"The Chronic" by Dr. Dre

The Game-Changers series continues by examining an LP that changed hip-hop forever by setting the template for the West Coast sound.

There’s a compelling argument to be made that Death Row Records peaked in February 1996.

In an image that evokes modern Hollywood gangster lore, Dr. Dre appeared on the cover of VIBE magazine alongside fellow label stars Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, their three heads floating above that of Death Row mogul Suge Knight. At the time, Knight in particular ha…