"What's the Difference" is a song by American rapper

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

from his second studio album ''

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

'' (1999). It features American rappers

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

and

Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "''exhibit''), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, radio personality, and record executive. He began his musical career in 1992, ...

, and was produced by Dre and Mel-Man.

Composition

The song is in the key of

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: Changes need ...

and contains a horn section in the instrumental, as well as a sample of " Parce Que Tu Crois" by

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...

. Lyrically, the rappers talk about the differences between themselves and other rappers. Dr. Dre reflects on three of his friends,

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

The D.O.C. Tracy Lynn Curry (born June 10, 1968), better known by his stage name the D.O.C., is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Along with his solo career, he was a member of the Southern hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and later co-wr ...

, and

Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...

in his verse. 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. He also defends Dre's legacy, threatening those who doubt him.

Critical reception

Roger Morton of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' praised Eminem's feature, describing him as "cutting through particularly effectively" on the track. Frank Williams of ''

The Source The Source may refer to: Film and television * ''The Source'' (1918 film), 1918 American drama directed by George Melford * ''The Source'' (1999 film), a 1999 documentary film about the Beat generation * ''The Source'' (2002 film), a 2002 scienc ...

'' called the song the highlight of ''2001''. 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".

Live performances

Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Xzibit performed the song live on March 16, 2000 at

MTV Spring Break ''MTV Spring Break'' refers to the channel's defunct annual spring break coverage, featuring numerous live performances from artists and bands on location. The annual tradition continued into the 2000s, when it became de-emphasized and handed of ...

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1999 songs Dr. Dre songs Eminem songs Xzibit songs Songs written by Dr. Dre Songs written by Eminem Songs written by Xzibit Song recordings produced by Dr. Dre Song recordings produced by Mel-Man Songs written by Charles Aznavour