Tracy “The D.O.C.” Curry, a prodigy rapper who co-wrote with N.W.A “Straight Outta Compton” – one of hip-hop’s most admired albums and whose career was cut short after his vocal cords were heavily damaged in a car accident, thinks that there are similarities between Eminem and the younger MC.
The Vibe did a big and deep piece about him, his fallout after the accident and about how he has found out a new purpose in making hip-hop an inspirational power. Talking about young rappers he admitted his deepest respect to Kendrick Lamar. When asked to name somebody else he feels can be on the same level, he responded:
I think Joyner Lucas’ wordplay is just as exquisite. When I hear him I hear a young Em’[inem]. I’m drawn to great wordplay like that. The concepts to his fu**ing songs are throwbacks to when Em’ first came, just nutty. Him and K. Dot are probably my favorite guys in the world when you talk about rappers.
He also paid respect to Dr.Dre who he knows from the old times of Death Row and with whom he worked on “Straight Outta Compton”.
When Dre and I started making the Straight Outta Compton record, every day on our way to the studio, we would listen to the It Takes A Nation album. Not every other day, not once a week. For three months, it was every fu**ing morning. Every fu**ing morning we’re listening to different songs off that record. That’s why the Straight Outta Compton drums drove so hard and it had that feeling like you were in the riot itself. What Chuck and them was doing back then is what N.W.A came from. Not the N.W.A before I got here, but the N.W.A after I got here. There’s a distinct difference. If you listen to the art, you can tell. Dre is just one of those unique producers that create the scene within the art for you to create to. I’ve always said that Dre is more like a film producer than a music producer because he sees the complete picture before we do. The guy is just a sick fu**ing maniac. One of, if not the dopest of all time.
