SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL: Efil4zaggin Vs. The Chronic

*Yeah I know it’s Sunday Morning, but i had to watch De La Hoya get itDr. Dre will probably go down as the greatest producer of the modern era.  Between the World Class Wrecking Cru, N.W.A, Death Row, and Aftermath, he has been at the forefront of whole shifts in the music landscape more than […]

*Yeah I know it’s Sunday Morning, but i had to watch De La Hoya get itDr. Dre will probably go down as the greatest producer of the modern era.  Between the World Class Wrecking Cru, N.W.A, Death Row, and Aftermath, he has been at the forefront of whole shifts in the music landscape more than once.His production style has shifted each time as well from the electrofunk of the Cru, to the dusty drums of early N.W.A to their more polished work and on to the GFunk of Death Row.It’s been a while since we were treated to anything from the good doctor and even longer since we’ve heard something we were actually moved by, but the fact remains, that a significant number of singular MC’s of the past 20 years (Ice Cube, Snoop, 50 Cent, Eminem, Game) have gotten their way in the door with his cosign, regardless of where they went after him.Today we look at two of Dre’s masterpieces, one the black nihilist Efil4zaggin and The Chronic. Both of these albums came during a period of uncertainty for Dre. Following Cube’s departure from N.W.A, we all wondered out loud what the group would sound like and actually whether they would still be viable.  Dre (with DJ Yella’s able and unsung assistance) upped the ante with a quantum leap production wise that blew away everything Dre had done before. Live guitars, much cleaner drums, while still maintaining samples, and some of the whiney backgrounds that laid the groundwork for future production.After Dre’s departure from N.W.A no one knew what was next.  Even though we got a taste of it on “Deep Cover” we had no idea what was next.  The Chronic‘s formula of madness to melody trumped Efil4zaggin in the fun factor if not as focused musically.With a new crop of MC’s led by the incomparable Snoop Doggy Dog, Dr. Dre brought gangster to America and the world. MTV couldn’t get enough and it was the beginning of Hip-Hop’s domination of the charts for the next 15 years.Without any further rumination on my part, a clash of classics.  Efil4zaggin vs. The Chronic.  Be heard.  Peace.Poll Answers