Dr Dre return features Ludacris rap

The first leak from the hotly anticipated new album from hip-hop legend Dr Dre has thrown up quite a surprise - it features fellow rapper Ludacris masquerading as Dre. It is 10 years since the renowned producer and rapper last brought out an album - confusingly entitled 2001 despite its release in 1999 - and fans have high expectations of his comeback. The album, called Detox, has reportedly been five years in the making and, like his previous efforts, will feature a host of well known names along with Dre.

However, the first leak to emerge on the net features Ludacris taking on Dre's persona for the track OG's Theme, in which he ponders "With 30 mil sold, where's the fucking gratitude," before announcing "ain't no nigger better than Dr Dre, I'm a 20-year veteran."

Dre (above right, with Snoop Dogg) had promised that Detox would be a concept album, but rather than having rappers switch identities the leaked version is simply a 'reference track', over which Dre will re-record the lyrics as himself.

Hip-hop is seen as being in something of a creative trough which is one reason why Dre's forthcoming album is attracting so much interest - coming hot on the heels of a less-than-scintillating return from his protege Eminem.

Dre, real name Andre Young, rose to prominence as a member of seminal rap crew Niggaz With Attitude (NWA) in the late 1980s. They are widely credited with inventing 'Gangsta Rap' and achieved instant notoriety with songs like Fuck tha Police.

After the group - which included fellow rappers Ice Cube and Easy E - imploded, Dre released his first solo album The Chronic in 1992, which introduced Snoop Doggy Dogg to the world and created the G-Funk sound.

Between then and the release of 2001, Dre established himself as one of the leading figures in hip-hop, setting up his own label, Aftermath, which launched the career of Eminem and subsequently 50 Cent. ·