THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

544-Dr. Dre-The Next Episode.

2000-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 1.21. The respected music journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the only subject matter on the Album is ‘Violence, drugs, pussy, bitches, dope, guns, and gangsters,’ so with that in mind, I have chosen to keep this as clean as possible, as I may have readers of a delicate nature.

Dr. Dre (see also best songs 564-482-189-128 and 48) was born Andre Romell Young on February 18th, 1965, in Compton, California, United States, he is a music producer, songwriter, Rapper, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur. Dr. Dre has stated that it was after hearing the ‘Grandmaster Flash’ track ‘The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,’ (see also best songs 87) that he knew that he wanted to be involved with music. He initially started out as a ‘DJ,’ using the name ‘Dr. J.’ based on the nickname of his favourite basketball player Julius Erving, he later changed to ‘Dr. Dre,’ using his own birth name instead. In 1985 he joined the American ‘Electro’ music group ‘World Class Wreckin’ Crew,’ with whom he released two studio Albums, and five singles. He would go on to greater success, with that groups fellow member DJ Yella, when they joined Easy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Arabian Prince, to form ‘N.W.A.’ (see also best songs 564 and 128.) After leaving ‘N.W.A.’ in 1991, Dr. Dre launched his solo career, and then in the same year he co-founded ‘Death Row Records’ with three others. He parted ways with that label in 1996, and founded the record label ‘Aftermath Entertainment,’ which has been responsible for launching the careers of high profile artists such as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar.

Dr. Dre has has an extensive discography as a music producer that began in 1986, that includes producing four American Billboard Number 1 singles, and two UK Number 1’s. His solo discography includes three studio Albums released between 1992-2015, and 42 singles released within the same time period, there is also one soundtrack Album, ‘The Wash’ from 2001, and two official compilation Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, he has had nine top 40 singles as the lead artist, with ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,’ featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg, peaking the highest at Number 2 in 1993. He has also had a further seven top 40 hits as a featured artist, with three of those tracks all making the Number 1 spot. In the UK, Dr. Dre has had nine top 40 hits as the lead artist, with ‘The Next Episode’ charting the highest at Number 3, while as a featured artist he has appeared on a further four UK top 40 hits, with ‘Crack a Bottle,’ by Eminem, and also featuring 50 Cent, peaking the highest at Number 4 in 2009.

‘The Next Episode’ was the third of four singles released from Dr, Dre’s second studio Album called ‘2001,’ which was released in November 1999, the song was co-written by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mel-Man, David Axelrod, and Brian Bailey, with the production being by Dr. Dre, and Mel-Man. David Axelrod, (1931-2017) appears in the song writing credits, as the melody for ‘The Next Episode’ is sampled from his 1967 track ‘The Edge,’ performed by David McCallum, (1933-2023) on his 1967 Album, ‘Music: A Bit More Of Me.’ Along with Dr. Dre, ‘The Next Episode’ also features performances from fellow Rappers Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg, (1969-2011) but only Snoop Dogg is officially credited.

Snoop Dogg was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. on October 20th, 1971, in Long Beach, California, United States, as a child his mother nicknamed him ‘Snoopy,’ due to his love and likeness of the cartoon character from the comic strip ‘Peanuts.’ Away from music, Snoop Dogg has appeared in various video games, music videos, television series, and film appearances, such as the ‘Academy Award’ winning drama ‘Training Day,’ (2001) and the critically acclaimed cable television series ‘The L Word’ (2004.) Snoop Dogg started his music career in the persona of a ‘Gangsta Rapper,’ but following the death of Tupac Shakur, (1971-1996) (see also best songs 482) he recognised the dangers of that lifestyle, and transformed his stage image to that of a ‘pimp.’ In 2012 he released a ‘Reggae’ Album called ‘Reincarnated’ using the pseudonym ‘Snoop Lion,’ he told reporters that he was rechristened Snoop Lion by a Rastafari priest in Jamaica. After releasing his sixteenth studio Album ‘Bible of Love,’ in 2018, Snoop Dogg told an interviewer while speaking of his ‘Gospel’ influences, that he ‘Always referred to his saviour Jesus Christ on most of his records, and that he had become ‘a born-again Christian.’

‘The Next Episode’ is considered a sequel to the Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg track ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang, from Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut solo Album ‘The Chronic,’ in which Snoop Dogg instructs listeners at the end of the chorus to ‘Just chill till the next episode.’ Dr. Dre’s lyrics on ‘The Next Episode’ were written by the artists ‘Hittman,’ ‘The D.O.C.’ and ‘Ms Roq,’ with Dr. Dre modifying them, but none of those three artists receive official song writing credits. With there being a seven year gap between his solo studio Albums, Dr. Dre was keen to prove that he wasn’t just a producer of music for other artists, and this song was one of his statements to doubters.

‘I’m on one, I might bail up in the Century club, with my jeans on, and my team strong. Get my drink on, and my smoke on, then go home wit’ somethin’ to poke on.’