Dre’s collaboration was the first song from his fresh GTA pack to become public, and it sets the tone for the whole new era.
The verse that opens “Gospel” shows Dr. Dre drawing the line under the story with an unhappy ending. But before moving on, Dre has something to say to his ex-wife. The Good Doctor just celebrated his divorce with Nicole Young, with whom he had shared life for over 20 years. The separation process was not easy for him or his family, but Dre remains a class act even when bitter.
This is a new start for him, but before focusing on the next page of his story, Dre wants to send
Two shots back for my dearly departed
Among multiple statements of his never-ending success, Dre takes time to accuse Nicole of squeezing him for money. According to the settlement agreement, she expects to receive $3.5 million a year in spousal support from him. Dre has a special word for her and shows that he is open for a new relationship:
Lookin’ for my next gold digger
But in this line, Dre also admits that divorce made him see women who seek his company as greedy predators.
Dr. Dre does not often mention his children in his lyrics, but this time it was important to him to show that they have been affected by the situation as well:
Already told you, I fold you like hundreds of billions
And you can go missing, put that on my children
Some lines give the impression that Dre hints at substance abuse issues:
This shit here that problem, livin’ at the bottom of a bottle
It is difficult to imagine that The Good Doctor struggles with alcohol at this point in his life, but the implications that the line is addressed to his wife are also uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, the first verse that Dr. Dre put out in years made a strong statement: bad times for him are over, he is just getting started, and we are about to see a new and glorious stage of his career. Cannot wait.
Listen to the song below:
