Dre Day July 5th 1970

iTunes Review

Dre Day July 5th 1970 is one of the few posthumous releases that sound more like a celebration than a cash-in. The album is primarily a collection of remixes of classic Mac Dre songs, with added verses from members of the extended Thizz family. Most of the rappers here either grew up with or were mentored by Dre, and therefore are able to take part in his legacy in a way that is organic, not contrived. This approach is epitomized by “Since ’84,’ ’94,’ ‘04’,” which Dre originally released in 2004. In keeping with the song’s original theme, Dubee and Mistah FAB each represent the era in which they came up, thereby uniting three generations of Bay Area rap stars. Songs like “Feelin’ Myself” and “Thizzlle Dance” are so ebullient and anthemic that it seems totally natural for other Thizz family members to add verses like they were adding to a family recipe. The collection is filled out with rarities like the B-Legit collaboration “G.A.M.E.,” and “6-500,” in which Dre flows over Scarface’s “Mary Jane” instrumental. The album can’t bring Dre back, but these songs show that his spirit lives on within those he taught.