Dr. Dre Nas' "Hustlers", and several beats on Eminem's Relapse album. Soul and R&B pianist Mark Batson, having previously worked with The Dave Matthews Band, Seal and Maroon 5 has been credited as the architect of this sound. Besides Batson, Aftermath producer and understudy of Dre's, Dawaun Parker, who has named Q-Tip and J Dilla as his primary influences, is thought to be responsible for giving Dre's newest beats an East Coast feel. Dr. Dre has said that his primary instrument in the studio is the Akai MPC3000, a drum machine and sampler, and that he often uses as many as four
2001 (Dr. Dre album) sound" from Dr. Dre and that it was as "addictive as it was back when over 3 million record buyers got hooked on "The Chronic" and Snoop Dogg's Dre-produced "Doggystyle"" and went on to commend Dr. Dre, stating, "If any rap producer deserves the title "composer", it's he." "NME" mentioned that Dr. Dre didn't expand the genre, but it was "powerful enough in parts, but not clever enough to give Will Smith the fear". PopMatters writer Chris Massey declared that "Musically, "2001" is about as close to brilliant as any one gangsta rap album might possibly get." Christopher John Farley