Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath

Dre's scarce vocals, newly critiquing gangsta rap, marked Dre's reemergence after his departure from Death Row Records in March 1996, where Dre himself had propelled gangsta rap into the mainstream. (Dre had co-founded Death Row Records in 1991 amid his embattled split from Ruthless Records and its pioneering, gangsta rap group N.W.A.)The exact facts of Dre's contractual status with Ruthless Records and of his cofounding Death Row Records are debated, yet in practice, at least, Dre left Ruthless in 1991 while finishing N.W.A's final album and forming Death Row amid financing and assistance now often overlooked, but with Dre himself and Suge Knight as its core founders. For major story versions, see Ben Westhoff, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0T5UCwAAQBAJ&q=%22popular+imagination%22 "We know where your mother lives"], Original Gangstas: [https://books.google.com/books?id=0T5UCwAAQBAJ&q="D.O.C.+gave" The Untold Story] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240626034951/https://books.google.com/books?id=0T5UCwAAQBAJ&q= |date=June 26, 2024 }} (New York & London: Hachette, 2017).

The 1996 album's first single, "East Coast/West Coast Killas", features prominent rappers from California and New York rebuking rap's recently ugly East–West "war." Dre participates himself on the chorus and the music video features a cameo appearance by Southern rapper, Scarface. The second single, a Dre solo, is the only track with Dre as main vocalist, "Been There, Done That."

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|2.5|5}}{{AllMusic|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|class=album|id=r243986}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2Score = B+{{cite magazine|last=Bernard|first=James|date=December 13, 1996|issue=357|title=Dr. Feelgood|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/12/13/dr-dre-presentsthe-aftermath/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|page=80|location=New York|access-date=June 26, 2024|archive-date=May 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523181831/https://ew.com/article/1996/12/13/dr-dre-presentsthe-aftermath/|url-status=live}}

| rev3 = Los Angeles Times

| rev3Score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}{{cite news|last=Coker|first=Cheo Hodari|author-link=Cheo Hodari Coker|date=November 24, 1996|title=Pop Music: Various Artists – "Dr. Dre Presents...The Aftermath"|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-24-ca-2291-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|page=63|access-date=June 26, 2024|archive-date=June 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240626034958/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-24-ca-2291-story.html|url-status=live}}

| rev4 = Muzik

| rev4Score = 6/10{{Cite magazine |last=Ashon |first=Will |author-link=Will Ashon |date=February 1997 |title=Dr Dre: Dr Dre Presents... The Aftermath |url=http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik021_february_1997_2.pdf |magazine=Muzik |issue=21 |page=111 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402181504/http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik021_february_1997_2.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2022 |access-date=July 16, 2022}}

| rev5 = Rap Pages

| rev5Score = (mixed){{cite magazine|last=Gordon|first=Allen S.|title=RPM: Dr. Dre – Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath|magazine=Rap Pages|date=February 1997|volume=6|issue=1|location=Los Angeles|page=63}}

| rev6 = Rolling Stone

| rev6Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Powell|first=Kevin|author-link=Kevin Powell|date=January 23, 1997|issue=752|title=Recordings: Various Artists – Dr.Dre Presents... the Aftermath|magazine=Rolling Stone|page=67}}

| rev7 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev7Score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite book|editor-first1=Nathan|editor-last1=Brackett|editor-link1=Nathan Brackett|editor-first2=Christian|editor-last2=Hoard|editor-link2=Christian Hoard|last=Sinagra|first=Laura|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|url=https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/248/|via=Internet Archive|url-access=registration|publisher=Fireside Books|location=New York|date=2004|access-date=January 21, 2024|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=249}}

| rev8 = USA Today

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Steve|date=November 26, 1996|title=In the 'Aftermath,' Dr. Dre ushers in a new crop of talent|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem536.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961228235205/http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem536.htm|archive-date=December 28, 1996|work=USA Today|page=10.D|access-date=June 26, 2024}}

}}

A platinum seller,[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924152940/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Dr.%20Dre&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 RIAA Searchable Database]. Recording Industry Association of America. Accessed May 29, 2008. the album peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 and at #3 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop-Albums charts. Nonetheless, quite unlike Dre's prior album—The Chronic, released in December 1992 as Dre's debut solo album and Death Row Records' first album—Dre's new offering, not a standout, received mixed reviews and lukewarm appraisals.

The Glove, among the album's coproducers, reasoned, "People were upset because they wanted a 'Dr. Dre' album. They weren't looking for a compilation album. That's what messed that up. Plus the single 'Been There, Done That' was cool, but it was taking away from the gangster style that people wanted."{{Cite web|url=https://allhiphop.com/features/exclusive-chris-the-glove-taylor-talks-death-row-aftermath-and-dr-dre-part-2-XakqDFCasE2jtoLr4XS_Ug|title=Exclusive: Chris "The Glove" Taylor Talks Death Row, Aftermath and Dr. Dre (Part 2)|access-date=February 14, 2020|archive-date=April 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428232211/https://allhiphop.com/features/exclusive-chris-the-glove-taylor-talks-death-row-aftermath-and-dr-dre-part-2-XakqDFCasE2jtoLr4XS_Ug/|url-status=dead}} Himself commenting on the album, Dre remarked, "It was just okay. That was a hit and miss."{{Cite web|url=https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2019/04/dr-dre-interview-with-ll-cool-j-full-audio/|title=Dr. Dre & LL Cool J Have Recorded More Than 40 Songs Together (Audio)|date=April 24, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425122700/https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2019/04/dr-dre-interview-with-ll-cool-j-full-audio/|archive-date=April 25, 2019|access-date=April 25, 2019}} More broadly, Dre explained, "That point of my life, musically, it was just off balance. I was off track then and trying to find it. It was a period of doubt. . . It happens with artists. Everything isn't going to be out of the park."{{Cite web |url=http://defiantones.clique.tv/en/ |title=Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine meet French journalist/Producer Mouloud Achour |access-date=May 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520055113/http://defiantones.clique.tv/en/ |archive-date=May 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}

{{tracklist

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Aftermath (The Intro)

| note1 = RC, Sharief and Sid McCoy

| extra1 = Dr. Dre, Mel-Man

| length1 = 2:51

| title2 = East Coast/West Coast Killas

| note2 = Group Therapy (RBX, KRS-One, B-Real and Nas)

| extra2 = Dr. Dre, Stu-B-Doo, Stocks McGuire

| length2 = 4:54

| title3 = Shittin' on the World

| note3 = D-Ruff, Hands-On and Mel-Man

| extra3 = Dr. Dre, Mel-Man

| length3 = 4:58

| title4 = Blunt Time

| note4 = RBX, Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman

| extra4 = Dr. Dre, Stu-B-Doo

| length4 = 4:22

| title5 = Been There, Done That

| note5 = Dr. Dre

| extra5 = Bud'da, Dr. Dre

| length5 = 5:10

| title6 = Choices

| note6 = Kim Summerson

| extra6 = Ewart A. Wilson Jr., Floyd Howard, Glen Mosley

| length6 = 4:45

| title7 = As the World Keeps Turning

| note7 = Cassandra McCowan, Mike Lynn, Flossy P and Stu-B-Doo

| extra7 = Flossy P, Chris "The Glove" Taylor

| length7 = 4:43

| title8 = Got Me Open

| note8 = Hands-On, Dr. Dre

| extra8 = Bud'da

| length8 = 4:19

| title9 = Str-8 Gone

| note9 = King T

| extra9 = Bud'da

| length9 = 4:33

| title10 = Please

| note10 = Maurice Wilcher and Nicole Johnson

| extra10 = Maurice Wilcher

| length10 = 4:22

| title11 = Do 4 Love

| note11 = Jheryl Lockhart

| extra11 = Bud'da

| length11 = 3:23

| title12 = Sexy Dance

| note12 = Cassandra McCowan, Jheryl Lockhart and RC

| extra12 = Bud'da, Dr. Dre

| length12 = 4:55

| title13 = No Second Chance

| note13 = Who'z Who

| extra13 = Rodney Duke, Rose Griffin

| length13 = 4:49

| title14 = L.A.W. (Lyrical Assault Weapon)

| note14 = Sharief

| extra14 = Stu-B-Doo

| length14 = 4:24

| title15 = Nationowl

| note15 = Christian Nowlin

| extra15 = Bud'da

| length15 = 4:06

| title16 = Fame

| note16 = Jheryl Lockhart, King T and RC

| extra16 = Dr. Dre, Chris "The Glove" Taylor

| length16 = 4:30

}}

;Sample credits

• "East Coast/West Coast Killas" | Quincy Jones - "Ironside"
• "Shittin' on the World" | The Fuzz - "I Love You for All Seasons"
• "Blunt Time" | Quincy Jones - "Summer in the City"
• "Choices" | Isaac Hayes - "Look of Love"
• "Got Me Open" | K-Def & Larry O - "Real Live Shit"
• "Do 4 Love" | Heath Brothers - "Smiling Billy Suite Pt. 2"
• "Fame" | David Bowie - "Fame"

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable" !Chart (1996–1997) !Peak position

Canadian Albums (RPM){{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9894&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5|title=Top Albums/CDs - Volume 64, No. 17, December 9, 1996|magazine=RPM|access-date=March 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021193355/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9894&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5|archive-date=October 21, 2012|url-status=dead}} |align="center"|69

{{album chart|Billboard200|6|artist=Various Artists|access-date=April 21, 2021}}

{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|3|artist=Various Artists|access-date=April 21, 2021}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable" !Chart (1997) !Position

US Billboard 200{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 21, 2021|archive-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427174640/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/top-billboard-200-albums|url-status=live}} |align="center"|152

US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 21, 2021|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515154021/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|url-status=live}} |align="center"|71

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Various|title=Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath|award=Platinum|relyear=1996|certyear=1997|refname="riaa"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Aftermath Entertainment}}

{{Dr. Dre}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1996 compilation albums

Category:Albums produced by Bud'da

Category:Albums produced by Dr. Dre

Category:Hip-hop compilation albums

Category:Aftermath Entertainment compilation albums

Category:Interscope Records compilation albums

Category:Compilation albums by American artists

Category:Record label compilation albums

Category:Albums produced by Chris "The Glove" Taylor