DX: Sir Jinx told me that the stuff he heard, that Dr. Dre played for him, was similar to the song in the Dr. Pepper commercial. Do you know if that’s the stuff that they’re looking at trying to put out?
The D.O.C.: The Dr. Pepper commercial, that’s one of the tracks, but that one was leaked already. That was the one with T.I. on it I think, [“Shit Popped Off”]. And that’s not a bad one. I like that rhythm; I like the groove. I’m laying in wait, I wanna see. I’m a fan just like you.
I worked for four years on that record with that dude. It didn’t used to take us that fuckin’ long. We’d go in, and it was a couple of years maybe [and] we’d have what we needed. But, the game has changed. All the pieces of the puzzle ain’t there no more, ‘cause the money has fucked up niggas’ minds. Everybody gotta be the big dog with the big dick. And that’s not how you create records. It’s gotta be love, and happy and fun and diggin’ it. The 2001 record was one that we had all got a chance to get together [for the first time] since the first Chronic record, and that shit was fun. It wasn’t really even about making music, it was just about, “Man, I can’t wait to get to the studio ‘cause all my little niggas gon’ be there. We gon’ smoke weed all day. We gon’ drink. Dre gon’ play some drums, and then whatever comes out comes out.”
But it’s a new day and time now. The kids is taking the Rap thing over. That’s why I really applaud Jay-Z, because he stayed so far above the clouds where the bullshit is concerned. He allows himself to be as great an entrepreneur as he ever was an artist. He allows himself to be a great human being first, an artist second, an entrepreneur and businessman third. And you gotta respect a man who’s strong enough mentally to be able to make all these power moves and do it on a low-key level where he don’t need that shit to blow himself up.
To get back to your question, I don’t know why those guys [won’t stand their ground with Jimmy Iovine] – well yes I do, they’re rich! They don’t give a fuck. They’re rich, and Jimmy Iovine’s rich. Iovine wears Beats [By Dre headphones] everywhere he go. He’s not wearing them Beats ‘cause it’s Dre’s company. Jimmy’s no dummy.
My timing was just bad. I gave a fuck about the music and not the business, thinking that my niggas had my back when they didn’t.
DX: Post 2001, [after] that album, what were you expecting to happen? Like, what did you want either Dr. Dre to do for you or just the situation to [create]?
The D.O.C.: You know what I wanted? I never stopped believing that my nigga was gonna wake up one day and say, You know what? When I didn’t have shit this nigga was doing. He wasn’t doing it for money, ‘cause I didn’t have shit to give him. When I had money, this guy was doing. He wasn’t crying about money.
I thought Dre was me. The situations could not be reversed and be like it is now. Now this is the crazy part, Dre and I are [still] brothers. And I know that nigga love me like I love him. So when we argue, it’s the kinda shit earthquakes is made out of… So, we have to give each other space. But, it ain’t the same [this time]. It really ain’t the same, ‘cause dude got all the power.
But like I said, I really do love and respect him, and I know he feels the same way. That’s why I’m just anxious to see what [Detox] is gonna do. I’m anxious to see what you’re gonna do, where your mind is, where your head is, which way are you going, [and] how the fuck are you gonna dig yourself out of this spot? Because now the whole world is watching. They’re waiting.
Stay tuned to HipHopDX for the remaining portion of our bombshell conversation with The D.O.C., in which he reveals additional details of the disintegration of his working relationship with Dr. Dre. The pen behind countless classics also takes a brief stroll down memory lane, recalling his history with Eazy-E, Jerry Heller, Ice Cube, Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg, and his more recent history with Eminem.
The D.O.C.: The Dr. Pepper commercial, that’s one of the tracks, but that one was leaked already. That was the one with T.I. on it I think, [“Shit Popped Off”]. And that’s not a bad one. I like that rhythm; I like the groove. I’m laying in wait, I wanna see. I’m a fan just like you.
I worked for four years on that record with that dude. It didn’t used to take us that fuckin’ long. We’d go in, and it was a couple of years maybe [and] we’d have what we needed. But, the game has changed. All the pieces of the puzzle ain’t there no more, ‘cause the money has fucked up niggas’ minds. Everybody gotta be the big dog with the big dick. And that’s not how you create records. It’s gotta be love, and happy and fun and diggin’ it. The 2001 record was one that we had all got a chance to get together [for the first time] since the first Chronic record, and that shit was fun. It wasn’t really even about making music, it was just about, “Man, I can’t wait to get to the studio ‘cause all my little niggas gon’ be there. We gon’ smoke weed all day. We gon’ drink. Dre gon’ play some drums, and then whatever comes out comes out.”
But it’s a new day and time now. The kids is taking the Rap thing over. That’s why I really applaud Jay-Z, because he stayed so far above the clouds where the bullshit is concerned. He allows himself to be as great an entrepreneur as he ever was an artist. He allows himself to be a great human being first, an artist second, an entrepreneur and businessman third. And you gotta respect a man who’s strong enough mentally to be able to make all these power moves and do it on a low-key level where he don’t need that shit to blow himself up.
To get back to your question, I don’t know why those guys [won’t stand their ground with Jimmy Iovine] – well yes I do, they’re rich! They don’t give a fuck. They’re rich, and Jimmy Iovine’s rich. Iovine wears Beats [By Dre headphones] everywhere he go. He’s not wearing them Beats ‘cause it’s Dre’s company. Jimmy’s no dummy.
My timing was just bad. I gave a fuck about the music and not the business, thinking that my niggas had my back when they didn’t.
DX: Post 2001, [after] that album, what were you expecting to happen? Like, what did you want either Dr. Dre to do for you or just the situation to [create]?
The D.O.C.: You know what I wanted? I never stopped believing that my nigga was gonna wake up one day and say, You know what? When I didn’t have shit this nigga was doing. He wasn’t doing it for money, ‘cause I didn’t have shit to give him. When I had money, this guy was doing. He wasn’t crying about money.
I thought Dre was me. The situations could not be reversed and be like it is now. Now this is the crazy part, Dre and I are [still] brothers. And I know that nigga love me like I love him. So when we argue, it’s the kinda shit earthquakes is made out of… So, we have to give each other space. But, it ain’t the same [this time]. It really ain’t the same, ‘cause dude got all the power.
But like I said, I really do love and respect him, and I know he feels the same way. That’s why I’m just anxious to see what [Detox] is gonna do. I’m anxious to see what you’re gonna do, where your mind is, where your head is, which way are you going, [and] how the fuck are you gonna dig yourself out of this spot? Because now the whole world is watching. They’re waiting.
Stay tuned to HipHopDX for the remaining portion of our bombshell conversation with The D.O.C., in which he reveals additional details of the disintegration of his working relationship with Dr. Dre. The pen behind countless classics also takes a brief stroll down memory lane, recalling his history with Eazy-E, Jerry Heller, Ice Cube, Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg, and his more recent history with Eminem.
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