S. Samuel
Producer Just Blaze has opened up about his contribution to Dr. Dre's forthcoming Detox album and what ultimately motivated him to recently put the long-awaited project in full throttle.
Blaze said Dre has consistently been adjusting the project’s sound for nearly a decade.
“The work on Detox, it’s been a long process,” Just told “RapFix.” “I been going back and forth to L.A. for like eight years. Well, 2002, so it’s been nine years years, actually. I’ve seen the album through different phases. I’ve heard near-complete versions of the album, then he turns around and scratches it and does the same thing two or three times over.” (RapFix)
The producer also said Dre’s motivation for initially putting the project together was due to fans’ expectations.
“I remember him telling me, ‘I didn’t really feel good about it until recently’; like I said, maybe two or three years ago,” Just said. “That’s when he was ready to be in his creative space. Up until that point, he was kind of doing it because he felt obligated is what he always used to tell me. When you’re doing something because you feel you have to, it’s not really the ideal conditions to make an album under.” (RapFix)
Earlier this year, SOHH hit up Just Blaze to find out what has stalled the LP for nearly ten years.
“I think when Dre first started talking about it, he wasn’t ready to do it. From conversations I’ve had with him, when he actually did start working on it, he said to me, “I was doing it before because it was expected and it was because it’s what the fans wanted but I wasn’t necessarily ready to do it. Now I’m ready to go.” I think it may be a situation where he might have mentioned it or put the word out there too early. Sometimes, us creatives types, we do that. We think out loud, we say things we’re planning on doing but may not actually be in the space to do yet, and so you really have to get to that point in order to really give and put the right product out.” (SOHH Guest Star)
SOHH also talked to Detox contributing producer Alex Da Kid about his take on the delay.
“I think a lot of what makes Dr. Dre’s Detox [release so anticipated] is because he’s such a unique producer,” Alex told SOHH. “He doesn’t do things just because he feels like he has to do them. He’s at a point in his career where he can do whatever feels good for him and if he wants to spend 11 years on an album, he can do that…He’s definitely a professor and master at what he does, so I think it’ll definitely live up to the hype. It’s going to mean so much to hip-hop just to get another Dre album, it’s something that we all need. It’s a good reference for where hip-hop is right now. There’s no better person who can tell that story than Dre and that’s a good thing.” (SOHH)
As of now, there is no release date for the LP.
Check out Just Blaze speaking on Detox below:
