Rumors are swirling that the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton has lured Dr. Dre back into the studio to record his first full album in 16 years. Dre, whose actual creative output has tended more toward “headphone mogul” than “music producer” in recent years, is apparently working on a soundtrack album for the film, which, if true, would be his first release since 1999’s 2001.
Most of the rumors about the new album—which will apparently feature collaborations with Dre proteges like Kendrick Lamar and Eminen—come courtesy of his old group mate and current co-producer Ice Cube, who told a Philadelphia radio station that the new album is, “Mega. It’s Dr. Dre, it’s what everybody’s been waiting for.”
That’s presumably an allusion to just how long Dre fans have been waiting for a new album from the man behind 1992’s breakout The Chronic. Detox, the original follow-up to 2001, was announced more than a decade ago, and has been hinted at in various forms over the years, but never released (outside of some leaked tracks that surfaced in 2009). Dre is expected to formally announce the new album on his Beats 1 radio show on Saturday, along with the extent to which it’ll serve as an N.W.A. reunion album.