The D.O.C. has been in the rap game since the mid-1980s, and is an undeniable pioneer, instrumental in the development of the genre. He penned rhymes for all of the N.W.A. records, both Chronics, and indispensable debuts from Eazy-E and Snoop. With his classic solo album, 1989's No One Can Do It Better, The D.O.C. went from a mostly behind-the-scenes ghostwriter to an explosive emcee on the cusp of superstar status. Unfortunately, fate had different plans. Shortly after the release, a severe car wreck crushed his larynx, seemingly ending his shine on the mic for good. But he refused to give up. After over a decade of extreme ups and downs, The D.O.C. is back with a new record, his own label, and a crew of hungry emcees in tow.

The D.O.C.'s storied career begins in West Dallas, as a member of the Fila Fresh Crew (featured on the NWA And The Posse record). "It was just a kid that I grew up with in the projects and shit. His name was Kurtis, Fresh K. It all got started as just neighborhood shit, and then we got a gig to do a commercial on a local TV station down there. This DJ was in radio down there, he had a mix-show, and we all got together and formed a little group. And it turned out that this guy and Dr. Dre used to be in sort of a DJ group. The guy had just moved down from California, and Dre came to visit the guy, I guess DJ at one of his parties and shit, and that's how we hooked up."

It's hard to describe in words the impact of The D.O.C.'s debut. Like Straight Outta Compton, it's exceptionally funky production and intricate lyricism won fans on both coasts, but unlike Compton, it was more focused on quick-witted wordplay than graphic tales of inner-city strife. Dre's beats and Doc's rhymes seemed the perfect match, and hip-hop heads everywhere were going nuts to crowd-rocking tracks like "It's Funky Enough" and "Mind Blowin'." While he doesn't listen to it much these days, the fact that his first