While 2001 didn’t have the same cultural impact as The Chronic, this follow-up LP was Dr. Dre’s reminder that wherever hip-hop’s sound was headed at the turn of the century, he’d have a say in it. Much as he rolled out Snoop earlier in the decade, on 2001, Dre introduced his latest protege, Eminem, and a song like “Forgot About Dre” was a sneak listen for what people had in store in the coming years from both artists. Meanwhile, the lushness of Dre’s g-funk style was ever present on 2001 as he, plus a team of under-credited sidemen, advanced the sound a few notches on songs like “XXplosive” (feat. Hittman, Six-Two, Nate Dogg, Kurupt) and the stellar Snoop/Dre tune “The Next Episode.”