Let Me Ride

"Let Me Ride"
Single by Dr. Dre featuring Jewell and Snoop Doggy Dogg
from the album The Chronic
Released September 13, 1993
Format 12" single, Cassette single, CD single
Recorded 1992
Genre West coast hip hop, G-funk, Gangsta rap
Length 4:21
Label
Writer(s) Andre Young, Eric Collins, Calvin Broadus
Producer(s) Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre chronology chronology
"Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')"
(1993)		 "Let Me Ride"
(1993)		 "U Better Recognize"
(1993)
Snoop Doggy Dogg chronology
"Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')"
(1993)		 "Let Me Ride"
(1993)		 "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)"
(1993)
Audio sample
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"Let Me Ride" is the third single released by Dr. Dre from his debut studio album, The Chronic. It experienced moderate success on the charts, until it became a massive hit when Dre won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for the song during the Grammy Awards of 1994. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in my 6-4" pre-chorus and in some background vocals. The vocals are sung by Ruben and Jewell, and the lyrics were ghostwritten by RBX, who explains how Dr. Dre came to use the lyrics, which RBX had originally written for a different track, in the book How to Rap.[1]

The song's chorus involves both a sample and an interpolation of the chorus of the 1976 Parliament song "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", which itself quotes the Negro spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". "Let Me Ride" also samples James Brown's "Funky Drummer" and Bill Withers's 1972 hit "Kissing My Love".

Music video

The music video was shot on location at Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles and was directed by Dr. Dre. It is the second lowrider cult video of Dre's cinematographer "walk of life" that was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video in the same year. The video begins with Dre, in his home watching the $20 Dollar Sack Pyramid (a track skit from the album shown as a game show in the video), taking a phone call and being invited to a Parliament concert. He then heads out in his lowrider and the song begins. Many helicopter-view camshots of the super-highways of Compton follow, some cuts of Snoop, a car-jacking scene, and various footage of Dre picking up girls, all of which leads to a street party outside the concert venue. Ice Cube makes a cameo appearance, walking out from a women's bathroom saying "Damn right, it was a good day", referring to his 1992 solo single, and also officially squashing the beef between Dre and Ice Cube which had existed since Ice Cube left N.W.A.

The final shots of the video feature footage from Parliament-Funkadelic's 1976 earth tour, including the Starchild flying on wires with the bop gun, the band singing "Mothership Connection", which "Let Me Ride" samples, and concludes with George Clinton departing into the Mothership with a plume of smoke, upon which Dre's face is superimposed.

Rapper Warren G (Dre's step-brother) makes a cameo appearance, along with rappers The D.O.C. and The Lady of Rage, and Producer Bonita "Bo" Money.

Remixes

An official remix of the song features full verses from Snoop Dogg and Daz, and an appearance by George Clinton. It was recorded simultaneously with the original version and was released on the 12" vinyl when the solo version was chosen to be a part of the album. The full version of the remix is 11 minutes long and features a guitar solo by Johnny "Guitar" Watson. The beat was later remade as a G-Funk remix and the instrumental was used for the Up In Smoke Tour in 2000. Dr. Dre also produced the beat for the remix.

References in popular culture

Rapper Fabolous, in his 2001 hit "Can't Deny It", had the lyric "bitches be yellin "let me ride", like I'm Snoop, and Dr. Dre." Rapper The Game similarly refers to "Let Me Ride" in his 2005 song "Put You on the Game", where he claims to be in a car with Dre in the back and "bitches screaming, 'Let me ride!'"

Track listing

  1. "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix) - 4:22
  2. "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix) - 11:01
  3. "One Eight Seven" - 4:18
  1. "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix) - 11:01
  2. "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix) - 4:22
  3. "One Eight Seven" - 4:18
  1. "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix) - 11:01
  2. "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix) - 4:22
  3. "Let Me Ride" (LP Version) - 4:47
  1. "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix) - 4:22
  2. "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix) - 11:01

Charts

Chart Position
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 34
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[6] 4
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[7] 3
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[8] 3
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[9] 1

Awards and nominations

Year Awards Ceremony Award Results
1994 Grammy Awards Best Rap Soloist Won

External links

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 229.
  2. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Dr-Dre-Let-Me-Ride/release/1291535
  3. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Dr-Dre-Let-Me-Ride/release/187428
  4. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Dr-Dre-Let-Me-Ride/release/955595
  5. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Dr. Dre.
  6. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Dr. Dre.
  7. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Dr. Dre.
  8. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rap Songs for Dr. Dre.
  9. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Chart history" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for Dr. Dre.
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