By Ismael AbduSalaam
The six year wait for Detox may be coming to a close, as Dr. Dre has confirmed plans to release his highly anticipated third solo album by the end of the year.
After years of fine-tuning and direction changes, the legendary producer finally feels the project is ready for mass consumption.
“I’m just now, over the last couple months, starting to feel that it’s going to be right and it’s something I can be proud of, and everybody is going to love it,” Dr. Dre explained to USA Today. “In a perfect world, I’m shooting for a November or December release.”
Recording for the project began in 2003, and tentative dates were announced every single year afterward, only to see the album constantly pushed back due to Dre’s perfectionist demeanor.
Like its predecessors The Chronic (1992) and The Chronic 2001, many expect Detox to raise the bar for producers in Hip-Hop.
For Dre, it’s simply about making great music, and hopefully the accolades come.
“I’ve never set out to do that,” states Dre. “I just make the music feel the way I want it to feel and I don’t put it out until I’m totally happy with it. Then it does what it does...I’m going to put this record out, promote it, and then become a hermit,” Dre explains. “I’m going to stay in the studio and produce. All I want to do is sit in the studio with that person (a new artist) for a year and try to create another masterpiece.”
For guests, Dre has confirmed collaborations with Nas, Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z.
On the business end, Dre also disclosed a venture with Monster, a leader in audio/video accessories, called Beats by Dr. Dre. Dre, Interscope head Jimmy Iovine, and Monster have developed high definition powered isolation headphones available on Friday (July 25) exclusively at Best Buy and Apple stores for $349.95.
Iovine and Dre’s goal was to create a product that duplicated the clarity of recording studios.
“Dre and I have been developing these headphones for awhile and in Monster we found a partner that could work with us to crystallize his vision and develop them to the quality he expects,” Iovine said. “Beats By Dr. Dre is yet another example of Interscope’s commitment with its artists in developing new avenues to experience music.”
For more information visit the official website www.beatsbydre.com.
Detox is tentatively scheduled for a November or December 2008 release.