Dr. Dre 2001

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

In his latest CD the gangsta rapper addresses nuclear proliferation, explores the "digital divide" between blacks and whites, quotes liberally from Hegel...nah, we're just playin'. Dre's album is mostly about weed, "bitches" and guns, just as you'd expect. Still, some of the beats are fresh and involving, and Dre's collaborations with Eminem and Snoop Dogg have ferocity and wit. But you have to wonder: Can gangsta themes age gracefully? Will Dr. Dre 2041 find an older, wiser Dre boasting about the benefits of marijuana for glaucoma?

--By Christopher John Farley