Compton is a weird one. Not because it’s one of hip-hop’s biggest icons first records in 16 years, but because it’s the first Dr. Dre album that I’ve listened to from front to back. I’ve obviously heard the instantly recognisable ‘Still D.R.E.’, and I’ve most certainly grooved to ‘The Next Episode’ from time to time, but I’ve never given The Chronic or 2001 a full run through. These albums, when brought up in conversation, are hailed as classics from hip-hop-heads and casual listeners alike – yet I never felt compelled to listen through. I’ve heard more than once about how Dre is the ‘godfather of the west coast’ – yet I never could agree nor disagree. Thus, when I heard about a new Dr. Dre album dropping, I couldn’t relate to the sheer elation that music fans around me were showing. It’s like Dre was this complete enigma to me while others knew exactly who he was and what his sound was. What was his sound? Could he drop a sixteen track album that consistently stayed interesting? I started to develop expectations without even knowing what to expect. And thus I put on my headphones and travelled to Compton for just over an hour – what a ride.

No one song sounds the same on Compton. ‘Genocide’, a funky gangster banger with it’s extra-terrestrial thumping bass line, sounds nothing like ‘It’s All On Me’, a soulful introspective ballad with it’s ambient guitar and shimmering tambourine. The album never ‘blends’ over the hour that it plays. The sheer variety of styles here show how much range not only Dre has, but his fellow producers and guest rappers have also. From the goofy tone of ‘Satisfiction’ to the threatening tone of ‘Loose Cannons’, both tell a story that not only captivates, but succeeds in adding character and personality to the song itself. One can only imagine that larger-than-life figures such as King Mez, COLD 187um, and Xzibit are representative of Compton as an area. It’s incredible how Compton, as such a varied album, sounds so cohesive at the same time.

Dre does most certainly not work alone on this project, however. Industry veterans such as Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and The Game team up with fresh talent in the form of Anderson .Paak, King Mez and Justus (to name a few) to give their absolute a-game with regards to verses and vocals. .Paak’s passionate performance on ‘Animals’ is a highlight on the record as he soars above the smooth beat with ease, letting out his frustration with how him and others around him are represented in the media: “The only time they wanna turn the cameras on is when we fuckin’ shit up, come on”. Kendrick, hot off the heels of his excellent sophomore record ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, delivers some of his catchiest and hard-hitting verses to date, especially on the menacing and intense ‘Deep Water’. K.Dot comes across as a similar version of his ‘The Art of Peer Pressure’-self on this track, as he raps: “I don’t give a fuck about your whereabouts, all I care about is wearing out your area, and wearing out your upper body when I catch you walking out your parents house”. Kendrick sounds hungry on this track, leading to the conclusion that residents such as himself are those to watch out for in Compton, LA.

You almost wouldn’t recognise Snoop Dogg on ‘One Shot One Kill’ and ‘Satisfiction’ if you weren’t told he was on these records. As a stark contrast to his recent ‘laid-back’ persona on records such as his most recent endeavour (Bush), the California-born rapper sounds reinvigorated and riled up, almost as if the presence of Dre just brings it out in him. Former N.W.A. group member Ice Cube also shows up for a guest feature on ‘Issues’. While his verse, at times, was animated and violent, it didn’t hit the target is was so obviously aiming for. Paired together with a less-than-impressive instrumental, ‘Issues’ was one of the few tracks to leave me wanting more. Eminem, while also on one of the weaker tracks of the album, Medicine Man, brings a verse in the last half of the song that makes it listenable. His most recent ‘choppy’ flow is nowhere to be found on this track as he uninterruptedly raps over a beat that changes to match and complement his flow, with a sparkling piano riff that just screams slim shady.



Such stellar features can make for a front-man that doesn’t feel like a front-man, however. Dre, alongside fresher and younger talent, often sounds slower and less energised. While introspective tracks such as ‘It’s All on Me’ and ‘Talking To My Diary’ work in the rappers favour when he speaks of N.W.A. or the journey that made him the business mogul he is today, braggadocios songs have me waiting for .Paak, Kendrick or King Mez to jump and bring the energy that the song needs. The only track that Dre truly got me excited was ‘Talk About It’, where the rapper ecstatically shouts “I just bought California!” to begin his verse. Compton, as a Dr. Dre album, needed more of these high moments from the only rapper to grace the cover.

When all is said and done and the screaming trumpets on closing track ‘Talking To My Diary’ fade to silence, you realise that Compton is exactly what it should be. It should take risks with new sounds throughout the album. It should feature new artists alongside veterans of the genre. It should be both beautiful and ugly. The collaborative group effort and passion oozes out of every note, every kick, every boom, every clap, every bar. I can imagine this album feeling almost nostalgic to a lot of Dr. Dre fans, but even as I, a first time listener, took my headphones off, I could still hear it playing it’s tune. It’s fitting that such a photograph is the cover of the album, as it’s a huge, detailed and varied canvas that rarely ever loses focus.

Score: 8/10

Favourite tracks: Deep Water, Genocide, Animals, Loose Cannons, Darkside/Gone

Least favourite tracks: Medicine Man, Issues, All In a Day’s Work