On a recent segment of Salute the Sample, the legendary actor and rapper LL Cool J revealed that “Xxplosive,” a track from Dr. Dre’s 1999 album 2001, was originally created for him. He ultimately passed on the recording opportunity, however, as “…it just didn’t quite work, it wasn’t right.” The final version, which sampled “Bumpy’s Lament” by Soul Mann & the Brothers, ended up as track six on Dre’s album 2001. It featured contributions from Six-Two, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Hittman, and reached no. 51 on the charts.
Once LL Cool J passed on “Xxplosive,” Dr. Dre collaborated with Royce da 5’9″ on an unreleased version of the song called “The Way I Be Pimpin.” Dre rapped the verses while Royce handled the chorus. On “Xxplosive,” though, Six-Two, Korrupt, and Hittman rapped the verses while Nate Dogg did the chorus; Dre didn’t actually appear on the track. Though similar in concept, the two songs have different lyrics.
LL Cool J and Dr. Dre did collaborate on one record in the ’90s: “Zoom,” which was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Bulworth. And even though he passed on “Xxplosive,” he still thinks the song is great. “That don’t get you moving, nothin’ will.”
According to the Def Jam icon, he and Dr. Dre have recorded thirty to forty songs together, but most of them have never been released and will likely stay that way. “We’ve done a lot of experimenting,” he said. “We just create art and make music that’s not necessarily for public consumption, but just to have fun and create.”
Kay Kauffman | IG @kaysiewrites | Twitter @kaysiewrites