Forgot About Dre
2000 single by Dr. Dre featuring Eminem
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"Forgot About Dre" is a song by American rapper Dr. Dre featuring Eminem. Written by Eminem, the collaboration was released on January 29, 2000 as the second single from Dr. Dre's album 2001 (1999).
- Sierra Sonics, Reno
- Larrabee West, Hollywood
- A&M, Hollywood
- Record One, Los Angeles
| "Forgot About Dre" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Dr. Dre featuring Eminem | ||||
| from the album 2001 | ||||
| B-side | "Still D.R.E." | |||
| Released | January 29, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | February 1999 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:42 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Composers | ||||
| Lyricist | Marshall Mathers | |||
| Producers | ||||
| Dr. Dre singles chronology | ||||
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| Eminem singles chronology | ||||
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| Music videos | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
Background
The song is considered a response to diss tracks by Death Row artists on Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000, a compilation released by Suge Knight that takes its title from Dre's 1992 album The Chronic. The line "Who you think brought you the oldies, Eazy-E's, Ice Cube's, and DOC's, the Snoop D.O. Double G's, and the group that said 'Motherfuck the police'?" outlines Dre's importance in the rap world, the theme of the song. Dre also mentions how people said he turned to pop music and the criticism that Nas' supergroup The Firm received about The Album, which Dre produced. Eminem's verse features the bizarre violence and aggression typical of his "Slim Shady" alter ego. In an interview, Kendrick Lamar said this and Six-Two's verse from "Xxplosive" tied for the best verses on 2001.[1]
Eminem's lyrics were originally supposed to be performed by Snoop Dogg. Eminem wrote the lyrics, then recorded himself performing them as “reference vocals” for Snoop. Dre liked how it sounded, so he kept Eminem's version in.[2]
Music video
The video was directed by Philip G. Atwell and was shot between December 24–26, 1999.[4] It was released on January 9, 2000. The video opens at night with Dr. Dre rapping in front of a newsstand in a city. Eminem raps as he walks through a dark city street. A few explicit lines in Eminem's verse are replaced with a skit in which Eminem answers reporter Jane Yamamoto's questions about a fire he and Dre started.[5] When the video ends, it switches to "Last Dayz" by Hittman where he raps most of the 1st verse. This video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video in 2000.
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called "Forgot About Dre" a standout track, praising Eminem's unpredictability.[6] NME wrote that the song "jogs [listeners'] memories" as to Dre's accomplishments" and keeps "his legend simmering."[7] According to Chris Massey of PopMatters, "it's the frantic rap of Eminem that truly stands out, perhaps only because he's the freshest voice on board."[8] Greg Tate of SPIN noted that Dr. Dre uses this song to "make sure all recognize his majesty", with Eminem "standing by him like a cartoon pitbull."[9]
"Forgot About Dre" has been widely regarded as one of Eminem's best songs. Rolling Stone and The Guardian both ranked the song number three on their lists of the greatest Eminem songs.[10][11]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43rd Annual Grammy Awards 21 February 2001 | 43rd Grammy Awards | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Won |
Track listing
- UK CD single #1[12]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forgot About Dre" (video version) | 3:42 | ||
| 2. | "Still D.R.E." (featuring Snoop Dogg) |
|
| 4:34 |
| 3. | "Forgot About Dre" (instrumental) |
|
| 3:42 |
| 4. | "Forgot About Dre" (explicit music video) |
|
| 3:45 |
| Total length: | 15:42 | |||
- UK CD single #2[13]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forgot About Dre" (clean version) | 3:42 | ||
| 2. | "Still D.R.E." (featuring Snoop Dogg) (clean version) |
|
| 4:34 |
| Total length: | 8:16 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forgot About Dre" (instrumental) |
|
| 3:42 |
| 2. | "Forgot About Dre" (clean music video) |
|
| 3:45 |
| Total length: | 7:27 | |||
- 12" vinyl[14]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forgot About Dre" (director's cut video version) | 4:28 | ||
| 2. | "Forgot About Dre" (acappella version) |
|
| 3:36 |
| 3. | "Forgot About Dre" (instrumental) |
|
| 3:42 |
| 4. | "The Next Episode" (instrumental) (featuring Snoop Dogg) |
|
| 2:41 |
| Total length: | 14:27 | |||
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[37] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[38] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[39] | Gold | 250,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[40] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[41] | 5× Platinum | 150,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[42] | 3× Platinum | 1,800,000‡ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||