How Dr Dre inspired Metro Boomin's 'Heroes and Villains'

Metro Boomin has recently explained that Dr Dre‘s iconic second studio album, 2001 inspired his new record Heroes & Villains. In a recent interview with GQ, Metro acknowledged the importance of Dre’s classic record and added that he believes that his new output is his version of 2001.

Dre’s album changed the course of hip-hop through its innovative recording technique, clear vision and a swathe of high-profile collaborators that feature throughout. Metro explained that on Heroes & Villains, his collaborators took on a similar role to Dre’s.

He said, “I told [Don Toliver], ‘Like 2001, you’ve got the Nate Dogg role.” In that light, there may be similarities between Nate Dogg and Don Toliver in their roles. Nate Dogg appeared on both ‘The Next Episode’ and ‘XXplosive’ on 2001, while Toliver also appeared on two Heroes & Villains tracks, ‘Too Many Nights’ (with Future) and ‘Around Me’.

Metro then went on to explain what it is like to be a producer in search of greatness. He said, “I feel like as a producer, you’ve always got to be open and receptive, looking for what’s new and what’s next and up-and-coming on the ground vs. you being a producer coming on like, ‘Yo, I gotta make a beat for Drake’.”

He added, “They’re gonna be who they’re gonna be regardless, so that don’t really prove nothing you’re doing as a producer. You can still make great songs with them, but as a producer, it’s like, what are you bringing? You’ve got to break artists; you’ve got to bring new artists. That’s a big part of your duty.”

Metro also noted that he wants to immortalise himself in the pantheon of hip-hop greats. He doesn’t want people to say, “‘What was going on around 2015, 2020? Who was the guy? Metro Boomin? Oh yeah, shit was kinda trash around then.” He added, “As the ambassador-representative of what’s going on, I look at it like a real responsibility.”