The Chronic

“The Chronic” is the debut studio album by the American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre1. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his own record label Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records1. The recording sessions took place at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood123.

The album was Dr. Dre’s first solo project after he departed from the West Coast hip hop group N.W.A and its label Ruthless Records over a financial dispute1. The album includes many appearances by then-emerging American rapper Snoop Dogg, who used the album as a launch pad for his own solo career1.

The production on “The Chronic” was seen as innovative and ground-breaking, and received universal acclaim from critics1. Dr. Dre’s production popularized the G-funk subgenre within gangsta rap1. The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and has been certified triple platinum with sales of three million copies in the United States1.

In 2019, the album was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"1. This album serves as a testament to the raw, unbridled energy of Dre creating music on his own terms2.