With the release of the damp squib “Under Pressure” last week let’s rewind the clock 15 years or so with one of the most anticipated albums that never was. Fresh out of jail after a 6 month bid, Dr Dre hit the studio to work on two new projects: a collaboration LP with Ice Cube and his sophomore album The Chronic 2 – Poppas Got a Brand New Funk. Notorious for taking his time on production, Dre’s stalling came into conflict with Suge Knight’s policy of taking the best music available for the next album release. In this case, it would be 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me that benefited from songs that were supposed to be on Dre’s projects, namely the first single “California Love” and “U Can’t C Me.” This turned out to be the tipping point for Dre’s decision to depart the label as he soon contacted Jimmy Iovine and in alleged conversation told him “make me a deal and I’ll make you some hits.” Chronic 2 and Helter Skelter were dead in the water, leaving the impressive “My Life” perpetually unreleased. A musical autobiography, the track details Dre’s career from spinning at Eve’s After Dark to spearheading the West Coast revolution with Death Row. I’d hoped that WIDEawake Ent. would give us a remaster of this but that appears unlikely with the current turmoil at the label. In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with these two versions: the original “Smokin’ Weed For Hours” track and the re-tweaked and renamed “My Life.” They’re essentially the same song with a couple of different beat switch-ups. I’ll be putting “My Life” on our Death Row Unreleased compilation launching tomorrow. Two discs, 30 tracks, dedicated for the zigganz that was down from day one.

Dr Dre – My Life
Dr Dre – Smokin’ Weed for Hours

— Snoop Bloggy Blogg