Mashups are a dime a dozen for sure, and yet once in a blue moon, something manages to blow us away by simply… fitting together well. Thus is the case with Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre.
The two SoCal rappers rose to prominence decades apart from one another, and still their sometimes playful, sometimes aggressive musical styles mesh into something extremely listenable when they’re combined. Though the pair has collaborated across scattered, latter-day Dre productions, DJ Critical Hype is remedying the generational gap with an album that has Lamar rapping on some of Dre’s most recognizable beats. It’s called The Damn. Chronic, and it brings together hits like “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Forgot About Dre.”
Plus, there’s something about adding Lamar lyrics over the “My Name Is” beat that makes it feel more like a cultural text than an Eminem joke. Maybe this will inspire the hip-hop icons to work on something in the future.
Previously, Critical Hype brought us the Chance the Rapper/Kanye mashup tape.