VIBE's August/September issue features an interview with Dr. Dre, available now in an excerpted Web preview. Atlantic tech blogger Alexis Madrigal is quick to pull out "the most exciting tidbit the space hip hop world has ever heard": Dre plans an instrumental album which will be his "interpretation of what each planet sounds like." The musician has been reading up on the "personalities of each planet," and wants to do part of the album "in surround sound for Saturn to work." He adds that he's not sure "if [he] should even be saying this." The album will be called The Planets.

The sound you hear just might be classical-music fans chuckling. A work of the same name, and also based on the personalities of the planets, but composed by Gustav Holst, premiered in 1918 and went on to become one of the great pieces of the twentieth century. Readers may have to wait until the full VIBE interview comes out on newsstands on August 13 to find out whether Dr. Dre is consciously following the English composer. Until then, readers can enjoy picturing the rapper deep in research with a biography of Holst, prepping for his remake.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at hhorn at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Heather Horn