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Is Dr. Dre’s “COMPTON” Worth The 16 Year Wait?
If Straight Outta Compton is half as good as this soundtrack, we are in for a masterpiece. The good Dr. Dre went to work stitching together some exclusive talent as only he knows how. Accompanied by some of his more familiar partners in rhyme and new collaborators, Compton will have beats blaring from coast to coast.
Needless to say, the quality of his sound stands on its own throughout this compilation. It’s particularly evident in Talking to my Diary where Dre allows his production to take a victory lap beginning at the 2:38 mark to conclude the album.
Another fine example is displayed in a dream team partnership with DJ Premier (yes you heard right). On Animals we’re treated to all of the elements we would expect to hear from this dynamic duo; including those classic Premier cuts.
Lyrically, Dre employs his classic Chronic flow (that we’ve been addicted to since Express Yourself) to set this party off right. His presence and the multitude of cameos steer clear of any disappointment. Leading the pack is Kendrick Lamar, who is respectfully rewarded for his emergence by appearing on three (Genocide, Darkside/Gone, Deep Water) select tracks. In true K. Dot form he delivers the rhyme patterns and lyrics that continue to be his calling card. As a matter of fact a couple of bars seemed to take multiple jabs at the recently crowned champ from the 6.
As with all other classic Dre albums (The Chronic, 2001), Snoop Dogg makes his presence felt immediately. Out the gate he takes flight in one of the more energetic collabos (One Shot One Kill) boasting “Guess who’s back it ain’t a fucking question, they know the name by when in the presence of a living legend.” Snoop proceeds to murder his verse thoroughly before funking it up on Satisfiction feat Marsha Ambrosius & King Mez. The chemistry is undeniable in this composition as they call out all of the frauds walking among us.
Dre keeps up the nostalgic mood by unleashing Eminem on Medicine Man featuring Candace Pillay & Anderson .Paak with reckless abandon. Em tears through the track reminding us of how some of us slept on him by judging a book by its cover. Surprisingly (sarcasm) he delivers a line that may raise a couple of eyebrows. But if you’ve been remotely following Em.. why should you still be surprised???
What should surprise you is how hard Ice Cube comes off on Issues feat Anderson .Paak & Dem Jointz. During his brief appearance the lyrical juggernaut of N.W.A had a good day in turning back the clock to the Death Certificate days.
The all-star line up in Compton doesn’t seem to ever end. The sounds of vets like Cold 187um, Jill Scott, Xzhibit and The Game are found throughout the album. Comparable with any great team, the younger talent steps up to the plate and lets the world know that they are a force to be reckoned with. We get a little taste of BJ the Chicago Kid, Sly Pyper and Asia Bryant that has us craving more, while Jon Connor & Justus stand out front and center as the torch bearers for Aftermath.
In short… 16 years was well worth the wait!!!
Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital during my temporary and untimely demise in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.
You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.
Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.
My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.
Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.
From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!
Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.
Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”
I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century. We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!
