Aug 11, 2015 CLEVELAND, Ohio – Both of Dr. Dre's previous studio albums – "The Chronic" and "2001" – are littered with memorable guest appearances, helping them achieve the classic status they've been stamped with. So it's no surprise Dre's latest, "Compton," features more than 15 guest shots from old and new collaborators. To be clear, there are no bad features on "Compton." But we went ahead and ranked each guest's performance anyway: 1. Kendrick Lamar Lamar earns bonus points because he is featured on three "Compton" tracks and absolutely steals the show on all of them, most notably the second half of "Darkside/Gone," which sounds like it could fit solidly at home on "The Chronic." 2. Eminem There's no question the best individual moment on "Compton" comes from Eminem, who fires off a barrage of incredible lines on "Medicine Man." With or without Marshall Mathers, "Medicine Man" would still be one of the album's standout cuts. But Em puts it over the top with menacing line after menacing line, including a controversial r*pe lyric. 3. King Mez You have to carry some serious swag to leave the first real impact on a Dr. Dre album. Credit to Southern rapper King Mez for stepping up to the plate and hitting a homerun. Not only does he kick off "Talk About It" in thrilling fashion. Mez also delivers memorable performances on "Satisfaction" and the stunning "Darkside/Gone." 4. The Game The Game only gets about two minutes to shine, but he makes the most of it by breezing through the West Coast anthem "Just Another Day." Game would probably tell you he was born to be on a Dre album. It's hard not to believe him. 5. DJ Premier Okay, Premier's guest appearance is a more style over substance. But still, it's Dr. Dre and DJ Premiere producing the same track! Premier's closing record scratches on "Animals" create "Compton's" most hair-raising moment. 6. Marsha Ambrosius The British singer is a holdover from Dre's "Detox" sessions. It's easy to see why the good Doctor held on to her. Ambrosius has a diverse voice that can play the background when it needs to or become a vital force like on "Darkside/Gone." 7. Anderson .Paak You have to love .Paak after listening to "Compton." The Cali-rapper plays the haunting and wild sideman on a few tracks, bringing a level of desperation to "Deep Water" and delivering a fantastic vocal on "Animals." 8. Jill Scott As great as Ambrosius is, we wish Scott were on more than just one track. Her soft harmonies are the perfect match for Dre's production, stealing the show on "For the Love of Money." 9. Xzibit The award for best performance from a longtime Dre collaborator we haven't seen in a while goes to Xzibit, who laces "Loos Cannon's" with the kind of harsh flow that made him a West Coast mainstay during the late 1990s/early 2000s. 10. Jon Connor Connor's appearance on "For the Love of Money" plays second fiddle to Jill Scott's stunning voice, but the Michigan emcee certainly earns his stripes by outshining Snoop Dogg on "One Shot One k!ll." 11. Snoop Dogg Speaking of Snoop, his appearance on "One Shot One k!ll" is a bit underwhelming, as it doesn't make use of his trademark laid-back flow. But the Doggfather makes up for it on "Satisfaction," delivering one of the albums most swaggering verses while "still sipping that gin and juice." 12. Ice Cube Cube's appearance on "Issues" plays a bit like a novelty in that he doesn't really have much to say. But an album inspired by and serving as the soundtrack to the "Straight Outta Compton" movie has to featured N.W.A.'s former lead emcee, right? 13. Candace Pillay Give Pillay credit for briefly filling the void left by the Dogg Pound and Lady of Rage, driving home the opening lyrics of "Genocide" and then dropping some sweet reggae bars. 14. Justus Aftermath rapper/singer Justus may be more of a complimentary piece on a few "Compton" tracks, but he holds his own with the likes of Dre and Kendrick Lamar. 15. Dem Jointz "Issues" wouldn't be what it is without the reggae/Auto-Tune fusion of Dem Jointz, which offers of the perfect compliment to the track's electric guitars. 16. Cold 187um The West Coast veteran's appearance on "Loose Cannons" is a bit polarizing. He certainly delivers an abundance of Cali-brutality. But Cold's appearance also drives one of the album's most regrettable story arcs: Domestic violence-turned-homicide that's a bit off-putting. 17. Sly Pyper You probably missed Sly Pyper's appearance on "Loose Cannons." He offers up a quick Nate Dogg impression. The same one he delivered on Dre's "Detox" single "Kush," though far less memorable. 18. Asia Bryant There isn't much for Bryant on "Compton." She's limited to singing the somewhat generic hook, as The Game shreds through "Just Another Day." http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/08/dr_dres_compton_ranking_the_al.html
Aug 11, 2015 Jon Connor is way too low, and Em shouldn't be in the top 5. If DJ Premier is ranked, than Eazy should have been #1. His cameo, the beat switch to Gone, and Dre's verse is definitely the high point of the album.
Aug 11, 2015 lol, so Eminem gets #2 b/c of his "menacing" lyrics about r---, but Cold 187um is ranked #16 b/c of the "off putting" domestic violence storyline. Great piece!
Aug 12, 2015 Jon Connor should be higher yeah. Eminem lower but other than that, i'm ok with this list
