2001 (Dr. Dre album) it's got a soul beat, but it's done with those heavy Dre drums. Listen to 'This Can't Be Life,' a track I did for Jay-Z's "" album, and then listen to 'Xxplosive'. It's a direct bite." Credits adapted from liner notes. All songs produced by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, except "The Message" produced by Lord Finesse. Notes Sample credits 2001 (Dr. Dre album) 2001 (sometimes referred to as The Chronic 2001, Chronic 2001 or The Chronic 2) is the second studio album by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on November 16, 1999, by Interscope Records as
Dr. Dre was introduced to fellow Pittsburgh native Melvin "Mel-Man" Bradford. At this time, he also switched from using the E-mu SP-1200 to the Akai MPC3000 drum kit and sampler, which he still uses today. Beginning with his 1996 compilation Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath, Dre's production has taken a less sample-based approach, with loud, layered snare drums dominating the mix, while synthesizers are still omnipresent. In his critically acclaimed second album, 2001, live instrumentation takes the place of sampling, a famous example being "The Next Episode", in which keyboardist Camara Kambon re-played live the main melody from David McCallum's 1967 jazz-funk