Over 20 years since his last studio album, Dr. Dre has recently released his new and final album entitled Compton: A Soundtrack. Despite the name the album does not serve as a soundtrack to the movie Straight Outta Compton that was released one week following its release date of August 7th.

Originally from Compton, California, Dr. Dre was one of the founding members of the rap group N.W.A. and one of the most influential figures in rap history. Producing much of his early groups work along with rapping on several tracks, he gained a large fan base from his time in N.W.A. However, after a split from the group in 1993, he went on to become a solo artist, creating one of the most influential rap albums ever, The Chronic. This album created what became known as G-Funk rap, ushering the G-Funk era and gave the world their first listen to the incredibly popular, Snoop Dogg.

After 6 years, Dr. Dre then went on to release his second album, 2001. Again he dazzled with the instrumentals he could produce and the talent he could fit onto one album.

On this last venture for legendary rapper and producer, Dr. Dre explores his past more so than ever before. He claimed to be deeply affected by being on set everyday for the making of the movie, that he decided to create this album. Originally slated to be his final album, Detox was apparently scrapped long ago as he was unsatisfied with it. After being inspired on set, Dre claims that he started entering the studio again, producing new music. The finished product came out as Compton.

The album opens with an introduction of what happened to the city of Compton. Going from a peaceful suburban neighborhood to being flooded with gang activity. Transitioning into the first song, “Talk about it,” we are met by Dre saying “I just bought California/them other states ain’t far behind it either”. Even though he is 50 years old, he is feeling better than ever, going in on his verse delivering the hard baritone sound he is known for, despite his voice sounding rather faded at certain parts throughout the album.

Despite his age, Dr. Dre can still produce like no other. Creating a unique sound that can only be his mixed with takes on modern rap, he produces strong beats filled with bass to blow your speakers out. While this mixture may not come together as nicely on some of the songs compared to others such as “Darkside/Gone and Deep Water,” his production quality is still far beyond most modern producers.

Always known for having an extensive gallery of features on his albums, Dr. Dre does not disappoint on this new feature. He calls upon old friends such as Xzibit, Ice Cube, Eminem and Snoop Dogg, along with new school artists like King Mez, BJ the Chicago Kid and his apprentice Kendrick Lamar.

More open about his past than ever before, Dre speaks on many subjects which fans have never heard him rap about in a deep way before. He gives riveting tales about his rise in the music industry and the things that he has been through, including subject matter covered in the movie Straight Outta Compton, such as going from DJing on the corner to producing, his beef with Eazy-E and his falling out with Suge Knight. The overall tone of the album appears to be every influenced by the production of the movie as claimed, as he continues by speaking on subject matter such as police brutality and the effects of gang violence on his community. While these songs may seem out of place compared to some of the others present across the rest of the album, they help to tell his story in a way none of his other works have.

While Compton may not be Dr. Dre’s best work, it is a solid note to go out on. Along with that, all proceeds from the album are going towards creating a creative and performing arts center in the city of Compton according to Dre. His record is one of the better rap albums released in 2015. It is a must listen for all Dre fans and west coast hip hop fans.