Doggystyle

Background In 1992, Snoop Dogg came to attention of the music industry through his vocal contributions on Dr. Dre's The Chronic. That album is considered to have "transformed the entire sound of West Coast rap" by its development of what later became known as the "G-funk" sound. The Chronic expanded gangsta rap with profanity, anti-authoritarian lyrics and multi-layered samples taken from 1970's P-Funk records. Describing Doggystyle in 1993, Snoop Doggy Dogg likewise points to the album's realism, and the extent to which it is based on his personal experience. He said, "I can't rap about something I don't know. You'll never hear me rapping about no bachelor's degree. It's only what I know and that's that street life. It's all everyday life, reality." Recording Doggystyle was recorded in early 1993 at Death Row Studios. It was produced in a style similar to The Chronic; some critics called it a "carbon copy". Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight stated in 2013 that, "Daz pretty much did the whole album", and that credit was signed over to Dr. Dre for a fee. Snoop Doggy Dogg said Dr. Dre was capable of making beats without the help of collaborators and addressed the issues with Warren G and Daz, stating "They made beats, Dre produced that record". He discussed the track "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)", mentioning that Daz and Warren G brought Dr. Dre the beat but "Dre took that muthafucka to the next level!" Bruce Williams, closely affiliated with Dr. Dre, discussed the recording process during Dre's time at Death Row Records, stating: Williams said the album was never finished and because of the demand for the record, the distributors insisted the album be completed, otherwise they would cancel the album's orders. This resulted in Dr. Dre mixing the album and inserting the skits within 48 hours, which enabled the album to be released. Rolling Stone writer Jonathan Gold described how Dr. Dre produced a beat from scratch to complete instrumental: "Dre may find something he likes from an old drum break, loop it and gradually replace each part with a better tom-tom sound, a kick-drum sound he adores, until the beat bears the same relationship to the original that the Incredible Hulk does to Bill Bixby". Gold also described how the track progressed with other musicians adding to the song, stating "A bass player wanders in, unpacks his instrument and pops a funky two-note bass line over the beat, then leaves to watch CNN, though his two notes keep looping into infinity. A smiling guy in a striped jersey plays a nasty one-fingered melody on an old Minimoog synthesizer that's been obsolete since 1982, and Dre scratches in a sort of surfadelic munching noise, and then from his well-stocked Akai MPC60 samples comes a shriek, a spare piano chord, an ejaculation from the first Beastie's record—'Let me clear my throat'—and the many-layered groove is happening, bumping, breathing, almost loud enough to see." Title significance and artwork The album's title alludes to the doggy style sex position and is a reference to the musician's name. The artwork was done by the late artist Darryl "Joe Cool" Daniel, Snoop Dogg's cousin, who died in July 2024. The artwork represents the themes covered in the album and the style of implementation of those ideas. Some critics believe the artwork portrays a woman merely as a hole to be filled by the man, which they believe adheres to the narcissistic and sexist lyrical themes Snoop Dogg covers. In this interpretation, the cover art and lyrics convey what they refer to as the self-indulgent "gangsta" lifestyle: drugs, cars, sex, and money. == Music ==

Production (pictured in 2008) on the album production. Dre's handling of the production was praised by critics. AllMusic writer Stephen Erlewine stated: "Dre realized that it wasn't time to push the limits of G-funk, and instead decided to deepen it musically, creating easy-rolling productions that have more layers than they appear". He added that the beats were "laid-back funky, continuing to resonate after many listens". Lyrics Snoop Doggy Dogg's lyrics were generally praised by critics, although they caused some controversy. He was acclaimed for the realism in his rhymes and his harmonious flow. The ideas put forward through the lyrics include Snoop Doggy Dogg's adolescent urges, as he freely talks of casual sex, smoking marijuana and gunning down rival gang members. Time magazine remarked that the notions "are often unnecessarily graphic; at some points they're downright obscene" and that "the album would have been stronger if such misgivings about the criminal life, as well as Snoop's touches of introspection, had been applied to some of the cruder songs". The album also covered gun play, drug dealing and pimping. The New York Times said that the lyrical concepts were delivered in "crudest, rudest terms". Some critics said Snoop Doggy Dogg was "obsessed with being a 'G', a gangster, a lawbreaker who smokes dope and kills with impunity" and that his lyrics depict the black-on-black crime in the inner-cities. Snoop Doggy Dogg's lyrics depict drugs, alcohol, sex, and money as methods of escape from oppression, but they also show an underside of the "gangsta" lifestyle and the results of following this lifestyle. It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and reached No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles, receiving a Gold certification from the RIAA on February 8, 1994. "Gin and Juice" was the second single released on January 18, 1994. Like the previous single, it was a hit on multiple charts. It reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 13 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, No. 1 on Hot Rap Singles, and No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart. Even though the single was not officially released in the U.S., it received some radio airplay which resulted in position 19 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. An 18-minute music video was shot for the two songs, with an accompanying Murder Was the Case soundtrack. The video won the 1995 Video of the Year award at The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards. "Gin and Juice" was nominated at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance. A bonus track, "Gz Up, Hoes Down", was included in the album's first pressing, but not in later versions because of sample clearance issues. Snoop Doggy Dogg could not gain the rights to use the beats because the record company was not willing to pay license fees for using the samples. "Gz Up, Hoes Down" was later released on the Death Row compilation 15 Years on Death Row. A track titled "Tha Next Episode" was listed as the last track on the back cover of the first pressings, but not included in any pressing. It is considered the original material used for the 2000 Dr. Dre single "The Next Episode" but bears no resemblance to the later song. It was 4 minutes and 36 seconds (4:36) long. "Tha Next Episode" was later released on the Dr. Dre mixtape Pretox under the name "Chronic Unreleased Studio Session", but only 1:10 long. "Doggystyle" featuring George Clinton was a 5:26 long outtake from the album sessions. It is a singing melody with vocals dominating the song and it extensively samples "Oh I" by Funkadelic from their album The Electric Spanking of War Babies. Jewell & The Brides of Funkenstein are featured on the chorus. The song was released on Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1 amongst other songs recorded by Snoop Doggy Dogg during his tenure at Death Row. == Legacy and influence ==

Hip-hop music Doggystyle is seen by many hip hop pundits as a "classic". It is credited with defining West Coast hip hop; shifting the emphasis to more melodious, synth-driven, and funk-induced beats. About.com stated during the period the album was released, "Gangsta rap never sounded so sweet." The album is credited for further establishment of the slurred "lazy drawl" that sacrificed lyrical complexity for clarity and rhythmic cadence on Doggystyle and The Chronic. The problems of sexual violence and sexism are attributed to lyrics degrading women such as "bitches" and "ho's," which some believe have influenced black males. Snoop Doggy Dogg and other hip hop artists, including N.W.A, especially Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube (due to their success) and 2Pac, have been held accountable for developing the gangsta rap form; a genre which articulated the rage of the urban underclass and its sense of intense oppression and defiant rebellion, which has been attained through the ability to communicate free of censorship, and has allowed hip hop culture to become a dominant style and ethos throughout the world. Subsequent work Doggystyle is generally considered Snoop Dogg's best album, in addition to being his highest charting and best-selling album as his later albums were certified double Platinum, Platinum or Gold although Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told was certified double Platinum making it his second best-selling album and also his only other one to be certified multi-Platinum. Doggystyle differs from following albums as his later work featured production from multiple individuals, such as the Neptunes, Timbaland and Daz Dillinger, with reduced input from Dr. Dre, which shows a shift from G-funk production. These releases included three hit singles, "Beautiful", "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Signs". Snoop Dogg was credited for returning to his G-funk roots with his eighth studio album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006). In March 2022, Doggystyle and many other Death Row albums were removed from streaming services; they returned on March 10, 2023. == Critical reception ==

Doggystyle was released to widespread critical acclaim. Rolling Stone writer Touré mentioned "Doggystyle is filled with verbal and vocal feats that meet its high expectations. It speeds through 55 minutes of constant talk as if on a suicide hot line". Vibe magazine expressed that "Snoop is no ordinary gangsta; that's impossible for an artist this playful. On his debut, with Dre riding shotgun anthems abound as often as gin-soaked debauchery". The Source magazine gave the album a 4/5 mic rating. It said Snoop Doggy Dogg emerged as a rapper who lived up to all the advance hype which came from his work on The Chronic, and discussed songs on the record, stating "If 'Murder Was The Case' is a stroke of near genius, then 'Lodi Dodi' is an example of total genius." The album also received some negative criticism. Erlewine mentioned the album did not "surprise or offer anything that wasn't already on The Chronic". which signifies "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought. At the upper level it may merely be overrated, disappointing, or dull. Down below it may be contemptible." Q Danny Kelly observed: "Snoop Doggy Dogg's record is more or less a 19-track homage to/gleeful rip off of George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog' ... It's inclined to become a touch unimaginative; a tad, let's be honest, dull ... And the sleeve competes with The Waterboys' Dream Harder and Billy Joel's River of Dreams as the worst attached to a recent release." Despite the initial mixed criticism, critical perception of the album later improved, as Doggystyle has earned several accolades and rankings on critics' "best album" lists. A review of the album's reissue upped Q rating from three to four stars out of five. "A modern classic," observed reviewer Tom Doyle. In 2020, "Doggystyle" placed 340 in Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time. In a 2022 ranking of 14 Snoop Dogg albums, Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly placed Doggystyle first. The album was also placed at number 84 on Apple Music's 100 Best Albums list in 2024. Accolades == Commercial performance ==

Doggystyle debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, powered by spectacular first week sales of 806,000 copies. In the second week Doggystyle remained at the top of the Billboard 200, selling 378,000 copies. In the third week the album dropped to number 2 on the chart, selling 259,000. In the fourth week the album dropped to number 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 297,000 copies. In the fifth week the album remained number 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 407,000 copies. In the sixth week the album returned to the top of the Billboard 200, selling 270,000 copies, marking ''Doggystyle's last week at the top of the chart to date. Doggystyle topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for five weeks. Doggystyle first appeared on music charts in 1993, peaking on the Billboard'' 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at No. 1. The record was mildly successful in Europe, reaching No. 18 in Sweden, No. 21 in Germany and No. 35 in Austria. It also peaked at No. 25 on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand album chart. It re-entered the charts in 2003, peaking on the Ireland Albums Top 75 at No. 70. == Track listing ==

• All songs produced by Dr. Dre. Notes • "Gz Up, Hoes Down" was included on initial album pressings, but was subsequently omitted due to sample clearance issues. It was later included on the 2006 compilation, 15 Years on Death Row, as well as 30th anniversary vinyl and CD pressings. • 2001 pressings and onwards condense the album's interludes with the proceeding tracks; totaling 13 tracks. • On the U.S. original release's back cover "Gz Up, Hoes Down" is erroneously listed after "Pump Pump" instead of immediately before. • Original pressings in Europe features track names for all interludes - the interlude track names listed above are taken from the said European release. "W Balls" was the only interlude listed on the original American release. All interludes, including "W Balls" were later omitted from all track listings. • The original pressings of the album, which contains "Gz Up, Hoes Down", list an outro track titled, "Tha Next Episode", but does not feature on any pressings of the album. A low-quality recording of the song later leaked online sometime in the late 2000s. Cut tracks • "Tha Next Episode", produced by and featuring Dr. Dre, was listed on the track listing provided to retailers before the album's release, but does not feature on any pressings of the album. A similar instrumental (i.e., it used the same sample as its main melody) was later used for Warren G's track "Runnin' Wit No Breaks" from his 1994 debut album, Regulate...G Funk Era Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre later recorded a track titled "The Next Episode" for Dre's second studio album, 2001, which is completely different from the original. • "Doggystyle", featuring Jewell and George Clinton, was recorded during the album sessions but remained unreleased until its inclusion on the compilation album Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1 • "The Root of All Evil (Outro)", featuring Teena Marie, was recorded during the album sessions but remained unreleased until its inclusion on the compilation album Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1. There's also a demo version with extra background vocals. The instrumental was later significantly reworked and used for the remix of "California Love", by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre. • "Every Single Day", featuring Kurupt, Jewell and Nate Dogg, was recorded during the album sessions, remaining unreleased until an alternate version was released on Tha Dogg Pound compilation album 2002. There's also a version which features Daz Dillinger replacing Snoop Dogg's verses. • "Niggas Don't Give a Fuck" appears on the Music from the Motion Picture Poetic Justice. There's also two different demo versions. • "Smoke On", featuring Hug. • "Big Bitches" • "Dogg Pound 4 Life (Original version)" An alternate version was released on the Above the Rim: The Soundtrack where Snoop Dogg has a different verse. • "Fallin' Asleep On Death Row" was recorded during the album sessions but remained unreleased until its inclusion on the compilation album Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1 • "Poor Young Dave" was recorded during the album sessions but remained unreleased until its inclusion on The Chronic Re-Lit & From The Vault DVD. • "Eat A Dick" was recorded during the album sessions but remained unreleased until its inclusion on the compilation album Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1 == Credits and personnel ==

• Dr. Dre – producer, vocals, drum programming, mixing engineer, mastering engineer • Snoop Doggy Dogg – lead vocals, performer • Daz Dillinger – vocals, performer, additional vocals • Tha Dogg Pound – performer, vocals • The Dramatics – performer • The Lady of Rage – performer, additional vocals • RBX – performer • Kurupt – performer • Nate Dogg – performer, additional vocals • Warren G – performer, vocals • Bow Wow – performer (featured) • George Clinton – performer, additional vocals • Jewell – performer, additional vocals • Mr. Malik – performer, additional vocals • Ricky Harris – performer, additional vocals • The Queen of Funk – performer (featured) • The D.O.C. – performer • Daz Dillinger – additional vocals • Tha Dogg Pound – additional vocals • Dr. Dre – additional vocals • George Clinton – additional vocals • Jewell – additional vocals • The Lady of Rage – additional vocals • Lashann Dendy – additional vocals • LeShaun – additional vocals • Mr. Malik – additional vocals • Nanci Fletcher – additional vocals • Ricky Harris – additional vocals • Shana Dee – additional vocals • Snoop Dogg – additional vocals • Tony Green – additional vocals • Warren G – additional vocals • Suge Knight – executive producer • Bernie Grundman – mastering engineer • Chris "The Glove" Taylor – songwriter, mixing engineer • Ulrich Wild – engineer, recording engineer • Joe Cool – cover artwork • Kimberly Holt – art direction, project coordinator • Kimberly Brown – project coordinator • Anita Sisaath – video director • Calvin Caday – video director • Fab 5 Freddy – video director • Ricky Harris – video director • Pamella D’Pella – video location manager • Dan Winters – photography • Chi Modu – photography • Daz Dillinger – producer • Warren G – producer • Dr. Dre – producer • Daz Dillinger – writer • Dr. Dre – writer • Warren G – writer • Belinda Wilson – writer • Bootsy Collins – writer • Daniel Webster – writer • Don Blackman – writer • Garry Shider – writer • George Clinton – writer • Hachidai Nakamura – writer • Harry Wayne Casey – writer • Jerome 'Bigfoot' Brailey – writer • Kurupt – writer • The Lady of Rage – writer • Mark Adams – writer • Mr. Malik – writer • Mose Davis – writer • Nanci Fletcher – writer • Nate Dogg – writer • Philippe Wynne – writer • Ray Turner – writer • Richard "Dimples" Fields – writer • Richard Finch – writer • Rokusuke Ei – writer • Sam Sneed – writer • Slick Rick – writer • Snoop Dogg – writer • Steve Arrington – writer • Steve Washington – writer • The D.O.C. – writer • Warren G – writer • Publisher : Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ on but Funkin’, Beane Tribe Publishing, Bridgeport Music, Cotillion Records, EMI Longitude Music, EMI Music Publishing, eOne Music, Kobalt Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Southfield Music, Suge Publishing, Universal Music Group, Warner/Chappell, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. • Distributor : Atlantic Records, Death Row Records, Priority Records ==Charts==

Weekly charts Catalog charts Year-end charts Decade-end charts ==Certifications==