Life has been really messy lately, so my apologies for delays or a lack of posts. There has been sickness, family illness, and missing episodes of South Park and FlashForward. I'm sure you understand just how troublesome my life has been recently. Oh yeah, there is also my post of the Beastie's show vinyl for Paul's Boutique disappearing. Not the whole post, just the download, and since they never removed the Companion posts, I'm assuming it's the offending Def Jam related content or Busy Bee's Sugar Hill single, but who really knows. Anyway, later this week I'll be posting a further improved instrumental collection of Paul's Boutique tracks that will not feature the Def Jam or Busy Bee tracks from the show vinyl. This will be as close to an instrumental Paul's Boutique as we can get, at least from the Beasties themselves. Anyway, on with the show...
Dr. Dre is one of those truly special anomalies in the music industry. Loved and respected as an artist, he doesn't write his own raps, he very rarely releases material, he focuses his attention primarily on a label that it seems like he ignores, and there have also been questions regarding his productions. Yeah, Mel-Man co-produced The Chronic 2001, but isn't that a little odd considering Dre's supposed studio expertise? Over the years I've heard stories about much of the original Chronic owing more to it's engineers' studio skills than Dre's, but my general rule is that I will ignore such stories and stand by Dre's credit for his first album, at least until someone reveals some hard evidence.
Prior to Dre finding a home for The Chronic with Interscope, he had several other tracks recorded which never saw the light of day officially. Today I offer unto you The Ho Hopper and a demo of Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat. These may not even be mixed, judging by the lack of fidelity in these recordings, but they certainly are entertaining. I prefer the final version of Rat... over this completely different demo, but The Ho Hopper is a pretty catchy track and good for a laugh. Something tells me Snoop was responsible for it's lyrics, and his chorus definitely hints at that.
As a bonus, I'm including the original, unreleased version of Dre's Zoom for your downloading enjoyment. The released version of the track appeared on the Bulworth soundtrack as a duet between Dre and LL Cool J, but the original plan was for Zoom to be a reunion track for Dre and Snoop. Sadly, Death Row had it's way with it's non-release, as Snoop was still signed with them at the time, but the track did eventually show up bootleg-style online. Most of the time I see this track edited and included in mixtapes, and I HATE that. Why bother featuring an unreleased track if you're not going to play it in it's entirety? So, I found the full track and I'm posting it here.
Anyone else hoping Detox, or whatever it's called, shows up before Dre dies or something? I imagine myself at 70 or 80, Dre dying and someone releasing the album as a long-lost artifact. Something tells me it would suck by those standards. Something makes me fear it will suck by today's standards. I'd rather Dre just put it out and let it happen one way or another. Judging by the reference tapes that have leaked, it doesn't sound too bad, but I've also heard rumors that because those tracks leaked they may not end up on the album. Anyway, put it out already Dre, or leak it, or just give up and let everyone hear it already. People are sick of waiting, and it's not like it's going to be on the level of the original Chronic.
The Ho Hopper (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat (Demo)
Zoom (Original feat. Snoop Dogg)
PS - Who wants to place bets that this post gets removed because I pissed off Dre or someone at Interscope? Jimmy Iovine still believes will.i.am is the best thing to happen to modern music (modern music=bank account), so you better hurry up and prove his ignorant, Nicole Scherzinger loving, current-ability-to-judge-talent-in-question ass wrong Dre!
PS2 - Thanks to whomever I got these tracks from a long time ago. I can't remember who you are or what site you run, but I don't want to be accused of jacking. So, an anonymous credit is going out to you and yours.
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