Seven years is a long time to wait for a real follow-up album. That’s 49 dog years. In fact, millions of dogs have passed on waiting for Dr. Dre to follow-up 1992’s "The Chronic," a seminal album in the history of gangsta rap. 1994’s "Concrete Roots" was less a follow-up than an N.W.A. retrospective and 1996’s "Aftermath," a slick attempt to shy away from gangsta rap, consisted of 16 tracks that all sounded the same and lacked "The Chronic’s" edge.

At a time when Ice-T’s “Cop Killer” was raising the ire of law enforcement groups and scared white people all over the nation, it was "The Chronic" that solidified rap’s place in popular music. Dangerous, misogynistic, witty, and consistently entertaining, "The Chronic" was a multi-platinum breakthrough that brought gangsta rap from the inner city to the suburbs.

Over the past few years, groups like The Wu-Tang Clan and rappers like the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac have ensured that rap would remain in the mainstream, but with few exceptions, there was little that topped "The Chronic."

And while it doesn’t top it, Dre’s new album, "The Chronic 2001," revisits a sound that has been sorely missing for the past seven years and breathes new life into it. Following the same formula that worked so successfully seven years ago--extensive sampling, numerous Death Row guests, and kickin’ old school beats--Dre gives us "The Chronic" for a new decade and an example of West Coast rap at its finest.

“Still D.R.E.” and “Forgot About DRE” are history lessons, with reminisences of the past forcefully intertwined with the rap’s present and future. With guests like Eminem and Snoop Dogg (who prove Dre’s ability to nourish talent), Dre rages with a little help from his friends. And while entertaining, these songs also feel a bit like a justification for coming back, something that is unnecessary, considering how well the rest of the album flows.

This album shines when it goes back to Dre’s roots. On tracks like “XXPlosive”, “Murder Ink”, and “Bang Bang”, Dre and his guests rap about life on the streets. And while the stock market might be booming, things aren’t great everywhere. And if you’ve forgotten, Dre is there to remind you.

This is not an album for everyone. Those who don’t have a taste for rap music will not have their feelings changed by this album. Profane, hard-charging and unflinchingly misogynistic throughout, this is an album of pot and potshots--Dr. Dre at his most raw and biting. But for those who still like the occasional rap album or those who are gangstas at heart, "The Chronic 2001" is a fantastic, refreshing trip.

Seven years may have passed since Dre’s last album, but time hasn’t passed Dre by. Still as clever as ever, still as good a writer as he is a rapper, still showcasing the talent he developed, he’s still D.R.E. And a few million people are going to be very happy about that.