The Aftermath of Evolution

In the Laymen’s Darwinian argument, evolution comes down to a key point; survival of the fittest through natural selection. As in those beings or creatures who inherit favorable genes through species reproduction will become the dominant force in the given societal/cultural setting.

Evolution in the context of music can have many different explanations. Whether styles progress, an artist or groups creative output no longer resembles earlier works, or the image and subjects, better the presentation, brings a new offering to the public arena.

In the past 20 years no other figure has better demonstrated the evolution of music then Dr. Dre. Dre broke through the racial barrier as a key figure in the group N.W.A. From Straight Outta Compton to “Fuck Tha Police”, their time and social reflection became a platform for a community and more importantly a race. It was the angst of a neighborhood, the voice for urbanite minority youth, and a powerful assault on suburban comfort.

But, trying to follow the growth from N.W.A., to The Chronic, to 2001 is more than remembering where this music provided life’s soundtrack moments. Having these albums readily available to play in succession, allows a story to unfold that the novice listener is ill-prepared to confront. Therefore, are these three bodies of works enough to speak to the Darwinian Theory in music?

From beat execution to lyrical composition, the transformation of Dre’s work opens the door to the evolutionary debate. With raw talent and the ability to communicate the self descried “reality-rap”, the public was exposed to the undercurrent of race relations in America. And while anger and aggression are hard to maintain over the course of time, trying to remain relevant is even a bigger challenge. Straight Outta Compton was a real world event before MTV ever put the concept in television format. It was an uncensored, aggression filled 4 minute public service announcement. It wasn’t about wanting to be rich or capitalizing on the game; it was their ghetto bar mitzvah. Gangsta Rap had arrived.

The hardcore stance was instant karma for LA urbanites. N.W.A. would create careers for 3 key figures in the movement; Dr Dre, Eazy E, and Ice Cube. Inner tension resulted in Dre’s exit from N.W.A. at its most successful point, but hip hop’s inertia was propelling Dre to be the main act on newly launched Death Row Records.

Though most loyal fans probably anticipated the Dre of N.W.A, it was the departure from aggression to funk; more pointedly, g funk. Whether it was self realization or natural progression, the hard core lyrical repertoire dissolved into a new beginning. “One, two, three and to the fo’…” became conversational introductions. The Chronic was a superb explanation. The Chronic emerged from the rubble that was LA after the King Riots as a statement of what it is and how it is. Where N.W.A focused on the exposing racial strife, the Chronic was an embracement of reality. The reality that Dre exposed to main stream became the standard.

“It’s like this, and like that, and like this” wasn’t acceptance so much as clarity. The Chronic’s impact on society wasn’t seen so much of what it did for the urban scene as for what it did to suburbia. Names like Snoop Dogg and Warren G become household names on the strength of Dr. Dre. The appreciation of the music evolved from one groups protests to increased subwoofer sales at your local supply outlet. The Chronic was an equal match to Dre’s work with N.W.A as both albums sold in excess of 3 million copies.

The evolution from hardcore to gangsta rap was just the beginning. Though Dre did release one album between the Chronic and 2001, consider this the lone speed bump on the autobahn of his career. In 1998, after signing an unknown Detroit area rapper Marshall Mathers to his label, 2001 became the next endeavor taken on by Dr. Dre.

2001 launched in 1999 and was instantly accepted as the return of Dr Dre. If any doubts surfaced about the Dre’s ability to produce and execute in the studio in the years between The Chronic and 2001, they were drowned out by the beats of “Forgot About Dre”. Not hesitating to call in any and all favors, Dre was quick to bring in Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Nate Dogg and Eminem into the fold. With “Still D.R.E”, “The Next Episode”, and “Xxplosive” Dre ran the mediocre contenders off the air waves.

Though the album’s strength has been attributed to the ghostwriting talents of Royce Da 5’9” and Eminem, Dre’s signature influence was reverberated throughout the 21 track ride. And while the beats were upgraded and the sound crisper, in most cases the message is the same. In “Still D.R.E” atop the lyrical soap box the confidence is defined: “Dr. Dre be the name still running the game.” In the first 5 years of the 21st century, Dre was the Darwinian force aiding the radio’s natural selection. Artist like Eve, Eminem, and 50 cent were fortunate to work with the Dr., while the others found their CD cases washing up on the shores of the Galapagos Islands.

With Dre’s self reported finale coming out later in 2009, Detox is going to be “The New Hope” for rap moving forward. Dre has reported that the content will be matured from his blunt-beats to a rapsical; with the first undertaking of a rap musical. Dre’s focus will be on a single individual’s journey, with guest appearances filling supporting roles to the central theme. Instead of being a Hot 100 singles generator, it will be the ideal studio setting for music’s science lab. And if this is his exit strategy from the game, I am sure that a lot of the album will be self-reflective and a sincere appreciation of his own evolution.

In the end, can the growth in Dr. Dre’s offerings be attributed to his natural intuition into where the music should go? Or was he ahead of the curve in capitalizing on the market that would be the necessary cash flow to sustain his career? Either way, his ability to sustain his career and relevancy has made him the benchmark and picture insert that should have been sketched by Darwin.