It's long been concluded that Dr. Dre, the brilliant producer and overall musical visionary that is he, does not write his own bars. Having previously rapped verses written by Jay-Z (who wrote "Still D.R.E" in its entirety), Eminem, Royce Da 5'9", and presumably more, many have opted to believe that Dre simply outsources the writing process on a consistent basis. Though seldom held to the same scrutiny as other writer-using rappers (ghost or otherwise), Dre has been left out of many "best rapper" conversations as a direct result.
Yet as KXNG Crooked tells it, the truth of the situation might not be so clear-cut. In fact, Crook actually witnessed Dr. Dre writing and reciting his own bars. The conversation kicked off during a discussion on Dre's 2001, which evolved into a discourse on Dre's penmanship history. After one user mentioned that Eminem wrote bars for Dre in the past, Crook noted that while true, Dre doesn't always sit out the writing process.
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"Dre writes too but yea he has writers I mean Em has written him some fire," states Crook. When asked for direct examples, Crook looked to their latest session in the studio. "Last time I was in the lab with him he wrote his own verse," remarked the heavyweight lyricist. "Different cadences, punchlines etc.."
For those who can appreciate the craft on a deeper level, it may very well be interesting to deep dive into some of Dre's recent verses in an attempt to glean distinct patterns. Perhaps a good starting point is one of Dre and Crook's recent, albeit unreleased collaborations. In it, the Doc spits scathing bars aimed at his ex-wife Nicole Young, a topic that would certainly benefit from his own first-hand account.
It's not entirely surprising that Dre writes some of his own verses, given the extent of his experience in the rap game. Perhaps this development will lead to a new perspective on Dre's rapping, though it remains uncertain how much writing he's done. Let the deep dives begin.