The classic Dr Dre song that was ghostwritten by Royce Da 5′9″: “I wrote the verses”
As much as Dr Dre is known for his rapping and producing abilities, he’s also never been afraid of collaborating. Jay-Z famously wrote his classic ‘Still D.R.E.’ song on 2001, but that wasn’t the only track another rapper co-wrote. Detroit rapper Royce Da 5′9″ also played a major role in writing a deeper cut on the project.
2001 is considered a classic hip-hop album. The project debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 516,000 copies sold in its first week, marking his second successful album as a solo artist. Although songs like ‘Forgot About Dre’ and ‘The Next Episode’ often take the shine, it wouldn’t be the same without the complete picture. Towards the end of the album, Dre collaborates with Mary J Blige and Rell on the reflective ‘The Message’.
The track is dedicated to God and his late half-brother, Tyree Du Sean Crayon, who was killed in 1989. He was 21 years old at the time and lost his life during a street fight. During the intro, Dre says, “This one is for my brother, Tyree – RIP/ A message to God.”
However, it’s not common knowledge that Royce penned the lyrics for the song. “I wrote the verses, but I didn’t even know about [how Dr Dre’s brother was killed],” he told Complex. “I was rapping about an experience that I had. I just felt like, ‘OK, maybe it would be dope if Dre can paint a picture that people can relate to.’ I wrote the song and when I went in the booth and laid it, Dre was quiet. And I remember thinking to myself, ‘Damn, why is he so quiet?’”
From there, Dre brought up Crayon’s death, explaining how Royce’s lyrics hit home for him. “That was the only thing that I did for him that felt like something,” he said. “You cut random joints when you’re doing an album, like ‘The Way I Be Pimpin’’ and ‘Throne Is Mine’. You don’t know what’s going to make it. But that song just felt like something that needed to be on there. It fell into place. He didn’t sit me down or say, ‘Yo, I wanna rap about my brother.’ It just happened.”
Royce actually had the chance to sign to Dre in 1998, but he turned Aftermath down. Instead, he inked a deal with Tommy Boy Records, due to the fact that they were offering a much bigger budget for him. If he had the choice today, he might have taken the other option. “I made a decision to sign with Tommy Boy instead of Dr Dre, back in the day,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t really regret it because by saying that, I’m basically saying that I regret where I’m at today, which couldn’t be further than the truth.”
He continued, “But sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I done that. What kind of music would I have been able to make? Because he was offering me a $250,000 budget and unlimited Dre beats. And Tommy Boy was just offering me $1 million.” Instead, it will always be a what-could-have-been moment.