2001 (also referred to as The Chronic 2001 or The Chronic II) is the second studio album by the American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on November 16, 1999, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records as the follow-up to his 1992 debut album, The Chronic. The album was produced mainly by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, as well as Lord Finesse, and it features eighteen guest contributions. The artists with small appearances include Ms. Roq, Six-Two, Traci Nelson, Tray Deee, Defari, Knoc-turn'al, Time Bomb, King T, MC Ren, Kokane, Devin the Dude, and pornstar Jake Steed, while the ones with several appearances include Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Xzibit, Eminem, and Nate Dogg.
2001 exhibits an expansion on Dre's debut G-funk sound and contains gangsta rap themes such as violence, crime, promiscuity, sex, drug use, and street gangs. The album debuted at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 516,000 copies in its first week. It produced three singles that attained chart success and has been certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); as of August 2015 the album has sold 7,800,000 copies in the United States. 2001 was acclaimed by critics, many of whom praised the production and music, although some found the lyrics objectionable.
Title and release
In 1995, the original successor to The Chronic was to be titled The Chronic II: A New World Odor (Poppa's Got A Brand New Funk). However, this version of the album was scrapped after Dre departed from Death Row Records.
After the creation of Aftermath Entertainment, the album was initially titled Chronic 2000 until Priority Records, who had become Death Row Records' new distributor decided, in conjunction with Death Row's founder and then-CEO Suge Knight, to call their newest compilation album Chronic 2000. Death Row owned the trademark for The Chronic as did Interscope Records who previously distributed the Death Row catalogue. Knight became aware of the title of Dr. Dre's album when notification for the trademark use was required by his label, Aftermath Records. When Aftermath heard that Priority and Death Row planned to use the same name for their album, Dre sought legal action. According to his lawyer Howard King, "both sides agreed that we'd allow the other to use the title, and then let the public decide which one they preferred".
After the release of Death Row's Chronic 2000, Interscope announced that Dr. Dre's album would now be named Chronic 2001: No Seeds through teaser posters displaying a "Summer '99" release date. Amongst the roster of guests listed on the posters were rappers Sticky Fingaz and RBX, who neither were featured on the finished album. Years later, in an interview with Sticky Fingaz, he stated the song featuring himself and RBX was the Eminem song "Remember Me?", which, at Eminem's request, was put aside for his then-upcoming album, The Marshall Mathers LP. Shortly after, Interscope began the main promotional campaign displaying a new release date, "October 26th 1999", and a new logo that drops the subtitle No Seeds. At this point, Priority decided not to honor the original agreement and threatened to sue Dr. Dre if the Chronic trademark were to be used in any capacity. Dre eventually decided to release the album as simply 2001 in November. Despite this, a marijuana leaf was added to the album cover next to 2001, a subtle nod to its original name.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Dre spoke about his motivation to record the album and how he felt that he had to prove himself to fans and media again after doubts arose over his production and rapping ability. These doubts came from the fact that he had not released a solo studio album since 1992's The Chronic. He stated: and though he was noted for writing the last track, "The Message", he is not credited by his legal name or alias in the liner notes. A track he recorded on the album, originally named "The Way I Be Pimpin'", was later retouched as "Xxplosive". "The Way I Be Pimpin'" has Dr. Dre rapping penned verses by Royce and features Royce's vocals on the chorus. Royce wrote several tracks such as "The Throne Is Mine" and "Stay in Your Place" which were later cut from the album. The tracks have been leaked later on several mixtapes, including Pretox.
The album's production expanded on that of The Chronic, with new, sparse beats and reduced use of samples which were prominent on his debut album. Josh Tyrangiel of Time has described the recording process which Dr. Dre employs, stating "Every Dre track begins the same way, with Dre behind a drum machine in a room full of trusted musicians. (They carry beepers. When he wants to work, they work.) He'll program a beat, then ask the musicians to play along; when Dre hears something he likes, he isolates the player and tells him how to refine the sound."
Music
Production
The album primarily featured co-production between Dr. Dre and Mel-Man and was generally well received by critics. AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that Dr. Dre had expanded on the G-funk beats on his previous album, The Chronic, and stated, "He's pushed himself hard, finding new variations in the formula by adding ominous strings, soulful vocals, and reggae, resulting in fairly interesting recontextualizations" and went on to say, "Sonically, this is first-rate, straight-up gangsta."
The album marked the beginning of Dr. Dre's collaboration with keyboardist Scott Storch, who had previously worked with The Roots and is credited either as a co-writer or performer
on several of 2001s tracks, including the hit single "Still D.R.E.". Storch would later go on to become a successful producer in his own right and has been credited as a co-producer with Dr. Dre on some of his productions since.
Lyrics
The lyrics on the album received criticism and created some controversy. They include many themes associated with gangsta rap, such as violence, promiscuity, street gangs, drive-by shootings, crime, and drug usage. Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the only subject matter on the album was "violence, drugs, pussy, bitches, dope, guns, and gangsters" and that these themes have become repetitive and unchanged in the last ten years. "Still D.R.E." was released as the lead single in October 1999. It peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 32 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and reached number 11 on the Hot Rap Singles. The song was nominated at the 2000 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, but lost to The Roots and Erykah Badu's "You Got Me".
"The Next Episode" was released as the third and final single in 2000. It peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number 2 on the Rhythmic Top 40.
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| rev5score = 6/10
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| rev9score = 7/10
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| rev10score = 5/5 Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stated, "2001 isn't as consistent or striking as Slim Shady, but the music is always brimming with character." Christopher John Farley of Time stated that "The beats are fresh and involving, and Dre's collaborations with Eminem and Snoop Dogg have ferocity and wit." Although he was ambivalent towards the album's subject matter and guest rappers, Greg Tate of Spin was pleasantly surprised by "the most memorable MC'ing on this album com[ing] from Dre himself, Eminem notwithstanding" and stated, "Whatever one's opinion of the sexual politics and gun lust of Dre's canon, his ongoing commitment to formal excellence and sonic innovation in this art form may one day earn him a place next to George Clinton, if not Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, or Miles Davis." Erlewine spoke of how the number of guest rappers affected the album and questioned his reasons for collaborating with "pedestrian rappers". He claimed that "the album suffers considerably as a result [of these collaborations]". Erlewine criticized the lyrics, which he said were repetitive and full of "gangsta clichés". In a 2007 issue, XXL gave the album a retrospective rating of "XXL", their maximum score. In Rolling Stones The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time, where Dr. Dre was listed at number 54, Kanye West talked of how the track "Xxplosive" inspired him: "'Xxplosive', off 2001, that's [where] I got my entire sound from—if you listen to the track, it's got a soul beat, but it's done with those heavy Dre drums. Listen to 'This Can't Be Life,' a track I did for Jay-Z's Dynasty album, and then listen to 'Xxplosive'. It's a direct bite."
Commercial performance
thumb|A July 6, 2000 Detroit concert ticket from the [[Up in Smoke Tour.]]
The nu-metal band Korn kept Dr. Dre from hitting number 1 in America's Billboard 200 with their album Issues, which sold 575,000 copies in its first week. As a result, the album debuted at number 2 on the chart, with first-week sales of 516,000 copies. It also entered at number one on Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was successful in Canada, where it reached number 2 on the charts. The record was mildly successful in Europe, reaching number 4 in the United Kingdom, number 7 in Ireland, number 15 in France, number 17 in the Netherlands and number 26 in Norway. It peaked at number 11 on the New Zealand album chart. Closing out the year 2000, the album was number 5 on the Billboard Top Albums and number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It re-entered the charts in 2003, peaking on the UK Albums Top 75 at number 61 and on the Ireland Albums Top 75 at number 30. The album was certified six times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 21, 2000. It is Dr. Dre's best selling album; his previous album, The Chronic, was certified three times Platinum. As of August 2015, the album has sold 7,800,000 copies in the United States.
Track listing
Credits adapted from liner notes.
All songs produced by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, except for "The Message" which is produced by Lord Finesse.
Notes
- "The Watcher" contains additional vocals from Eminem and Knoc-Turn'al.
- "Still D.R.E" was written by Jay-Z.
- "What's the Difference" contains additional vocals from Phish. (Not to be confused with the popular rock band Phish)
- "The Next Episode" contains additional vocals from Kurupt and Nate Dogg.
- "Still D.R.E" transitions into "Big Ego's".
- "Bitch Niggaz" transitions into "The Car Bomb".
- "The Car Bomb" transitions into "Murder Ink".
- "Some L.A. Niggaz" transitions into "Pause 4 Porno".
- "Some L.A. Niggaz" contains uncredited vocals from Hittman.
- "Housewife" is also featured on Kurupt's album, Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha.
Sample credits
- "Lolo (Intro)" contains a sample of "Deep Note" by James A. Moorer.
- "Big Ego's" contains samples of "Theme from The Persuaders!" by John Barry and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Rose Royce.
- "Xxplosive" contains a sample of "Bumpy's Lament" by Soul Mann & the Brothers and interpolates "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" by Snoop Dogg.
- "What's the Difference" contains a sample of "Parce Que Tu Crois" by Charles Aznavour.
- "Bar One (Skit)" contains a sample of "Poundin'" by Cannonball Adderley.
- "Light Speed" contains a sample of "I'm Still #1" by Boogie Down Productions.
- "Forgot About Dre" contains a sample of "The Climb" by No Doubt.
- "The Next Episode" contains replayed elements of "The Edge" by David McCallum.
- "Let's Get High" contains samples of "Backstrokin'" by The Fatback Band and "High" by Skyy.
- "Bitch Niggaz" contains a sample of "Top Billin'" by Audio Two.
- "The Car Bomb (Skit)" contains a sample of "Time Is Passing" by Sun.
- "Murder Ink" contains samples of "Halloween Theme" by John Carpenter and "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze.
- "Ed-Ucation" contains samples of "Diamonds Are Forever" by Franck Pourcel.
- "Housewife" interpolates "Bitches Ain't Shit" by Dr. Dre.
Personnel
- Dr. Dre – executive producer, performer, producer, drums, mixer
- Mel-Man – performer, producer, bass
- Lord Finesse – producer
- Eminem – performer, vocals, writer
- Snoop Dogg – performer, vocals
- Hittman – performer, writer
- Xzibit – performer
- Kurupt – performer, vocals
- Ms. Roq – performer
- Devin the Dude – performer, vocals
- Nate Dogg – performer
- Six-Two – performer
- Royce da 5'9" – writer
- MC Ren – vocals
- Tommy Chong – vocals
- Knoc-turn'al – performer, vocals
- Defari – performer
- Time Bomb – performer
- King Tee – performer
- Kokane – performer
- Mary J. Blige – performer
- Rell – performer
- Jake Steed – performer
- Eddie Griffin – performer
- Charis Henry – collage concept, performer
- The D.O.C. – writer, vocals
- Ian Sanchez – performer
- Colin Wolfe – bass
- Mike Elizondo – bass
- Preston Crump – bass
- Sean Cruse – guitar
- Camara Kambon – keyboards
- Scott Storch – keyboards
- Jason Hann – percussion
- Taku Hirano – percussion
- DJ Pen – scratches
- Larry Chatman – production manager
- Kirdis G. Tucker – Aftermath product manager
- Charles "Big Chuck" Stanton – A&R director
- Mike Lynn – A&R director
- Damon "Bing" Chatman – Aftermath project coordinator
- Michelle Thomas – Interscope product manager
- Andrew Van Meter – Interscope production coordinator
- Ekaterina Kenney – Interscope photo shoot coordinator
- Richard "Segal" Huredia – collage photographer, engineer
- Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering
- Paul Foley – album editor
- Stan Musilik – photographer
- Donn Thompson – photographer
- Jason Clark – art director, designer
- Jay-Z – writer
- Crystal Johnson – writer
Charts
Weekly charts
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Weekly chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"|Chart (1999–2000)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)
|align="center"|4
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"|Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
|style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+2022 weekly chart performance for 2001
!Chart (2022)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|-
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+2025 weekly chart performance for 2001
!Chart (2025)
!Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)
|style="text-align:center;"| 20
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+2000 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2000)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
|style="text-align:center;"|28
|-
! scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
|style="text-align:center;"|11
|-
!scope="row"|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
|style="text-align:center;"|30
|-
! scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media)
|style="text-align:center;"|34
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums (SNEP)
|style="text-align:center;"|41
|-
!scope="row"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
|style="text-align:center;"|45
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
|style="text-align:center;"|19
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)
|style="text-align:center;"|39
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard 200
|style="text-align:center;"|5
|-
!scope="row"|US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)
|style="text-align:center;"|1
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+2001 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2001)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"|Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
|style="text-align:center;"|71
|-
! scope="row"|Canadian Rap Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)
|style="text-align:center;"|34
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums (SNEP)
|style="text-align:center;"|91
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)
|style="text-align:center;"|66
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard 200
|style="text-align:center;"|154
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+2019 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2019)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
|style="text-align:center;"|119
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+2020 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2020)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
|style="text-align:center;"|117
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+2021 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2021)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
|style="text-align:center;"|124
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2022 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2022)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)
| 71
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 83
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
| 169
|-
! scope="row"| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)
| 96
|-
! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
| 78
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 135
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)
| 92
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2023 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2023)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)
| 88
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 89
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
| 161
|-
! scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
| 29
|-
! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
| 55
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 191
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2024 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2024)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)
| 98
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 104
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
| 185
|-
! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
| 62
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2025 year-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2025)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 138
|-
! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
| 79
|}
Decade-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Decade-end chart performance for 2001
!scope="col"| Chart (2000s)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard 200
|style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
!scope="row"|US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|}