Dre often feels everywhere and nowhere throughout Compton, managing to at once deploy and transcend the genre conventions he helped invent.
Compton is Dre’s eye-witness proclamation of his past, present and future wrapped in a slick post-Obama package.
While Detox seemed poised to erode Dre's sonic reputation, Compton, reputedly his last record, instead solidifies Dre's already ironclad claims to all-time status.
On his previous classics he showed us that new things were possible, a magic that's available only so many times in one life. Compton doesn't have the same breathtaking power, but it's excellent nonetheless, and more complicated and jarring than we could have known to hope for.
This elaborate tapestry of voices and sounds, both new and familiar, conveys Dre’s epic vision. Compton successfully crams the magnitude of his origin story into ambitious, densely packed sonics.
Regardless of whether or not the album will spawn a generation of imitators like his previous releases, Compton is a proper capstone to Dre’s legendary career.
Impressively layered, widescreen productions – especially cuts by DJ Premier, DJ Dahi and Dem Jointz – are the album’s most satisfying aspect.
Like Lamar’s grandstanding To Pimp A Butterfly, the numerous strands of Compton: A Soundtrack take time and effort to fully unravel, but the rewards are manifold.
It’s an hour-long demonstration that Dr Dre’s skills as producer and curator alike are still as potent as ever.
Despite its numerous flaws, Compton is still one of the most engaging listening experiences of the year.
In many ways, Compton is a child of To Pimp a Butterfly, if only Kendrick had the same sense of urgency when reaching to the bleachers.
It adds up to an album by turns confounding and enthralling. It's no Detox. It's something realer, and better.
After the scene-setting ‘The Chronic’ and the comeback of ‘2001’, this is a man reflecting on life and his career – and it sounds fantastic.
Serving as more than just the nostalgic release that many expected it to be, Compton carries Dr. Dre back into spotlight from the boardroom on his own terms, with his own verification.
This brilliant kaleidoscopic LP, which was recorded in under a year, focuses on the veteran producer's connection to the modern world as it references Eric Garner, frames it with N.W.A.'s history, and decides that little has changed.
We’re given exciting stuff throughout the hour long run time of Compton—blockbuster material—there’s plenty of action and drama to go around. And although fat definitely needed to be trimmed from this animal, it’s humbling to know Dre hasn’t let his ego get the best of him musically.
Compton earns a lot of credit simply by not being a disaster or an embarrassment, but there’s only so much a 50-year-old rapper can say to a generation following their favorite artists on Snapchat.
Compton is a solid reminder of both Dre's skills and the depth of his contacts book.
It's hard to deny ‘Compton’ is brilliantly constructed, a masterclass in 21st century hip-hop.
Breaking away from the nonchalant bravado of Dre’s former persona, Compton is an intense – and often ugly – record.
So that Compton maintains this level of consistency is perhaps 2015’s greatest surprise so far.
This isn’t so much an album as it is a living monument, a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a museum that Dre funded, built, owns and operates.
Even though his supposed swansong may feature some characteristically flawless production and fine cameos from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, it cancels out its own meaningfulness in subtle hypocrisy.
[Dr. Dre's discography ranking 3/3]
NO DETOX😭😭😭 NO SEX SKITS 🔥🔥🔥 Also Dre drowned .Paak😭😭😭
So after 16 years Real Top G returned with soundtrack to film about "Compton". To make this album Dre got features from many new artist and his old friends. Features that i really like are from K.Dot, .Paak, BJ and Eminem. Other are mostly mediocore. Production like with every project produced by him is really good. Transitions between songs really good. My problem ... read more
Dre gettin' over his porn addiction was not a surprise I was expecting, but it is a welcomed one
1 | Intro 1:15 | 68 |
2 | Talk About It 3:15 | 81 |
3 | Genocide 4:26 | 75 |
4 | It's All on Me 3:47 feat. Justus, BJ the Chicago Kid | 71 |
5 | All in a Day's Work 5:13 feat. Anderson .Paak, Marsha Ambrosius | 78 |
6 | Darkside / Gone 3:53 | 81 |
7 | Loose Cannons 4:13 | 72 |
8 | Issues 3:41 | 69 |
9 | Deep Water 5:11 | 91 |
10 | One Shot One Kill 3:25 with Jon Connor feat. Snoop Dogg | 73 |
11 | Just Another Day 2:21 | 78 |
12 | For the Love of Money 4:08 | 75 |
13 | Satisfiction 4:24 | 70 |
14 | Animals 3:47 feat. Anderson .Paak | 82 |
15 | Medicine Man 4:14 | 83 |
16 | Talking to My Diary 4:23 | 89 |
#8 | / | CraveOnline |
#13 | / | Stashed |
#15 | / | The Skinny |
#16 | / | Clash |
#19 | / | Q Magazine |
#19 | / | The 405 |
#24 | / | No Ripcord |
#32 | / | Pitchfork |
#35 | / | Pretty Much Amazing |
#35 | / | The Guardian |