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What's the Difference
Song by Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Xzibit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"What's the Difference" is a song by American rapper Dr. Dre from his second studio album 2001 (1999). It features American rappers Eminem and Xzibit, and was produced by Dre and Mel-Man.
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Background
An early version of "What's the Difference" features a verse from Hittman in place of Xzibit's. However, Hittman felt the song was better suited for inclusion on Eminem's album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and that a song called "Blaaow" should appear on 2001 instead; he requested that Dr. Dre remove his verse from "What's the Difference" to make clear which song he preferred.[1] "Blaaow" (also featuring fellow Aftermath member Knoc-turn'al) was later released on Hittman's 2005 album Hittmanic Verses under the title "Bloww".[2]
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Composition
The song is in the key of B minor and contains a horn section in the instrumental,[3] as well as a sample of "Parce Que Tu Crois" by Charles Aznavour. Lyrically, the rappers talk about the differences between themselves and other rappers. Dr. Dre reflects on three of his friends, Ice Cube, The D.O.C., and Eazy-E in his verse.[4] Eminem's verse sees him considering the hypothetical situation of killing his girlfriend Kim, rapping that he would put sunglasses on her corpse and drive around with her in the front seat.[5] He also defends Dre's legacy, threatening those who doubt him.[6]
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Critical reception
Roger Morton of NME praised Eminem's feature, describing him as "cutting through particularly effectively" on the track.[5] Frank Williams of The Source called the song the highlight of 2001.[4] Jackson Howard of The Ringer also praised Eminem's verse, which he described as "mesmerizing, equal parts performance art, battle rap, storytelling, and raw charisma".[6]
Live performances
Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Xzibit performed the song live on March 16, 2000 at MTV Spring Break.
Charts
Certifications
References
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