Dr. Dre has celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut solo album The Chronic with a rollerskating-themed event in the midst coinciding with Grammy Week.
Interscope Records partnered with the owners of Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace — which currently operates trendy rollerskating rinks in New York City and London — to recreate the vibe of the company’s original legendary Los Angeles location, once known as “Studio 54 On Wheels.”
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Usher, who is a brand ambassador for Flipper’s, played host for the evening, which saw the likes of actor Adrian Brody, Cedric The Entertainer, Floyd Mayweather, Sir Paul McCartney, Top Dawg Entertainment founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, Teyana Taylor, and Dr. Dre’s longtime partner Jimmy Iovine come out to commemorate the groundbreaking album.
Others in attendance at the event, which was held at the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday (February 4) included Busta Rhymes, Chris Brown, Danileigh, DJ Drama, Fivio Foreign, Mona Scott-Young, Machine Gun Kelly, Jermaine Dupri, Swizz Beatz and Yo Gotti.
While Dr. Dre waited until Grammy Week to celebrate his multi-platinum debut, The Chronic was originally released on December 15, 1992.
Just ahead of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, the legendary producer announced that the project had returned to streaming services via its original distributor, Interscope Records. Dre also thanked the label’s chairman, John Janick, and vice chairman, Steve Berman, for getting the album back to fans digitally.
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“I am thrilled to bring The Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records,” Dre said. “Working alongside my longtime colleagues, Steve Berman and John Janick, to re-release the album and make it available to fans all over the world is a full circle moment for me.”
In addition to being able to play the album on their preferred streaming platform, fans can also get their hands on new Chronic-inspired merchandise via Interscope’s online store. Shipping March 10, the collection includes hoodies, sweatshirts and T-shirts.
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The Chronic was available to stream until last March when the album, along with a host of other classic Death Row Records releases, mysteriously disappeared from major platforms. Its removal came just weeks after Snoop Dogg became the new owner of the storied gangsta rap label, where he launched his career as an artist.
During an appearance on Drink Champs weeks later, Snoop explained he had pulled the albums from DSPs because he was planning to launch a Death Row streaming service where fans could exclusively hear the label’s catalog.
During the actual Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday (February 5) Dr. Dre was honored with the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for all of his achievements in the music industry.
The award was created in partnership with the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and “recognizes the contributors, creatives and professionals with a proven track record of uplifting Black music.”
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Dre was presented the eponymous award by fellow Hip Hop pioneer LL COOL J, who in his introduction hailed the 57-year-old as “an icon who helped define West Coast Hip Hop and has become one of the most impactful success stories of our time.”
