Dr. Dre - The Chronic (2 LP, Black Vinyl)

Released in December 1992 on Death Row Records through Interscope, The Chronic was Dr. Dre's debut solo album following his departure from N.W.A. Built around a low-tempo, Parliament-Funkadelic-influenced production style that became known as G-funk, the album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and spent 97 weeks on the chart. Issued here as a 30th Anniversary Edition on Interscope Records, the label that co-released the original, The Chronic returns to vinyl on standard black 2LP, the sixteen-track sequence spread across four sides in the same configuration used since the album's first double LP pressing.

The production moves at a deliberate pace throughout, with synthesizer bass lines, slow-rolling drum patterns, and sampled funk loops forming the foundation on nearly every track. "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," the album's biggest single, reached No. 2 on the Hot 100, built around a Leon Haywood sample with Snoop Dogg handling the second verse. "F___ Wit Dre Day" hit No. 8 on the Hot 100, driven by a harder, more confrontational arrangement. "Let Me Ride," the third charting single, samples Parliament's "Mothership Connection" and anchors the low-rider aesthetic that runs through the record. Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, and the D.O.C. all appear across the sixteen tracks.

The Chronic is presented here as a standard black vinyl 2LP, with the sixteen tracks sequenced on the four sides. The 30th Anniversary Edition was released April 21, 2023, under Interscope Records, returning the album to its original distribution home. Rolling Stone placed The Chronic on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, describing it as an album that redefined the West Coast hip-hop sound.

• Format: Black Vinyl 2LP
• Standout Tracks: "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," "F____ Wit Dre Day," "Let Me Ride"
• Pressing Details: 30th Anniversary Edition; Interscope Records reissue; released April 21, 2023
• Genre/Style: Hip-Hop, G-Funk, West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap
• UPC: 602455099969

The Chronic is one of a handful of albums that genuinely shifted the direction of an entire genre, and on double vinyl, the full sixteen-track sequence has room to breathe the way it was intended.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. The Chronic (Intro)
2. F___ Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')
3. Let Me Ride
4. The Day The Niggaz Took Over

Side B:

1. Nuthin' But A "G" Thang
2. Deeez Nuuuts
3. Lil' Ghetto Boy

Side C:

1. A Nigga Witta Gun
2. Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat
3. The $20 Sack Pyramid
4. Lyrical Gangbang
5. High Powered
   

Side D:

1. The Doctor's Office
2. Stranded On Death Row
3. The Roach (The Chronic Outro)
4. Bitches Ain't S___