T.I. And Dr. Dre Pay Tribute To Aaliyah With New Song ‘Dope’
On Monday morning, T.I.’s (aka TIP) newest single, “Dope” (produced by Dr. Dre), was released, and it pays tribute to the iconic Aaliyah. The track samples Aaliyah’s 2001 R&B hit “Rock the Boat,” and the late singer’s voice is the first one heard in the song. The single is from T.I.’s upcoming 10th studio album, The Dime Trap.
The multi-platinum artist teased the song with a tweet this past Friday, revealing the cover art and tweeting, “@Shazam the cover art to preview it now.”
#DOPE ft. @MarshaAmbrosius drops 5/16! @Shazam the cover art to preview it now on @TIDALHiFi! pic.twitter.com/HbxefavvpW
— T.I. (@Tip) May 13, 2016
In an interview with Time on May 12, T.I. said, “Come Monday, I will release my official first single, Dr. Dre-produced. It’s called, Dope. It features Marsha Ambrosius, and it gives me great pleasure to say I was fortunate enough to be allowed the opportunity to sample the great, legendary Aaliyah’s song. And it makes me feel good to help keep the legacy of Aaliyah alive for today’s generation, the people who weren’t necessarily around to witness her greatness.”
Aaliyah’s music video for “Rock the Boat” was filmed in the Bahamas, and tragically, the 22-year-old artist died in a plane crash shortly thereafter, on August 25, 2001. Aaliyah is missed dearly by her fans, and the artist’s three albums have over 32 million sales worldwide. She was known as “The Princess of R&B.” Aaliyah was also a dancer and an actress, starring in the hit movies, The Queen of the Damned and Romeo Must Die.
Like Aaliyah, T.I. is no stranger to success. Out of his current nine studio albums, seven of them made the top five in the U.S. Billboard 200. Also transcending the stage to film, he has appeared in hit movies such as American Gangster, Get Hard, and Marvel’s Ant-Man. The artist will also be featured in the remake of the series Roots, debuting on May 30.
While Aaliyah was on top of the R&B charts in the late 90s and early 2000s, Dr. Dre was on top of the hip-hop charts with his release of The Chronic 2000, and in 1996, after he departed from Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, he created Aftermath Entertainment. He has since produced songs for hip-hop icons like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and now, TIP. Dr. Dre began his career with the rap group NWA and has reached extraordinary heights in his career. He is responsible for launching the career of many hip-hop stars, including Eminem and 50 Cent. As a producer, Dre has the Midas touch, creating a sound that is instantly recognizable.
The music video for “Dope” is exclusively on Jay-Z’s music subscription service, TIDAL. TIP is a shareholder in TIDAL, and he said recently in an interview with Ed Lover that the album will most likely be released on other platforms as well.
“This is an album that’s dedicated to my core fans. The people who went out there the first week Trap Muzik came out, so I’m basically dedicating this album to them and making the music that I know they want to hear me make. So I know people, all of them, can’t necessarily afford TIDAL, you know what I mean? So we will have some exclusive content and exclusive components, but I don’t know if the entire album will be exclusive.”
Thanks to Dr. Dre and T.I., Aaliyah’s legacy will continue to remain strong as new generations discover her music, and her longtime fans will appreciate the tribute paid to the artist. T.I. said it best at the end of Dope.
“Aaliyah, we miss you.”
[Photo by Paras Griffin/Stringer/Getty Images]
