This month, award-winning and arguably the greatest songwriter of a generation The-Dream celebrates the 15-year anniversary of the release of his debut album, “Love/Hate. “
“Love Hate 15 Years Ago Today The—Dream did something no one has done since,” The-Dream wrote on Twitter on December 11. “Drop the best RandB album, no skips. They call him a ghostwriter, clearly he’s not a ghost at all. Happy 15th Anniversary.”
Released in 2007 on The Island-Def Jam Music Group, the 12-song debut spawned chart-topping classics “Shawty Is Da Shit,” “I Luv Your Girl,” and “Falsetto.” Love/Hate is certified gold by the RIAA. Dream’s debut set the groundwork for follow-up albums Love vs. Money and Love King that gave us hit songs “Rockin’ That Shit,” “My Love,” and “Makeup Bag.”
In a 2017 Billboard interview, The-Dream said “his debut album stems from his frustration of patiently awaiting for R&B superstars to sing his songs.” He said: “I felt like I needed to take full advantage of where I was at that time in my career. I didn’t want to wait for Usher, Chris Brown, Beyoncé, or Rhianna to sing my songs. I just felt like I needed to showcase what I did beyond artists at that particular point.”
A Love/Hate documentary is currently in the works to celebrate the album’s 15th anniversary. In the meantime, take a trip down memory lane below.