases: Electronic Dream by Dipset producer Araabmuzik; and Rainforest from Lil B beatmaker Clams Casino. Making a similar instrumental move could be a savvy career shift for Dre -- someone who once had his finger on the pulse of burgeoning trends, yet now seems to be chasing them.

But that's not going to happen. "Detox coming soon!" will remain the mantra. For AraabMuzik and Clams Casino, though, who've come up in the digital era where free downloads and iTunes albums reign, a production credit (let alone cash) for their work is hard to come by. Stepping out of the box and doing their own mini-versions of The Planets is almost a necessity. Instrumental albums are the culmination of a rising profile and a reasonable answer to the increased artistic excitement generated by their experimental beats. 

Source/full article - http://www.spin.com/articles/rebirth-instrumental-hip-hop

Kendrick Lamar discusses many things including Dr Dre Detox

A few weeks ago during a short trip to Chicago, Kendrick Lamar and fellow Top Dawg Ent. emcee Schoolboy Q chopped it up with Gowhere Hip Hop‘s GY312 where the gentlemen discussed K.Dot’s rumoured mixtape project with renowned producer 9th Wonder, the chemistry between the two Top Dawg Ent. emcees and Kendrick’s involvement on Dr. Dre‘s Detox. During their brief discussion about involvement on Detox, the Compton proud emcee, who’s parents originate from Chicago, gave oft delayed longplayer a 12 out of 10 rating as well as stating that the best guest collaboration on the LP will feature himself.

Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q Interview with Gowhere Hip Hop from gowherehiphop.com on Vimeo.

Source - http://drdre-detox.blogspot.com/2011/07/kendrick-lamar-discusses-many-things.html

Lady Gaga was snubbed to do vocals for I Need a Doctor

Grammy-winning rapper Eminem decided to pass on an opportunity to have Lady Gaga appear on Dr. Dre's "I Need A Doctor" Detox single for music newcomer Skylar Grey.

According to Grey, Gaga was already slated to appear on the record's final version.

Along with Dre, Skylar has Eminem to thank for her continued success, even going to bat for her when she penned the hook to "I Need a Doctor" and the label attempted to swap her vocals for Lady Gaga's. "Somebody in the room suggested we get Lady Gaga to sing the hook on 'I Need a Doctor' and [Eminem] stood up for me and said no, because he wanted to keep my voice on the song," she says. "That was a big thing for me because had I not kept my voice on 'I Need a Doctor,' who knows where I'd be right now." She continues, "After the Grammy Awards performance of that song, alot of things changed for me. It really changed my life. It provided a great platform for me, and I'm forever grateful for Eminem and Dr. Dre." Skylar revealed that she had 6500 more Twitter followers in the immediate minutes that followed that fateful Grammy performance. (Hip Hop DX)

http://www.sohh.com/2011/07/eminem_snubbed_lady_gaga_for_dr_dres_det.html

Tito Lopez 'voice of the underdog' showing Dre his skills

Crooked I wants Dre collab, discuses old leak “Say Dr. Dre” track and Detox

Another producer Crooked is hoping to still receive some retardulous tracks from for the Slaughterhouse album is the man he nearly signed to 12 years ago before sentencing himself to Death Row. 

“I know the scheduling and timing and all that blahda ladda, but man, Slaughterhouse need to be in there with [Dr.] Dre,” he noted. “If they was to ask me what my wish list was, or who I wanna get on this fuckin’ album, it’s gonna be Dr. Dre. … I ain’t go through hell and a hand-basket to get to where I’m at to not fuck with the good doctor. [Laughs] Shit. I’m in the fuckin’ building; I’m in Interscope. Dre, where you at, baby? We need them goddamn tracks. [Laughs]”

After proceeding to declare Dre his personal choice for greatest producer in Hip Hop history, Crooked addressed some of his history with the doctor, including the now five-year-old “Say Dr. Dre” and whether or not that track was solicited or unsolicited for one of the original incarnations of Detox.

“I knew he was taking submissions,” explained Crook, “and some people had hit me up about writing some stuff. So that was just what it was. And it leaked, which was horrible for me, ‘cause once the shit leaked it’s over. Ain’t nobody using that shit. But, I worked on a few things …. He had some bangers in there when I did that. When I went in there, he already had a classic album just laying around in them hard drives.”

“I don’t know, but it’s like, sometimes it feels like the album is never coming out,” he added about Dr. Dre’s now seemingly mythical finale. “But he got crazy shit over there.”

Source - http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.15962/title.crooked-i-talks-tea-party-detractors-and-asks-dr-dre-where-you-at

50Cent - Interscope has to bank on its marquee artists before Detox

The G-Unit general, who appeared alongside Tony Yayo and Shawty Lo, explained that Interscope has to bank on its marquee artists - which will prove to be worth it when Dr. Dre drops Detox.

“Look, unless you feel like going to make a new artist, you already shot the Em gun twice. And then you’ve got Dre, Dre’s project’s going to come. He’s got some heat. The Detox record, it will prove to be satisfying when they actually get to it. The things they put out wouldn’t be my choices off of it, but the things that I heard in the studio made me excited,” he continued. “Dre got material in there that reflects Chronic. If you like that record at all... To me, the ‘I Need a Doctor’ was an Em record and not a Dr. Dre joint. It’s cool.”

Source/full interview -  http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.15943/title.50-cent-speaks-on-his-fifth-album-dr-dres-detox/

Dre, Slim the Mobster and DJ Whoo Kid mixtape

DJ Whoo Kid tweeted the following:

"Finishing @drdre and @slimthemobster mixtape in NYC" 

 "I'm buggin right now!! Working with Dr Dre is simply nuts!!!"

Sources - http://twitter.com/#!/DJWhooKid/status/90571661870514176

http://twitter.com/#!/DJWhooKid/status/90573073346080768

Kendrick Lamar touches on Detox again

While  the main focus was on his Section80 album, he had also been asked about Detox.  

Are you tired about people asking about the Dr. Dre shout-out yet?

No, I’m not tired of it. It’s an accomplishment, I’m blessed for a West Coast legend that I always looked up to acknowledge my work. But what I don’t want people to misunderstand is that you’re hearing Kendrick Lamar’s name because Dr. Dre said it. This is something I’ve been building from the ground up since I was sixteen. I’ve been putting out music, and in order for him to even say my name he had to hear the music first, the same [way] everybody else did.

Do you have any Detox secrets you can reveal?

Aw, no, I can’t reveal no Detox secrets! He gon’ be mad at me. Just know the shit is classic. It’s fucking incredible.

Really? Because the singles haven’t inspired much hope.

Right yeah, I see the people saying that but they won’t be disappointed once they hear the album.

Source/full interview - http://read.mtvhive.com/2011/07/11/kendrick-lamar-talks-rap-religion-and-the-reagan-era/

Dre will rap on Game's R.E.D. album

For Game, the fourth time's the charm. The former G-Unit rapper has high hopes for album #4, The R.E.D. Album, which is set to be released August 23. While a Game album is notable in its own right, the Compton, California, MC is particularly excited now that he has reunited with mentor Dr. Dre and snagged Pharrell to help oversee the production as well.

"This album is the most incredible album of my career," Game said to MTV News from the set of his "Pot of Gold" video shoot last week. "First, I'm back with Dr. Dre, which is a bonus and dope for me. Second, executive-produced by Pharrell, co-executive-produced by myself and Mars." 

There is also production from Cool & Dre, Hit-Boy, Maestro and Lex Luger and features ranging from Nelly Furtado to Lil Wayne to Busta Rhymes. "And Dre's rapping on the album," Game revealed. 

Dre, who oversaw Game's debut, The Documentary, has played a limited role in the rapper's career since Game's fallout with 50 Cent, who is also signed to Dre's Aftermath imprint. Since then, the West Coast production icon hasn't lent beats or his vocals to any of Game's subsequent albums. 

In 2009, studio pictures of Dr. Dre, Game and Snoop surfaced, proving that the two were back to work in some capacity. Game wouldn't confirm whether Dre provided a full verse or a hook. When asked, he just blurted out the album's release date: "August 29." 

Source - http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666832/game-red-album-dr-dre.jhtml

Detox - The Big Pushback

Did Dr. Dre's free publicity around "Detox" rumored release dates inspire artists like Game, J. Cole and all of Def Jam's roster?

Looking for that new Weezy? What about Jeezy? Detox?

Hold that thought. So far, 2011 has been the year of the pushback. Sure, delays in Hip Hop are nothing new, but as we celebrate halftime, it’s evident that the promise of a new release - and its subsequent delay (or delays, in most cases) - should be taken with a grain of salt, now, more than ever.

The Art Of The Album Delay

Blame the game. In an age where albums leak nearly months ahead of scheduled street dates (see Beyonce’s 4  and Big Sean’s Finally Famous ), labels are quick to rearrange their release calendars for a variety of reasons. Say, if their artist doesn’t have a hit, then it might be to their benefit to send him or her back to the studio to crank one out. If said artist doesn’t have their head in the game or is too busy on tour, then the label might push back their album until they’re ready to give it 100. After all, record labels are businesses - and businesses, especially the music industry, can’t afford to take any L’s.

Or, maybe, the game ain’t to blame. Consider: some rappers want to be perfectionists. Take Dr. Dre, whose elusive Detox - now almost a decade in the making - seemed to be all but confirmed for a 2011 release. The Good Doctor even dropped off a few singles (“I Need a Doctor” featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey, “Kush” featuring Akon and Snoop Dogg), picking up some mainstream steam. Dre himself even said that the album was almost finished - back in November 2010.

Then came the release dates, and the setbacks. An April 20th release date came and went - still no Detox. Last we heard, the mythical album would arrive on July 26th. Doesn’t seem likely, given the little amount of promotion or lack of confirmation by both the label and man himself. Here we are, in the middle of 2011, with nothing but a string of broken promises to lean on.

What Kanye West & Jay-Z Could Be Learning From Dr. Dre

Fellow Rap titans Jay-Z and Kanye West took a similar approach with their joint release Watch The Throne (to be fair, they haven’t been cooking it up for a decade). Originally conceived as an EP, the big-and-little brothers kicked off the New Year with a bang, announcing during a New Year’s Eve performance that the album would arrive in just one week. It didn’t, but its single “H.A.M.” did a few days later - and it was D.O.A.

So back to the lab it was. The promise of a January release thawed with the changing seasons, as Yeezy updated his Twitter fans with a new release date for March. For good measure, he also told fans that the follow-up to last year’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy would arrive this summer. (Soon after, though, his Twitter account went silent - our punishment for a botched Matt Lauer interview). By March, Watch The Throne was “essentially finished,” said engineer Young Guru - yet the recording sessions continued. As of press time, there is still no release date.

Unlike top dogs who create pop-up studios and record at will, some rappers don’t hold the key to their fate. Lil Wayne, who promised to release his supposed final album Tha Carter IV, was supposed to drop the (now mildly anticipated) LP the same day he was unchained from prison - November 5, 2010. Delays came, of course, with Weezy later claiming in March that the album, which was entirely finished, would drop on May 16th. It wasn’t, and it didn’t. Now, it’s set for an August 29th release. A supposed tracklist hit the web. Several singles have graced these internets. It’s still wishful thinking to mark the end of summer as the official street date.

Mainstream Rappers Who Tease Fans With Album Release Dates

The list of rappers who dangle release dates in front of fans’ faces and quickly snatch them away isn’t just a string of coincidences. Just check the record: 50 Cent, Game, J. Cole, Ja Rule, Young Jeezy and more all promised to hand in albums that are yet to materialize, for an array of reasons.

The problem here isn’t that rappers are being put in label purgatory or that the game is changing to the point where artists can’t even drop an album on their own terms. Those are self-contained problems, independent of themselves.

It’s the trust issues. As the listening public, we’re allowed to feel disappointed or even lose interest when there are more album delays than tracks that make the final cut. Sure, this isn’t the film industry, where studios don’t announce movie release dates until they’re sure of it (those often come a year ahead of schedule). But that’s no excuse for this growing trend that leaves fans consistently unsatisfied, even if the wait was worth it.

And rappers wonder why fans are quick to bite the hand that feeds them - or to choose not to support the project. Listeners play the waiting game according to what labels and emcees tell them. For most, music isn’t just a luxury - it’s a way of life, and to temper with that passion can slowly sap whatever faith a fan has in the art.

Which is why it’s frustrating when a producer and rapper like Statik Selektah and Freddie Gibbs (who himself is guilty of delaying releases), can hit the studio and record an EP’s worth of tracks in under 24 hours. There may not be a middleman telling them what they can or can’t do, but they promised they would do it, did it and released it for our purchasing pleasure. Seems easy, no?

At the risk of sounding unappreciative, we understand that not everything is in the artist’s control, or even the label’s. Delays happen; we get it. But as the buzzer rings and the second half of 2011 begins in the next few weeks, all we ask is for a little more caution before blurting out what promises to be a broken release date. Even if its part of a grand marketing scheme. Because in a world where information moves at a mile a minute, the last thing we need is to wait another decade for an album.

Source - http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/editorials/id.1722/title.halftime-the-big-pushback

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