Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg's debut entered the charts at number one, and it has proven popular even though there's little departure musically or production-wise from Dr. Dre's release.
Doggystyle features more of Dogg's part-drawl, part-spoken word narratives, but expresses a vision more paranoid than confident.
Throughout the disc, Snoop has nightmares about being killed, and spends most of his time either defaming women or getting out of conflicts.
The single {&"Who Am I (What's My Name)"} uses nearly the same samples and bass lines as "Dre Day," as only Snoop's lean, almost casual sneers and rejoinders differentiate it from Dre's prior recording.
He also throws a few darts at Eazy-E, but otherwise, this is prototype gangsta rap with Snoop's signature style as its major hook.
Personnel includes: Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, Dat Nigga Daz, The Queen Of Funk, Ricky Harris, RBX, The Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, The Hug, Nancy Fletcher, The Lady Of Rage, D.O.C., Lil Malik, The Dramatics (rap vocals). "Gin & Juice" was nominated for a 1995 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Long Beach, California's Snoop Doggy Dogg made one of the most successful debuts in rap music with DOGGYSTYLE. Introduced on the Dr. Dre single "Deep Cover," Snoop gained further popularity with his smoothed-out gangsta-type flow on Dre's THE CHRONIC. His music has ruled the clubs and the airwaves ever since, and the fact that his Dr. Dre-directed video "Murder Was The Case" was extended into an 18-minute feature-length film with its own soundtrack is further proof of just how much pull Snoop has in the hip-hop nation. Having super-producer Dr. Dre behind the scenes guaranteed DOGGYSTYLE a top ten spot on the pop charts. Singles like "Gin And Juice" and "Who Am I (What's My Name)" have helped Snoop gain the recognition of the entire music industry without selling out his original rap audience. Possessing among the most unique deliveries in hip-hop, Snoop revives the old-school with his remake of the classic "Lodi Dodi"--originally performed by Slick Rick, and reinterpreted in a West Coast style. A guest appearance by The Dramatics on "Doggy Dog World" also helps illustrate the rapper's fondness for 70's grooves. And just as Dre pushed him out front on THE CHRONIC, Snoop empowers Tha Dogg Pound on DOGGYSTYLE, allowing his homies to share in his spotlight on "Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)." |
