|
|
Snoop Dogg Leading the pack of second-generation West Coast gangsta-rappers, Snoop Dogg has remained one of the most distinctive voices in hip-hop since his 1992 debut on the Dr. Dre song ”Deep Cover” from the soundtrack of the Lawrence Fishburne film. A childhood pal of Dr. Dre's step-brother, Warren G, Snoop (born Calvin Broadus) was once a promising young ball player from Long Beach.Gangbanging, drug dealing, and jail time soon ruined his chances at athletic scholarships, |
|
Snoop was nonetheless
connected in all the right ways. He got his first break when Warren G passed
his tape to Dre which lead to Snoop's distinctive nasal monotone rap being
displayed on “Deep Cover” and later Dre's top-selling 1992 release, The
Chronic. Snoop went on to multi-platinum success with his first solo
record, Doggystyle, with the assistance of ballsy, funk-driven singles
and weirdly compelling videos. While not particularly an innovator in terms of
lyrical content, Snoop made the gangsta lifestyle seem not only cool, but fun
as hell. Appearing in a multitude of guises, from cornrowed prisoner to
wheelchair-bound OG, he proved himself a master of image manipulation.
As with many of his rap-world contemporaries, Snoop has been troubled with legal and financial difficulties. In 1996, he was acquitted of the 1993 murder of gang member Philip Woldermariam. That same year, Snoop released his sophomore album, Tha Dogg Father, which teamed him with Gap Band lead singer Charlie Wilson on the single “Snoop's Upside Your Head.” The album did not yield the acclaim of Doggystyle, but Snoop kept himself in the forefront of the music scene, appearing on the soundtrack to the Martin Lawrence film, A Thin Line Between Love & Hate, and on a collaboration with Tupac Shakur, “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” from Shakur's post-prison, Death Row Records debut, All Eyez On Me. By 1998, while controversial Death Row Records honcho Suge Knight served a prison bid for parole violation, Snoop exited the label to join with Master P's No Limit Records. Snoop's first No Limit album, Da Game Is To Be Sold Not To Be Told, proved that Snoop's usual, infectious slow drawl was a poor mesh for the thunderous, production sound of the New Orleans based No Limit. In 1999, Snoop's second No Limit album, Top Dogg, re-teamed him with Dr. Dre, and scored an underground anthem with the song “B- Please” featuring Xzibit, which helped Xzibit achieve further notoriety. Snoop's Tha Last Meal, released in 2000, was his final record under Master P's tutelage. The album showcased Snoop's growth as an artist, finally finding his artistic comfort zone with producers other than Dr. Dre. In 2001, Snoop secured a second label deal with MCA Records, and issued the compilation, Snoop Dogg Presents Doggy Style Allstars: Welcome To The House, Vol. 1, in 2002. In addition to the compilation record, Snoop released Paid Da Cost To Be Tha Boss in 2002. This record was, like most of his previous work, a fan favorite in the hip-hop world but Snoop had a falling out with MCA Records and moved onto Geffen for his 2004 release, R&G - Rhythm and Gangster: The Masterpiece featuring the smash hit “Drop It Like It's Hot.” With the multitude of music and films Snoop Dogg has created along with the loyal fan base he has cultivated through years of touring, “The Dogg Father” can truly be labeled as one of gangsta-rap’s greats who took the reigns from the likes of Pac and Biggie and ushered it into the twenty-first century. |
