2001 (Dr. Dre album) were later cut from the final track list. The tracks have been leaked later on several mixtapes, including "Pretox". The album's production expanded on that of "The Chronic", with new, sparse beats and reduced use of samples which were prominent on his debut album. Co-producer Scott Storch talked of how Dr. Dre used his collaborators during recording sessions: "At the time, I saw Dr. Dre desperately needed something. He needed a fuel injection, and Dre utilized me as the nitrous oxide. He threw me into the mix, and I sort of tapped on a new flavor with my whole piano
Dr. Dre critics – revived the label's commercial ambitions and viability. Dr. Dre's second solo album, "2001", released on November 16, 1999, was considered an ostentatious return to his gangsta rap roots. It was initially titled "The Chronic 2000" to imply being a sequel to his debut solo effort "The Chronic" but was re-titled "2001" after Death Row Records released an unrelated compilation album with the title "" in May 1999. Other tentative titles included "The Chronic 2001" and "Dr. Dre". The album featured numerous collaborators, including Devin the Dude, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Xzibit, Nate Dogg, Eminem, Knoc-turn'al, King T, Defari, Kokane,