‘Forgot About Dre’ Marks 25 Years Since Release, Grammy Win
“Forgot About Dre” hit the airwaves on Jan. 29, 2000. The song, featuring Dr. Dre and Eminem, came out as the second single from the album 2001. The veteran artist teamed up with hip-hop’s rising star, both at their peak. Critics loved the rapid-fire verses and how the song took down haters, mixing street tales with clever comebacks that landed perfectly.
Hard-hitting piano notes blend with heavy bass to build the song’s foundation. It worked as a direct response to critics and Death Row’s artists who took aim on Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000.
The pair’s collaboration paid off, winning a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2001. Philip G. Atwell’s eye-catching video direction for the song also picked up an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video that same year. Orlando Jones stole the show in the video, with flames roaring behind him. These powerful scenes matched the song’s intensity, helping it rise up in the charts.
This song came at a time when Dre needed a comeback. His music had stalled in the late ’90s after a failed single, but this release put him back on top. Before this success, though, Dre nearly gave up because of financial problems during another album’s production that almost made him quit the music industry.
“In 1992, I had just bought a new house. Eazy-E and Jerry Heller were trying to starve me out and refused to pay the money they owed me. I was driving on the 101 freeway headed to the studio and, on that drive, I was thinking about quitting,” Dre recalled, according to an excerpt by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton from Black Enterprise.
Today’s artists still draw inspiration from this track. Its influence shows up in new music, while its memorable lines keep showing up throughout pop culture. Their creation continues to influence the rap music of today.