Throwback Thursday: Snoop Doggy Dogg 'Doggystyle'

Image: Snoop Dogg

In 1993 Snoop Dogg, then a Doggy Dogg, was already a superstar. He had been the main attraction on Dr Dre’s triumphant solo album The Chronic which had surfaced at the end of the year before it, announcing to the world at large a fresh, funky and, above all, fearsome new record label; Death Row.

Hip hop had permeated the global consensus already but this was the first time a collective set out to rule the world - which is exactly what they did. The imprint would make stars of and introduce us to rappers Kurrupt, Warren G, Daz Dillinger and Nate Dogg, and then push 2Pac from a stateside star to become an international icon, setting him on the path to become a musical martyr.

It started to aid the establishment of Dre as one of the most important producers the world of music, let alone hip hop, had ever witnessed. But if one voice epitomised the label, it was the D O Double G.

Doggystyle (stream above on Spotify) arrived and solidified Snoop’s status as arguably the most important rapper in the world in 1993. Whilst it lacked the social critique of The Chronic, recorded against the back drop of the LA riots, it encapsulated the gangster experience of the city of Los Angeles beautifully. 

Presenting an intoxicating experience that blended low riders, gang banging and late nights powered by mind altering substances legal and illegal, it was backed up by Dre’s finest production of his career (every track is sonically perfect) and, at the head of it all, the ridiculously charismatic Snoop in the form of his life.

The singles are, over twenty years later, still instantly recognisable. ‘What’s my name’ and ‘Gin and Juice’ remain anthems in British student unions, whilst 'Murder was the Case' spawned a short film replete with multi-platinum soundtrack. The rest was arguably even better.

‘Serial Killa’ was as frightening as anything off of The Chronic, the gloriously offensive ‘Aint no Fun’ still packs the same puerile pleasure whilst ‘The Shiznit’ is exactly what it says on the tin - just Snoop’s phonetically perfect voice gliding irresistibly over Dre’s impossibly effortless juxtaposition of bass and melody. The guests delivered too, RBX, Lady of Rage and The Dogg Pound all hinting at the strength of Tha' Row in depth.

22 years later it’s still an instant party starter, and whilst in album format Snoop would never quite hit the same stratospheric levels, his status as the cartoon character of hip hop was instantly assured.

He’s been here ever since, managing to make music with everyone from The Neptunes to Miley Cyrus, fashioning alter egos based on the music of his youth in reggae (Snoop Lion) and P-Funk (Snoopzilla), and making words like shizzel and dizzel part of the global vernacular.

Ever since he performed at Glastonbury in 2009 Snoop's cartoonish mash of styles has been a festival fixture in the UK, this summer being no different with shows at Lovebox, Kendal Calling, and Y Not. Lovebox tickets are available at the foot of this article.

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