IT WAS ON THIS DATE, JANUARY 29, 2000 DR. DRE RELEASED FORGOT ABOUT DRE FEATURING EMINEM

“Forgot About Dre” is a single from rapper Dr. Dre’s album 2001, featuring vocals from rapper Eminem. The track reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 14 on the U.S. R&B chart, No. 32 on the U.S. Pop chart, and No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart. Released as the album’s second single on January 29, 2000,[1] like “Still D.R.E.”, the song addresses Dre’s critics in a defiant manner, as Dre announces his return to the hip-hop scene and reminds listeners of his significant influence on the genre. “Forgot About Dre” won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2001 Grammy Awards. It samples the No Doubt song “The Climb”.

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. In an interview, Kendrick Lamar stated this and Six-Two’s verse from Xxplosive tied for the best verses in the 2001 album.

In the music video, (directed by Philip G. Atwell) 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.

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.”