20 Ways Dr. Dre's The Chronic Changed Music

20 years later, the legacy of this classic album lives on.

West Coast Love\r - Dr. Dre's 1996 compilation album Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath features "Blunt Time," a song on which west coast rapper RBX uses the opening lyrics from Scott-Heron's 1978 recording "Angel Dust." This song was borrowed again by Compton rapper Game for his third studio album LAX on the song "Angel," which featured Common and was produced by Kanye West. \r(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
How the West Was Won - Though Ice T, Too Short and N.W.A. first put West Coast hip hop on the map, The Chronic was a geographic game-changer. For the next several years, Cali rap wasn’t just in the building anymore—it owned it. Snoop Dogg and Tupac broke through soon after, and artists from all over, including Da Brat and Redman, showed a heavy West Coast influence.  (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The G-Funk Era - On The Chronic, Dr. Dre (and his co-producers) revealed a brand new sound: G-funk. Anchored by live instruments, wah-wah guitars, whiny synth melodies, clean sonic and heavy Parliament-Funkadelic influence, G-funk was a sharp departure from the darker, sample-heavy East Coast-based sound that dominated hip hop at the time. It was rap with a decidedly West Coast bent, and changed the sound of the genre forever.    (Photo: Sal Idriss/Redferns)What's In A Name? - Snoop Dogg was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. on October 19, 1971. During his childhood he was nicknamed "Snoopy" because he resembled the Peanuts character. Lucky for him the name stuck and helped make him a star.(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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20 Ways Dr. Dre's The Chronic Changed Music - Dr. Dre's classic solo debut, The Chronic, dropped 20 years ago today, Dec. 15. But it wasn't just an amazing album—it was a game-changing cultural event. The Chronic transformed rap, music and popular culture forever. Here, BET.com honors the album's 20 years with a rundown of 20 ways the album changed music inside and out. Light it up. —Alex Gale  (Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images) 

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