MUSIC REVIEW: Dr. Dre - The Contract

Amidst the ending of Dre’s most recent marriage contract, comes a different contract Dre has with his first love not soon to be annulled. That lover’s name is music, and the Compton legend does what he does best by curating this brand new body of work that can stand with it’s discographical peers.

Only Dre can brag about saving money and taking walks in the park, while not sounding dated. There’s dad rap, and then there’s grandpa swag rap, and though Dre exemplifies the latter it just shows how mature he’s became, even though a record like “Fallin’ Up”and the refrain’s on “Black Privlege” can provide a case against the maturity exuded on this EP. But what’s hip-hop without a little boasting and dancing, no matter how provocative it is? Both are deviations of core elements of the culture that Dre helped pioneer, and with records like the one’s aforementioned, Dre is still jettisoning the pillars he helped to cement as the handprints of his protege’s on the Hollywood walk of fame.

The only possible hiccup on “The Contract” is “Diamond Mind”. As a person who was there when Nipsey and YG were ushering in the “ratchet” movement, I wasn’t big on their styles then and to this day I can barely tolerate those who got big from that camp today. That said, Nipsey’s simple posthumous pre-chorus alongside Ty’s crooning was a waste of space on a summery instrumental that Dre would have been better suited carrying with Paak, especially since Paak put on a clinic on both “ETA” and “The Scenic Route”: the latter an overdue reunification between Rick Ross and Dr. Dre not heard trading bars since “God Forgives, I Dont” cut “Three Kings” and the former featuring Busta Buss breaking it down like Dre incited him to start breaking necks all over again.

Bringing the convo of “The Contract” to it’s genuine gem, “The Gospel”. Eminem goes crazy on a verse about Punisher & Decepticon’s ending up turning Kellogg’s cereal brands into a game of word association and Dre boasts about single leaving listener’s me to believe this is “Guns Blazing” Part 2 while D.O.C. brings that theory home in a hook where he threatens to blow out your brains. Something that one listen to this album will already accomplish in the best way possible.

Score : 4/5

*Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto, GTA Online: The Contract, and it features six new Dr. Dre songs!