Compton (album)

Compton
Studio album by
Dr. Dre
ReleasedAugust 7, 2015
Studio
  • Dre's Crib
  • Record One (Los Angeles)
  • Sony (Culver City, California)
[1]
GenreWest Coast hip hop
Length61:40
Label
Producer
Dr. Dre chronology
2001
(1999) 		Compton
(2015)
Singles from Compton
  1. "Talking to My Diary"
    Released: August 14, 2015

Compton is the third studio album by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on August 7, 2015, on Apple Music and the iTunes Store, with the physical editions released on August 21, 2015.[2] It is the follow-up to his second album, 2001 (1999), after the cancellation of the premeditated album Detox.

Production for the album took place with Detox, but the album itself was devised when production of the N.W.A biographical film Straight Outta Compton gave Dre the idea for a soundtrack, with album-specific production taking place in 2013–2015 at several recording studios and was handled by a variety of high-profile record producers, including Dr. Dre himself, Focus..., Dem Jointz, Trevor Lawrence, Jr., DJ Dahi, Cardiak and Theron Feemster, among others. Compton features guest appearances from Anderson .Paak, Marsha Ambrosius, Craig Owens, King Mez, Justus, Kendrick Lamar, Candice Pillay, Jon Connor, Sly Pyper, Dem Jointz, The Game, Xzibit, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and others.

The album debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard 200, selling 295,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Upon its release, Compton received acclaim from music critics.

Background

[edit]

Following 11 years of unsuccessful work on his infamous Detox album, Dre officially canceled the project on August 1, 2015, during an episode of his Beats 1 radio show, The Pharmacy with Dr. Dre. He stated that the album did not meet his standards and had decided to scrap the project as a result. During the same episode, Dre announced that he would be releasing a brand-new album, entitled Compton, on August 7 on iTunes and Apple Music, with a physical release following on August 21. Earlier the same day in an interview with Power 99FM, Ice Cube had preemptively announced the album. The album was inspired by the N.W.A biographical film Straight Outta Compton and features a number of collaborators from various points in his career, including Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Xzibit, and The Game, among others.

"During principal photography of Straight Outta Compton, I felt myself going to the studio and being so inspired by the movie that I started recording an album," Dre said on his radio show. "I kept it under wraps, and now the album is finished. It's bananas. It's an 'inspired by' album. It's inspired by Straight Outta Compton. We're gonna call the album Compton: The Soundtrack. I'm really proud of this." Dre also described the upcoming release as being his 'grand finale.'[3] This claim has turned out to be false and Dr. Dre hinted at a release of his upcoming fourth album.[4][5]

Release and reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[6]
Metacritic82/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The A.V. ClubB+[8]
The Daily Telegraph[9]
The Guardian[10]
The Independent[11]
NME7/10[12]
Pitchfork8.8/10[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
Spin7/10[15]
USA Today[16]

Compton was released by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records on August 7, 2015, to widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 82, based on 36 reviews.[7] Following two weeks of Apple exclusivity, the album was released for other streaming services as well as music stores on August 21.[17] Rolling Stone critic Jonah Weiner deemed the album "by turns confounding and enthralling" while writing that it "contains some of his most ambitious, idea-stuffed production ever" and that "Dre's rhyming (aided as always by co-writers) is impressive".[14] Robert Christgau from Vice was somewhat less enthusiastic, naming "Genocide" and "Animals" as highlights while writing that the record benefitted significantly from Dre's absence from half the songs because of so many guest artists.[18] At the end of the year, Compton was named the 32nd best album of 2015 by Pitchfork,[19] while The Guardian ranked it 35th.[20]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Prior to its release, there was heavy anticipation on whether Compton or Luke Bryan's Kill the Lights would debut at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart.[21] Ultimately, Compton debuted at number 2 with 295,000 equivalent album units; it sold 278,558 copies in its first week, with the remainder of its unit total reflecting the album's streaming activity and track sales.[22] Compton is Dr. Dre's third solo album to debut at number one on the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[22] The album remained in the chart's top ten for the next several weeks,[23][24][25] and, as of June 2016, the album has sold over 600,000 copies in the United States.[26] Compton has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Compton debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart after selling 45,721 copies (including 2,079 streaming sales),[27] becoming Dr. Dre's first number-one album in the UK.[28] It outsold its nearest competitor, Frank Turner's Positive Songs for Negative People, by over 28,000 combined chart sales.[28] Additionally, as the physical version of the album was not released until two weeks later,[29] Dr. Dre became the first artist in history to top the UK Albums Chart with a non-physical release.[27] Compton has been certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

In 2015, Compton was ranked as the 45th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[30]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
1:15
2."Talk About It" (featuring King Mez and Justus)
3:15
3."Genocide" (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius and Candice Pillay)
Dem Jointz4:26
4."It's All on Me" (featuring Justus and BJ the Chicago Kid)
3:47
5."All in a Day's Work" (featuring Anderson .Paak and Marsha Ambrosius)
5:13
6."Darkside / Gone" (featuring King Mez, Marsha Ambrosius and Kendrick Lamar)
  • "Darkside" produced by Best Kept Secret
  • Dr. Dre
  • "Gone" produced by D.R.U.G.S. Beats
  • Dr. Dre
3:53
7."Loose Cannons" (featuring Xzibit, Cold 187um and Sly Pyper)
  • Focus...
  • Lawrence, Jr.
  • Dr. Dre
  • Cold 187um
4:13
8."Issues" (featuring Ice Cube, Anderson .Paak and Dem Jointz)
  • Focus...
  • Chambers
  • Lawrence, Jr.
  • Neff-U
  • Dr. Dre
3:41
9."Deep Water" (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Justus and Anderson .Paak)
  • Young
  • Duckworth
  • Ricks II
  • Mohrle
  • Anderson
  • Edwards, Jr.
  • Carl McCormick
  • Natche
  • Abernathy, Jr.
  • Focus...
  • Cardiak
  • DJ Dahi
  • Dem Jointz
  • Dr. Dre
5:11
10."One Shot One Kill" (performed by Jon Connor featuring Snoop Dogg)
  • Focus...
  • Lawrence, Jr.
  • Dr. Dre
3:25
11."Just Another Day" (performed by The Game featuring Asia Bryant)
  • Lawrence, Jr.
  • Feemster
2:21
12."For the Love of Money" (featuring Jill Scott, Jon Connor and Anderson .Paak)
Cardiak4:08
13."Satisfiction" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Marsha Ambrosius and King Mez)
  • Young
  • Ricks II
  • Ambrosius
  • Abernathy, Jr.
  • Broadus, Jr.
Dem Jointz4:24
14."Animals" (featuring Anderson .Paak)
3:47
15."Medicine Man" (featuring Eminem, Candice Pillay and Anderson .Paak)
  • Young
  • Marshall Mathers
  • Pillay
  • Mohrle
  • Anderson
  • Ricks II
  • Abernathy, Jr.
  • Edwards, Jr.
  • Chambers
  • Dem Jointz
  • Focus...
4:14
16."Talking to My Diary"
  • DJ Silk
  • Mista Choc
  • Dr. Dre
4:23
Total length:61:40

The album was mastered by Brian 'Big Bass' Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering, LA[31]

Notes[32]

  • "Intro" features additional vocals by Candice Pillay and Dem Jointz.
  • "Talk About It" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan and Marsha Ambrosius.
  • "Genocide" features additional vocals by King Mez, Dem Jointz, Candice Pillay and Sly Jordan.
  • "It's All on Me" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan and King Mez.
  • "All in a Day's Work" features additional vocals by King Mez, Sly Jordan, Danny Tannenbaum and Jimmy Iovine.
  • "Darkside" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan.
  • "Gone" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan.
  • "Loose Cannons" features additional vocals by King Mez, Marsha Ambrosius, Anderson .Paak and Joslynn Brown.
  • "Issues" features additional vocals by Snoop Dogg, King Mez, Xzibit, Dem Jointz, Candice Pillay and Joslynn Brown.
  • "Deep Water" features additional vocals by Wyann Vaughn, King Mez, Cheynne L. Surratt, The Game and Joslynn Brown.
  • "One Shot One Kill" features additional vocals by Dr. Dre, Dem Jointz, Anderson .Paak, Craig Owens and Candice Pillay.
  • "Just Another Day" features additional vocals by Wyann Vaughn.
  • "For the Love of Money" features additional vocals by Lia Mack.
  • "Animals" features additional vocals by DJ Premier and Eric "Blu2th" Griggs.
  • "Medicine Man" features additional vocals by Sly Jordan.
  • "Talking to My Diary" features additional vocals by Slim the Mobster, Anderson .Paak, Sly Jordan, Theron Feemster and Focus….

Sample credits[32]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[72] Gold 35,000^
France (SNEP)[73] Gold 50,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[74] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[75] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label
Worldwide August 7, 2015.[76]
August 21, 2015[77]
November 20, 2015[78]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Compton – Dr. Dre". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  2. ^ "Listen to the premiere of Dr. Dre's new album, Compton, uncensored and exclusively on Apple Music". drdre.com. August 4, 2015. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "Compton: Dr. Dre's Grand Finale". YouTube. August 5, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "Dr. Dre's First Album In 5 Years In The Works & Will Feature Eminem | NileFM | EGYPT'S#1 FOR HIT MUSIC". nilefm.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "BREAKING: Dr. Dre is dropping new album! New snippet surfaces!". February 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Compton by Dr. Dre reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Reviews for Compton by Dr. Dre". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  8. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (August 10, 2015). "Compton: A Soundtrack revisits Dr. Dre's origin story with a victorious sigh". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  9. ^ McCormick, Neil (August 7, 2015). "Compton: A Soundtrack, Dr Dre, review: 'raw and emotional'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  10. ^ Petridis, Alexis (August 10, 2015). "Dr Dre: Compton review – potent beats by the Dre you forgot about". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  11. ^ Gill, Andy (August 14, 2015). "Dr Dre, Compton – Album review: Quality beats to play through those headphones". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  12. ^ Pattison, Louis (August 7, 2015). "Dr Dre – 'Compton'". NME. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  13. ^ Balfour, Jay (August 11, 2015). "Dr. Dre: Compton". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  14. ^ a b Weiner, Johan (August 6, 2015). "Compton". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  15. ^ Ramirez, Matthew (August 7, 2015). "Review: Dr. Dre Returns After 16 Years to Deliver His Surprise Retirement Record 'Compton'". Spin. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  16. ^ Ryan, Patrick (August 7, 2015). "Review: Dr. Dre's 'Compton' is a vivid return". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  17. ^ Steele, Billy (August 21, 2015). "Dr. Dre's 'Compton' makes its way to Google Music, Rdio and others". Engaget. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  18. ^ Christgau, Robert (February 26, 2016). "G.O.O.D. Music Abounds: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  19. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2015". Pitchfork. December 16, 2015. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  20. ^ "The Best Albums of 2015". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. December 2, 2015. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  21. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 10, 2015). "Luke Bryan & Dr. Dre Aiming for Top of Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  22. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (August 16, 2015). "Luke Bryan Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart, Dr. Dre Debuts at No. 2". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on October 20, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  23. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 23, 2015). "Luke Bryan's 'Kill the Lights' Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  24. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 30, 2015). "Disturbed Scores Fifth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  25. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 6, 2015). "The Weeknd's 'Beauty Behind the Madness' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  26. ^ "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Dr. Dre's 'Compton' Hits a Half-Million Sold, Madonna's 'Immaculate' Return". Billboard. January 30, 2016. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  27. ^ a b Jones, Alan (August 14, 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Dr. Dre tops UK Albums Chart with non-physical release". Music Week. Intent Media. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  28. ^ a b Moss, Liv (August 14, 2015). "Dr Dre scores first UK Number 1 album with Compton". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  29. ^ James (August 21, 2015). "Dr Dre's Compton: What You Need to Know". HMV. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  30. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  31. ^ "Compton - Dr. Dre | Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  32. ^ a b "Compton". Drdre.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  33. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  34. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Dr. Dre – Compton" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  35. ^ "Ultratop.be – Dr. Dre – Compton" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – Dr. Dre – Compton" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  37. ^ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  38. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  39. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dr. Dre – Compton" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  40. ^ "Dr. Dre: Compton" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  41. ^ "Lescharts.com – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  42. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dr. Dre – Compton" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  43. ^ "Official IFPI Charts - Top-75 Albums Sales Chart - Week: 38/2015". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  44. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 32. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  45. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 33, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  46. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  47. ^ "Charts.nz – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  48. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  49. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  50. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Dr. Dre – Compton". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  51. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  52. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  53. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  54. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  55. ^ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  56. ^ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  57. ^ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 2015". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  58. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2015". Ultratop. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  59. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2015". Ultratop. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  60. ^ "Billboard Top Canadian Albums - Year-end Chart". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  61. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2015". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  62. ^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2015" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  63. ^ "The Official NZ Music Charts - End of Year Charts 2015".
  64. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2016". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  65. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 - 2015". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  66. ^ "Billboard 200 - Year-end Chart". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  67. ^ "Billboard Digital Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  68. ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  69. ^ "Billboard Rap Albums- Year-end Chart". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  70. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2016". Ultratop. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  71. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  72. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  73. ^ "French album certifications – Dr Dre – Compton" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  74. ^ "British album certifications – Dr. Dre – Compton". British Phonographic Industry. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  75. ^ "American album certifications – Dr. Dre – Compton". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  76. ^ "iTunes music -Compton by Dr. Dre". Apple Inc. iTunes. August 7, 2015. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  77. ^ "Dr. Dre – Compton (A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre)". Discogs. August 21, 2015. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  78. ^ "Dr. Dre Compton (A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre)". Discogs. November 20, 2015. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Compton_(album)&oldid=1262975354"