When Dr. Dre dropped The Chronic in 1992, it hit the music landscape like a comet. It was regarded as innovative and ground-breaking with its distinct and masterful production that birthed the G-Funk sound. Unlike his previous work with N.W.A. and the general established sound in Hip-Hop at the time, Dr. Dre’s aesthetic on The Chronic was an aggressive left turn within the genre.

It wouldn’t be until 7-years later that Dre would release 2001, the follow-up to his 1992 classic. This project would garner critical praise close to The Chronicand continued to emphasize Dre’s ability to redefine sound and formula. Between these solo efforts, Dr. Dre was also the driving force behind two other wildly successful and culture defining albums — Doggystyle by Snoop Doggy Dogg and Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP.

Dr. Dre was the architect of sound for an entire generation. Where as Puff Daddy broadened Hip-Hop’s appeal into wider mainstream arenas, Dr. Dre used that platform to help raise the technical standards for the genre. Prior to Dre, Hip-Hop’s lack of technical mastery was one of its major shortcomings. Despite the overall quality material released in the 90’s, these bodies of work weren’t on par with the engineering prowess more present from other genres such as rock, jazz, R&B, and pop.

Since then, Hip-Hop has made strides in technical quality as more producers took the mixing and mastering process more seriously. Kanye West is the immediate artist to reference post-Dre era as someone who carried the torch through the 2000’s along with the likes of The Neptunes, Timbaland, and Missy Elliot. Each of these producers can be credited to dramatically diversifying rap’s sonic capabilities while also achieving top-tier quality in engineering.

Out of the batch, Kanye is without a doubt the most influential but his influence derives mostly from an experimental standpoint. This is why his polarizing 808s & Heartbreak has had a bigger impact on the culture than his universally acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy despite the latter’s production being undeniably superior.