Two hip-hop legends collide on DJ Critical Hype’s latest concoction The DAMN. Chronic. The mashup project weds Kendrick Lamar’s lyrical acrobatics with Dr. Dre’s unmatched production talents to create the unofficial, collaborative project that we’ve all dreamed of but never imagined would actually come true. It’s a marvelous blend of old-school and new-school that digs deep into the catalogs of both artists to produce gems such as the opening combination of Compton State Of Mind track “Kendrick Lamar” with Dre’s iconic “My Name Is.” DJ Critical Hype is a seasoned veteran when it comes to creating mashup mixtapes, having put together Chance The Dropout in 2016 which layers Chance The Rapper’s vocals over Kanye West’s production. Still, he noted that he did have some difficulty with the mixing process on this latest effort. “Kendrick has so many flows, voices, and styles, plus Dre beats are really incredible, so I figured it would be dope,” he told Pigeons and Planes. “I was determined to make it work, but the truth is it wasn’t easy. A lot of the tempos actually didn’t mix well…The problem is Dre doesn’t have many slower beats. I’m really happy with the results, though. All the hard work and dedication to this project paid off.” For two artists who continue to put on for their city and have influenced a generation of youngsters, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar would surely be pleased with the finished product. Don’t miss The DAMN. Chronic below, and let us know your thoughts on this Compton connection in the comments.
