On this date in 1993, Dr. Dre released the second single from his landmark debut solo album The Chronic — the explosive diss track “Dre Day.” Officially titled “Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’),” the song marked a pivotal moment in early ’90s West Coast rap. Produced by Dre and featuring a young Snoop Dogg, “Dre Day” didn’t just serve as a radio smash — it was a lyrical missile aimed at former allies and rivals alike.
Dre directed shots at former N.W.A. partner Eazy-E, South Florida provocateur Uncle Luke, and Bronx rapper Tim Dog. Tensions between Dre and Eazy were already boiling after N.W.A.’s breakup, fueled by accusations that Eazy and manager Jerry Heller had mismanaged and profited off group members. The track also included sly digs at Ice Cube — a fellow N.W.A. alum who had departed earlier after his dispute with Heller and the group.
Though Dre and Cube had long been perceived as being on opposing sides, “Dre Day” includes coded references to Cube — Dre mentions creeping through South Central (Cube’s neighborhood) on a “Street Knowledge mission,” a nod to Cube’s record label, Street Knowledge Productions. Dre also raps about spotting someone wearing a White Sox hat, another staple of Cube’s image at the time. A few bars later, Dre flips the title of Cube’s then-current single, “Check Yo Self,” rapping, “You tryin’ to check my homey, you best check yo self.”
Interestingly, Cube wasn’t mocked in the now-infamous “Dre Day” music video, which aimed primarily at Eazy-E and Luke. Instead, Cube appeared months later in Dre’s “Let Me Ride” video, signaling that the two West Coast legends had quietly buried the hatchet.
“Dre Day” set off a chain reaction of diss records. Eazy-E clapped back with the scathing “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s,” while Tim Dog released an entire EP titled Bitch With a Perm, and Luke responded with “Cowards in Compton,” complete with a video spoofing Dre’s World Class Wreckin’ Cru roots and mocking the visuals from “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang.”
More than just a diss track, “Dre Day” became a defining moment in the post-N.W.A. era—a blend of personal vendettas, regional pride, and raw creative energy that helped cement The Chronic as a West Coast classic and reshaped the course of Hip-Hop beefs for years to come.