"Forgot About Dre" is a song by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre from his second studio album 2001 (1999). It features fellow American rapper Eminem on the chorus and second verse. The song was released on January 22, 2000, as the album's second single.
Background[]
The song is considered a response to diss tracks made by Death Row artists on Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000, a compilation released by Suge Knight which takes its title from Dre's 1992 album The Chronic. The line "Who you think brought you the oldies, Eazy-E's, Ice Cube's, and DOC's, the Snoop D.O. Double G's, and the group that said 'Motherfuck the police'?" outlines Dre's importance in the rap world, the theme of the song. Eminem's verse features the bizarre violence and aggression typical of his "Slim Shady" alter ego.
Personnel[]
- Andre Young – lead vocals, writing, production, mixing
- Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering
- Camara Kambon – keyboards
- Marshall Mathers – featured vocals, writing
- Melvin Bradford – writing, production
- Michelle Forbes – engineering assistance
- Mike Elizondo – bass guitar
- Richard "Segal" Huredia – mixing, engineering
- Sean Cruse – guitar
- Tom Gordon – engineering assistance
Music video[]
The music video was directed by Philip Atwell, where a few explicit lines in Eminem's verse are replaced with a skit in which Eminem is answering reporter Jane Yamamoto's questions about a fire he and Dre had started. When the video ends, it switches over to "Last Dayz" by Hittman. This video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video in 2000.
| Video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Philip Atwell | |
| Producer | Chris Palladino | |
| Length | 5:15 | |
Accolades[]
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2000 MTV Video Music Awards | Best Rap Video | Won |
| 2001 | 43rd Grammy Awards | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Won |
Critical reception[]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic marked it as a stand-out track praising Eminem's unpredictability. NME observed that the song "jogs (listeners') memories" as to Dre's accomplishments" and "(keeps) his legend simmering." Chris Massey of PopMatters praised: " it's the frantic rap of Eminem that truly stands out, perhaps only because he's the freshest voice on board." Greg Tate of SPIN noted that Dr. Dre uses this song to "make sure all recognize his majesty", with Eminem "standing by him like a cartoon pitbull."
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1: Dr. Dre]
Y'all know me, still the same OG
But I been low-key
Hated on by most these n****s
With no cheese, no deals and no G's
No wheels and no keys
No boats, no snowmobiles, and no skis
Mad at me, 'cause I can finally afford to provide my family with groceries
Got a crib with a studio and it's all full of tracks
To add to the wall full of plaques
Hangin' up in the office and back at my house like trophies
Did y'all think I'ma let my dough freeze? Ho, please
You better bow down on both knees
Who you think taught you to smoke trees?
Who you think brought you the oldies?
Eazy-E's, Ice Cube's, and D.O.C.'s
The Snoop D-O-double-Gs
And the group that said, "Motherfuck the police"
Gave you a tape full of dope beats
To bump when you stroll through in your hood
And when your album sales wasn't doin' too good
Who's the Doctor they told you to go see?
Y'all better listen up closely
All you n****s that said that I turned pop or The Firm flopped
Y'all are the reason that Dre ain't been gettin' no sleep
So fuck y'all, all of y'all
If y'all don't like me, blow me
Y'all are gon' keep fuckin' around with me and turn me back to the old me
[Chorus: Eminem]
Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin' to say
But nothin' comes out when they move their lips
Just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre
Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin' to say
But nothin' comes out when they move their lips
Just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre
[Verse 2: Eminem]
So what do you say to somebody you hate (What?)
Or anyone tryna bring trouble your way?
Wanna resolve things in a bloodier way? (Yup)
Just study a tape of N.W.A
One day I was walkin' by
With a Walkman on, when I caught a guy
Gave me an awkward eye ('Chu lookin' at?)
And strangled him up in the parking lot with his Karl Kani
I don't give a fuck if it's dark or not
I'm harder than me tryna park a Dodge
When I'm drunk as fuck
Right next to a humongous truck in a two-car garage
Hoppin' out with two broken legs tryna walk it off
Fuck you too, bitch, call the cops
I'ma kill you and them loud-ass motherfuckin' barkin' dogs
And when the cops came through
Me and Dre stood next to a burnt-down house
With a can full of gas and a hand full of matches
And still weren't found out (Right here)
So from here on out, it's the Chronic II
Startin' today and tomorrow's anew
And I'm still loco enough to choke you to death with a Charleston Chew
Chicka-chicka-chicka Slim Shady
Hotter than a set of twin babies
In a Mercedes Benz with the windows up
When the temp goes up to the mid-80s
Callin' men ladies
Sorry Doc, but I been crazy
There's no way that you can save me
It's okay, go with him, Hailie (Dada?)
[Chorus: Eminem]
Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin' to say
But nothin' comes out when they move their lips
Just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre
Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin' to say
But nothin' comes out when they move their lips
Just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre
[Verse 3: Dr. Dre]
If it was up to me, you motherfuckers'd stop
Comin' up to me with your hands out
Lookin' up to me like you want somethin' free
When my last CD was out, you wasn't bumpin' me
But now that I got this little company
Everybody wanna come to me
Like it was some disease, but you won't get a crumb from me
'Cause I'm from the streets of C-Compton (Compton)
I told 'em all
All 'em little gangstas, who you think helped mold 'em all?
Now you wanna run around talkin' 'bout guns like I ain't got none
What, you think I sold 'em all
'Cause I stay well off?
Now all I get is hate mail all day sayin' Dre fell off
What, 'cause I been in the lab
With a pen and a pad tryin' to get this damn label off?
I ain't havin' that
This is the millennium of Aftermath
It ain't gon' be nothin' after that
So give me one more platinum plaque
And fuck rap, you can have it back
So where's all the Mad Rappers at?
It's like a jungle in this habitat
But all you savage cats know that I was strapped with gats
While you were cuddlin' a Cabbage Patch
[Chorus: Eminem]
Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin' to say
But nothin' comes out when they move their lips
Just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre
Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin' to say
But nothin' comes out when they move their lips
Just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre
[Outro: Eminem]
Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got somethin' to say
But nothin' comes out when they move their lips
Just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)
|
48 |
| Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)
|
33 |
 Germany (GfK)
|
41 |
 Ireland (IRMA)
|
20 |
 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
|
19 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)
|
16 |
 New Zealand (RMNZ)
|
26 |
 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)
|
29 |
 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)
|
37 |
 UK Singles (OCC)
|
7 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)
|
3 |
 US Billboard 200
|
25 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
|
14 |
| US Pop Airplay (Billboard)
|
32 |
| US Rhythmic (Billboard)
|
3 |
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
| Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)
|
12 |
| Global 200 (Billboard) | 100 |
Year-end charts[]
| Chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)
|
71 |
| UK Urban (Music Week)
|
28 |
| US Billboard Hot 100
|
73 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
|
53 |
Certifications[]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| [[File:|20px|link=]] Gold | 25,000* | |
| [[File:|20px|link=]] Platinum | 90,000*** | |
| [[File:|20px|link=]] Gold | 250,000*** | |
| [[File:|20px|link=]] Gold | 50,000*** | |
| [[File:|20px|link=]] 5× Platinum | 150,000*** | |
| [[File:|20px|link=]] 2× Platinum | 1,200,000*** | |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||