On November 23, 1993, Snoop Doggโthen known as โSnoop Doggy Doggโโreleased his debut album Doggystyle, which helped elevate hip hop from an underground genre to mainstream pop culture status. The album introduced the G-Funk era, pushing the parental advisory boundaries and making Snoop Dogg hip hopโs first superstar Gangsta rapper.
New Beginnings
By the early 1990s, Andre โDr. Dreโ Young was already a household name as a producer/rapper and member of N.W.A. After a financial dispute with fellow member/best friend Eric โEazy-Eโ Wright, Young partnered with former bodyguard Marion โSugeโ Knight to establish Death Row Records. With Knight handling the business affairs, Dre could solely concentrate on the music, but as an artist, Dre needed a muse: enter Snoop.
In 1991, Calvin โSnoop Doggy Doggโ Broadus was at a crossroads in his young life. He was feeling frustrated that his music group 213, which included cousin Nathanial โNate Doggโ Hale and friend Warren โGโ Griffin, wasnโt gaining success beyond their respected neighborhood. A native of East Long Beach, California, Broadus was also a gang member with the Rollinโ 20s Crips and had already spent time in jail for cocaine possession. Fate intervened when, after several failed attempts, Warren G finally got his older brother, Dr. Dre, to listen to the groupโs demo tape. Dre loved Snoopโs voice and told his younger brother he wanted to work with Snoop immediately.
Old Teacher, New Student
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggโs magical musical partnership was cemented on the soundtrack for the movie Deep Cover; their song was the title track for the album and shared a title with the movie. The songโs commercial achievement built a bridge for Dreโs solo album The Chronic, where Snoopโs rhythmic style became a standout in features on songs like โF*** Wit Dre Dayโ, โLil Ghetto Boyโ, and the timeless cookout anthem โNuthin but a G Thang.โ The Chronicโs success fueled anticipation for a Snoop Dogg solo project.
The on-the-surface fantasy of Dr. Dreโs The Chronic album created a blueprint for the formation of Snoop Doggy Doggโs Doggystyle album. However, the underneath reality was different. โI thought it was gonna be a cakewalk,โ said Dr. Dre in a 2018 speech at Snoop Doggโs Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, โI thought all we had to do was go back in the studio and do the same exact thing we did when we made The Chronic. But by that time, gang bangin showed up. There was a lot of money floating around, BUT me and Snoop, we kept our eyes on the prize, and we knew that this record Doggystyle had to be better or at least as good as The Chronic.โ
Solo Shine
The organic relationship between Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre became Doggystyleโs first significant ingredient. โBy hanging out with me, he [Dre] had learned who I was,โ Snoop Dogg told Revolt, โand he knew I was into a lot of 70s old school Black exploitation. And when we would ride together, I would always have a cassette with old school songs on it. And I would always control the music from the passenger seat.โ That 1970s groove is in the albumโs intro where Snoop is playing out a bathtub scene with the late Curtis Mayfield playing in the background from the 1972 film Superfly, which set the albumโs musical tone.
The albumโs lead single, โWho Am I {Whatโs My Name?}?โ, is a direct sample from Funk godfather George Clintonโs โAtomic Dog.โ The synthesizer sound is an instant thump commanded by Snoopโs flowโhe doesnโt let the hard bass sound get away from him. Then thereโs โGin & Juiceโ, a party anthem that became a staple in cruising car culture with the chorus โMy mind on my money, and my money on my mindโ becoming a household catchphrase. The 1970โs tribute continued with โDoggy Dogg Worldโ featuring R&B soul group The Dramatics whose adlibs sang the closeout like a streetcorner church session.
The success of Doggystyle doesnโt solely rely on smooth beats and singable hooks; Snoop Dogg was a lyrical wizard on this album. His voice is distinctive, but his wordplay is superbly innovative. On โTha Shiznitโ, Dogg rhymes, โI lay back in the cut, retain myself. / Think about the sh!t, and I think it well.โEngland-born, New York City-raised Slick Rick planted the seeds of finesse flow; that tree took root and Snoop borrowed the fruit, which he honored by remaking Rickโs โLodi Dodi.โ
The albumโs emotional depth is out front on the track โMurder Was the Case.โ Snoop describes dying so vividly, as if heโs experienced it firsthand, when he says, โAs I look up at the sky. / My mind starts tripping; a tear drops from my eye. / My body temperature falls. Iโm shaking, / and they break in, / tryna save the Dogg.โ
The Problem with Hindsight
The album also marks a period when hip hop transitioned from the โRap is a fadโ era to the โRap is a problemโ era. Critics protested that artists like Snoop were not only glorifying violence but promoting misogyny against women.
Besides the album itself being called Doggystyle, the cover art features an animated Snoop Doggโdepicted as a canineโreaching to touch a femaleโs backside which is pointing up in the air; protestors argued that the album cover implied all women were sexually available and for the taking of any man. Although Snoop stated that old Richard Pryor albums influenced the album cover, thereโs no defense for the infamous song โAinโt No Fun (If the Homies Canโt Have None).โ The late Nate Doggโs hood sing-along was an intro to โTha Dogg Poundโ rapping about a womanโs worth being valued one grade above a sex doll for the same purpose. The albumโs reflection of West Coast street life and mirroring the social conditions of the inner-city was innovative, but the โBitches Ainโt Sh!tโ theme on wax was just a stale copycat of 1980s hair band rock.
And Nowโฆ
The impact of Snoop Doggy Doggโs album Doggystyle was immediate, selling 806,858 copies in the first week and debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200. Itโs also certified 4x platinum according to RIAA. The albumโs legacy has influenced multiple artists since, such as Nas, 50 Cent, and others. Despite a legendary career, Doggystyle remains Snoopโs best work, one of hip hop best albums, and one of musicโs great pieces of art.
