An Orchestral Rendition of Dr Dre: 2001

Overview

Australia's Concept Eventz is known for curating gin festivals, drive-in cinema and sing-along film nights. For their next big event, organisers have wrangled skilled orchestral musicians from across the country to form the Alternative Symphony.

With the same approach as Britain's acclaimed orchestral group No Strings Attached, the newly formed troupe is set perform a contemporary masterpiece with a classical slant. At Auckland's Studio the Venue on Saturday, August 10, Dr. Dre's second solo album, 2001, will be given the orchestral treatment. The full Alternative Symphony will take the stage to perform the Compton producer's hits, while guest vocalists will step in to reimagine verses from Snoop Dogg to Xzibit, Nate Dogg, Eminem and Mary J. Blige. The production will also offer "some of the best visuals Australia has to offer."

2001, released in the same year, was considered an ostentatious return to Dre's hip hop roots, as the follow-up to his 1992 debut The Chronic. The album spun off singles 'Still D.R.E.', 'Forgot About Dre' and 'The Next Episode', and received a six-time platinum certification and plenty of criticism for lyrical content spouting violence, promiscuity, street gangs, drive-by shootings and drug usage.