Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" Isn't A Classic, According To DJ Clark Kent

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LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 15: Dr. Dre attends 'The Defiant Ones' special screening at the Ritzy Picturehouse on March 15, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: DJ Clark Kent attends the premiere of "Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives" at the AMC Empire 25 theater on September 24, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by J. Countess/Getty Images)
DJ Clark Kent wasn't feeling RBX on "The Chronic."

Dr. Dre’s The Chronic is undoubtedly an album that has every right to be a classic. From groundbreaking production to stand-out performances from Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre delivered a body of work that earned its place on the National Recording Registry. However, not everyone feels that way. During an appearance on Angie Martinez’s Iconic Records, DJ Clark Kent claimed that Dr Dre's The Chronic doesn’t stand alongside albums like Doggystyle, Reasonable Doubt, or Ready To Die.

Clark Kent listed a number of classic albums before Angie Martinez mentioned Dre’s seminal debut album. “I can’t even put The Chronic before I put [Doggystyle],” he said. “Snoop Dogg’s album is better than The Chronic. Anyways – it definitely is.” Martinez was taken aback by DJ Clark Kent’s claim about Dr Dre's album. He added that projects like Ready To Die, Reasonable Doubt, and Life After Death are “the same album.” “All of these albums do the same thing: they begin, they hold you in the middle, they hug you, and then they end,” he added.

DJ Clark Kent’s Take On “The Chronic”

Ultimately, he felt as though every classic album needs to captivate you from the beginning to the end. Even one skip deters a project from reaching the status of being a “classic,” he explained. “But you have to have great songs that make that thing happen. If you don’t – if you got one song that doesn’t hit properly, you done took yourself out of the classic [thing]. Because if you could, you ain’t got a classic,” he said. “That’s why, I won’t say The Chronic is a classic because I could skip RBX.”

Clark Kent Doubles Down 

Clark Kent later took to the comment section of @92bricks where he said that it was solely his opinion and not one that he expected others to share. Later on, he took to his Twitter page where he divulged further on his stance. “Having an opinion, that may not be popular, doesn’t make you a hater. Also doesn’t make you bias. It makes you human,” he wrote. “I respect everyone’s opinions as their own. I will never expect anybody to be in total agreement with me.” Check his comments above and sound off with your thoughts below. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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