Xxplosive
"Xxplosive" is a song by Dr. Dre from his album 2001. It features Kurupt, Hittman, and Six-Two on the verses and Nate Dogg singing the chorus. The track is based upon the song "Bumpy's Lament" by Soul Mann & the Brothers. The original title was "The Way I Be Pimpin"[1] which featured Royce da 5'9" on the chorus and Dre rapping the verses.
| "Xxplosive" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Dr. Dre featuring Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and Six-Two | |
| from the album 2001 | |
| Released | November 16, 1999 (U.S.) |
| Format | CD single |
| Recorded | 1999 |
| Genre | West Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap, G-funk |
| Length | 3:37 |
| Label | Aftermath, Interscope |
| Songwriter(s) | Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Kurupt |
| Producer(s) | Dr. Dre & Mel-Man |
Concept
Dr. Dre did not rap on "Xxplosive," instead the song features Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Hittman and Six-Two. In the first verse, Hittman raps about how pimping has made him a changed man due to "all the girls" saying "now his shit's the bomb" after claiming that "girls used to turn him back." Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Six-Two's verses deal with how good they are at pimping, how many girls they can get, and how much money they make through pimping. "The Way I Be Pimpin" (the original version of the song prior to "Xxplosive") basically has the same concept as "Xxplosive" with different lyrics. In an interview in 2012, Kendrick Lamar said Six-Two's verse in this song and Eminem's verse in Forgot about Dre tied for the best verses in the 2001 album.
Charts
Along with a lot of songs from the 2001 album, the song charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs due to radio play after the album was released. It reached no. 51.
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 51 |
Samples
The track is based upon the song "Bumpy's Lament" by Soul Mann & the Brothers, which was originally written and recorded by Isaac Hayes for his groundbreaking Shaft soundtrack to the 1971 movie of the same name. The song has been sampled by Erykah Badu for a remix of her song Bag Lady, as well as by Lil Wayne for his song "Dope Niggaz", featuring Snoop Dogg, from his acclaimed album Tha Carter V.