Let Me Ride
Encyclopedia
"Let Me Ride" is the third single released by Dr. Dre
from his 1992 album The Chronic
. It experienced moderate success on the charts until it became a hit after Dr. Dre won a Grammy Award
for Best Rap Solo Performance during the Grammy Awards of 1994
. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in my 6-4" pre-chorus and in some background vocals. The vocals are sung by Ruben and Jewell
, and the lyrics were ghostwritten
by RBX
, who explains how Dr. Dre
came to use the lyrics (which RBX
had originally written for a different track), in the book How to Rap
.
This single helped The Chronic
go triple platinum (3+ million copies sold). It has several samples
mixed into the song from Parliament
's "Mothership Connection (Star Child)
", James Brown
's "Funky Drummer
" and Bill Withers
's 1972 hit "Kissin' My Love".
was shot on location in Los Angeles
on Slauson Avenue
and was directed by Dr. Dre. It is the second lowrider
cult video of Dre's cinematographer "walk of life" that was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video
in the same year. The video begins with Dre, in his home watching the $20 Dollar Sack Pyramid (a track skit from the album shown as a game show in the video), taking a phone call and being invited to a Parliament concert. He then heads out in his lowrider and the song begins. Many helicopter-view camshots of the super-highways of Compton
follow, some cuts of Snoop, a car-jacking scene, and various footage of Dre picking up girls, all of which leads to a street party outside the concert venue. Ice Cube
makes a cameo appearance, walking out from a Women's bathroom saying "Damn right it was a good day
" referring to his 1992 solo single (and also officially squashing the beef between Dre and Cube which had existed since Cube left N.W.A). Dr. Dre also refers to the CPT on this single and this album, an abbreviation of Compton, the city in which he is from in California
. Fellow Death Row rapper The Lady of Rage
also appears briefly in a cameo scene. The final shots of the video feature footage from Parliament/Funkadelic's 1976 earth tour, shots include Starchild flying on wires with the bop gun, the band singing "Mothership Connection" (which Let Me Ride samples) and concludes with George Clinton departing into the Mothership with a plume of smoke, upon which Dre's face is superimposed. Dre's step-brother and rapper Warren G
make a cameo appearance along with rapper The D.O.C.
.
version with full verses from Snoop Dogg and Daz, and an appearance by George Clinton
that was recorded simultaneously with the original version and was released on 12" when the solo version was chosen to be a part of the album. The full version of the remix is 11 minutes long and features a guitar solo by Johnny "Guitar" Watson. The beat was later remade as a G-Funk
remix and the instrumental was used for the Up In Smoke Tour
in 2000. Dr. Dre also produced the beat for the remix.
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Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
from his 1992 album The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
. It experienced moderate success on the charts until it became a hit after Dr. Dre won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Rap Solo Performance during the Grammy Awards of 1994
Grammy Awards of 1994
The 36th Grammy Awards were held in 1994. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Whitney Houston is the Big Winner winning 3 awards including Record of the Year and Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in my 6-4" pre-chorus and in some background vocals. The vocals are sung by Ruben and Jewell
Jewell (singer)
Jewell is a female R&B singer who was signed to Death Row Records from 1992-1996. She was working part-time - though still unsigned - for IV Life Records. She had a video and charting hit "Woman to Woman", that reached 72nd on the Billboard Hot 100...
, and the lyrics were ghostwritten
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
by RBX
RBX
Eric Dwayne Collins, better known by his stage name RBX , is a former rapper and R&B singer from Long Beach, California...
, who explains how Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
came to use the lyrics (which RBX
RBX
Eric Dwayne Collins, better known by his stage name RBX , is a former rapper and R&B singer from Long Beach, California...
had originally written for a different track), in the book How to Rap
How to Rap
How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC is a book on hip-hop music and rapping by Paul Edwards. It is compiled from interviews with 104 notable rappers who provide insights into how they write and perform their lyrics.- Publication :...
.
This single helped The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
go triple platinum (3+ million copies sold). It has several samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
mixed into the song from Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
's "Mothership Connection (Star Child)
Mothership Connection (Star Child)
"Mothership Connection " is a funk song by Parliament. It was the third and last single released from the group's 1976 album Mothership Connection...
", James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's "Funky Drummer
Funky drummer
"Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,...
" and Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
's 1972 hit "Kissin' My Love".
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was shot on location in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on Slauson Avenue
Slauson Avenue
Slauson Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare for southern Los Angeles County, California, named for the land developer and Los Angeles Board of Education member J. S. Slauson. It passes through Culver City, Ladera Heights, View Park-Windsor Hills, Baldwin Hills, Inglewood, South Los Angeles,...
and was directed by Dr. Dre. It is the second lowrider
Lowrider
]A lowrider is a style of car originated by Chicano communities that sits lower to the ground than most other cars. Many lowriders have their suspension systems modified so that their ride can change height at the flip of a switch...
cult video of Dre's cinematographer "walk of life" that was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video was first given out in 1989, and it was one the four original genre categories added at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. This award was last given out in 2006, as MTV did not bring it back in 2008 like it did with other genre awards...
in the same year. The video begins with Dre, in his home watching the $20 Dollar Sack Pyramid (a track skit from the album shown as a game show in the video), taking a phone call and being invited to a Parliament concert. He then heads out in his lowrider and the song begins. Many helicopter-view camshots of the super-highways of Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
follow, some cuts of Snoop, a car-jacking scene, and various footage of Dre picking up girls, all of which leads to a street party outside the concert venue. Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
makes a cameo appearance, walking out from a Women's bathroom saying "Damn right it was a good day
It Was a Good Day
"It Was a Good Day" is a 1993 hit single by American gangsta rapper Ice Cube from his third solo album, The Predator. It is the second single from the album and it peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was also a hit in the UK Charts, peaking at number 27...
" referring to his 1992 solo single (and also officially squashing the beef between Dre and Cube which had existed since Cube left N.W.A). Dr. Dre also refers to the CPT on this single and this album, an abbreviation of Compton, the city in which he is from in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Fellow Death Row rapper The Lady of Rage
The Lady of Rage
Robin Yvette Allen , better known by her stage name The Lady of Rage, is an American rapper and actress best known for collaborations with several Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg on the seminal albums The Chronic and Doggystyle...
also appears briefly in a cameo scene. The final shots of the video feature footage from Parliament/Funkadelic's 1976 earth tour, shots include Starchild flying on wires with the bop gun, the band singing "Mothership Connection" (which Let Me Ride samples) and concludes with George Clinton departing into the Mothership with a plume of smoke, upon which Dre's face is superimposed. Dre's step-brother and rapper Warren G
Warren G
Warren G , is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer. He is also Dr. Dre's half-brother.His biggest hit is the song "Regulate" with Nate Dogg released in 1994...
make a cameo appearance along with rapper The D.O.C.
The D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...
.
Official remixes
The song has a remixRemix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
version with full verses from Snoop Dogg and Daz, and an appearance by George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
that was recorded simultaneously with the original version and was released on 12" when the solo version was chosen to be a part of the album. The full version of the remix is 11 minutes long and features a guitar solo by Johnny "Guitar" Watson. The beat was later remade as a G-Funk
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...
remix and the instrumental was used for the Up In Smoke Tour
Up in Smoke Tour
The Up in Smoke Tour was a West Coast hip hop tour in 2000 featuring artists Ice Cube, Eminem, Proof, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, D12, MC Ren, Westside Connection, Mel-Man, Tha Eastsidaz, Doggy's Angels, Devin The Dude, Warren G, TQ, Truth Hurts and Xzibit.- Background :The tour was...
in 2000. Dr. Dre also produced the beat for the remix.
Charts
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #34 |
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | #34 |
| Rhythmic Top 40 | #21 |
| Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #45 |
| Hot Rap Singles | #3 |
| Grammy Awards | Best Rap Soloist |
External links
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