Tha Doggfather
Encyclopedia
Tha Doggfather is the second studio album
by American
rapper
Snoop Dogg
; released by Death Row
/Interscope Records
on November 12, 1996. The album was re-released July 11, 2005. Snoop spent much of 1995 preparing for the case, which finally went to trial in late 1995. In February 1996, he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album, this time without Dr. Dre
as producer. This was Snoop's last album on Death Row Records.
Although the album debuted at number one in the week of November 12, 1996 with over 478,971 copies sold, it failed to match the commercial success of Doggystyle
. Part of the reason for the moderate success of The Doggfather was the decline of gangsta rap. 2Pac, who had become a friend of Snoop during 1996, died weeks before the release of The Doggfather, and Dre
had left Death Row to his partner Suge Knight
, who was indicted on racketeering charges by the end of 1996. Consequently, Snoop's second album got lost in the shuffle, stalling at sales of two million, which was disappointing for a superstar. It was released only one week after another Death Row release, the first posthumous album by slain Tupac Shakur
, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
, which also debuted at number one. That Snoop remained a star, but he no longer had the influence he had just two years before. The illustration on the back cover of the CD is done by Joe Cool
; the same artist who did the front cover of his hit 1993 debut album Doggystyle
.
in early 1996 over money disputes) leaving Dat Nigga Daz and especially DJ Pooh
as the main producer of the album. One the key signs of an album not produced by Dr. Dre is the not so heavy use of G-Funk
on the album compared to his first album. A key factor being the less noticeable bass sound, high-pitched synthesizers, and also less musically sonic detail. Another noticeable thing other than the mysterious lack of an appearance by 2Pac other than the outro, is the lack of a major hit single in the US pop charts such as Gin and Juice
and What's My Name. However, Tha Doggfather is still considered a good album by most reviews.
Snoop Dogg stated in an interview with Vh1
on December 3, 2006 that the reason behind many of the differences between Doggystyle and Tha Doggfather was because he felt he needed to bring a positive image to the music industry. He also stated "I think Tha Doggfather was a rebirth of me, as far as me being more positive on what I was tryin' to say and you know tryin' to live the life through my music, instead of me just livin' my life, tryin' to show people that my life... wasn't like my music was, tryin' to bring my life to my music... my present life". Snoop also stated that it was really understood at the time, where people wanted him to feel happy that he had won the case and rapping about violence. Though he did not want to and responded by saying "that's not what I felt" and that he felt emotionally lost since he didn't have Dr. Dre, Tupac had just been killed, and Suge Knight was in jail. After that he stated "I'm not gonna glorify none of this negativity that Death Row wanted me to do, I'm gonna bring a positive side of music". He felt like it got looked at the wrong way but in his own opinion it felt successful, stating "I enjoyed it and everywhere I go around the world people; you know I sign more Doggfather records than any other record I put out. That's the one I sign the most and I'm proud at the thang I did and the thang is... sometimes you can outgrow your fans".
, The United Kingdom and Canada
.
. In contrast, on Doggystyle, he had displayed himself as a Crip
(a street gang). Snoop also demonstrates that lyrically he is still in touch with songs that have exceptional flow like Freestyle Conversation which shows Snoop rapping faster than normal, and Doggyland, with smooth, flowing lyrics about peace to the streets. The production is different from Doggystyle on songs like Snoop Bounce, Snoop's Upside Ya Head, Up Jump Tha Boogie and 2001, which have an old school funk feeling. Tha Doggfather also features some positive content, such as the skit When I Grow Up, in which Snoop tells a young fan to never be like him.
, the album title uses the same letter format as the movie title.
, taking the place of what Dr. Dre did with Snoop on Doggystyle. Snoop Dogg also stated in an interview with Rap City in 1996 after Tha Doggfather just got released that he had been trying to work with Dr. Dre for the album. The problem was that Suge Knight would not allow him to work with Dr. Dre. Snoop also stated that Suge told him that the only way he was going to make the album was without Dr. Dre. He also added that working without Dr. Dre gives him more freedom to work with more producers, instead of just working with one key producer.
The album also noticeably leans to a more "old school" influenced funky beat, sampling songs like "It's Like That" by Run-D.M.C.
, Vapors
by Biz Markie
and others like More Bounce To The Ounce by Zapp & Roger and Oops Upside Your Head
by The Gap Band. A noticeable thing about one of the tracks of the album, "Wake Up" is that this is the first song that Snoop Dogg actually produced. He stated that L.T. Hutton came in and helped him learn how to produce without Dr. Dre by teaching him how to play keyboard
.
. However retailers thought differently such as Violet Brown, urban music buyer for the Wherehouse music chain. "Customer anticipation has been huge. As soon as record executives found out they were opening against Snoop [this week], they shifted the release dates of some rival rap albums to avoid the Snoop sales rush." The album debuted at number one with strong first week sales of 479,000 copies, with Tupac at number two with second week sales of 250,000 (proving that Death Row still had a strong hold on the pop charts). While falling short of Doggystyle's 803,000 in the first week sold (the record at the time for a rap album), the album still was the third-highest rap debut of that year behind Shakur's "All Eyez on Me
" (566,000 first-week copies) and "Killuminati" (664,000 copies), and it ranks fourth overall on the year's list of top debuts, which is headed by Metallica
's "Load" (680,000). The album has sold over two million copies in the United States.
magazine on February Dr. Dre stated his feelings on the album and said "But to be perfectly honest, I don't like Snoop's new album. And it has nothing to do with me not working him, because I'm just like everybody else: I like it, or I don't. The first time I heard the single, I was grooving to it, but then I really started to get into the production and how it was sounding, you know? The first time you hear some shit, you just listen to it to get your groove on, but after that, I start breaking songs down. There's really nothing that was said on there that hasn't been said 50 times before." Entertainment Weekly
praised the album by stating "Even without Dr. Dre behind the board, Snoop and his studio team concoct an intoxicating blend of old-school funk and gangsta cool" but also noted that "There's not much to love in the album's attitude toward sex, drugs, and first-degree murder." With Muzik
saying "...a more angular, spiky, old school-influenced vehicle for the Dogg Father to strut his matter-of-act rhymes over... you [are taken in] by the strength of the rhyming...". And Melody Maker
ranking it #49 on Melody Maker's list of 1996's `Albums Of The Year. The Los Angeles Times
reported that "Snoop still is one of rap's most electrifying performers. But unlike "Doggystyle
" and the "Murder Was the Case
" soundtrack, few of the beats on this album rival his rapping prowess." They complimented some of the tracks, calling 'Doggfather' "... the epitome of cool smoothness. Over a slow-rolling Daz and DJ Pooh track", 'Freestyle Conversation' "... an Outkast-style exercise in which Snoop speaks a mile a minute, but still manages to maintain a funky rhythm", 'Gold Rush' a "funky pistolero track" and the Biz Markie
remake 'Vapors
' "the album's real gem". The review went on to conclude that "Tha Doggfather may not be Doggystyle, but Snoop shows that he has the prowess and the talent to survive." . The New York Times predicted that the album would chart in the top ten due to his presence in the music industry. They also stated that "The album has a few obligatory mentions of sexual exploits and gun-toting, usually delegated to guest rappers. But most of the raps are about his position as a hit-maker. He still has one of the most distinctive deliveries in rap: a casual, nasal, conversational tone that sounds leisurely even when he's barreling forward. His producers are a little less slick than Dr. Dre was, but they have supplied swampy bass riffs and catchy backup choruses, drawing heavily (like Dr. Dre) on George Clinton's P-Funk. Snoop Doggy Dogg insists, and The Doggfather does that, maintaining a party atmosphere. Yet while it insists that gangsta rap isn't dead, it plays down tough-guy tales in favor of a star's pronouncements." AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that the album runs on too long at over 70 minutes and "Though it works the same G-funk territory, the bass is less elastic and there is considerably less sonic detail". But also praised the album by stating "Though the music isn't original, and the lyrics break no new territory, the execution is strong -- Snoop's rapping and rhyming continue to improve, while the bass-heavy funk is often intoxicating." He ended the review on a positive note stating "...the album is a fine follow-up to one of the most successful hip-hop albums in history."
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
; released by Death Row
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
/Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
on November 12, 1996. The album was re-released July 11, 2005. Snoop spent much of 1995 preparing for the case, which finally went to trial in late 1995. In February 1996, he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album, this time without Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
as producer. This was Snoop's last album on Death Row Records.
Although the album debuted at number one in the week of November 12, 1996 with over 478,971 copies sold, it failed to match the commercial success of Doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
. Part of the reason for the moderate success of The Doggfather was the decline of gangsta rap. 2Pac, who had become a friend of Snoop during 1996, died weeks before the release of The Doggfather, and Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
had left Death Row to his partner Suge Knight
Suge Knight
Marion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
, who was indicted on racketeering charges by the end of 1996. Consequently, Snoop's second album got lost in the shuffle, stalling at sales of two million, which was disappointing for a superstar. It was released only one week after another Death Row release, the first posthumous album by slain Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is the fifth and final studio album by Tupac Shakur, under the new stage name Makaveli, finished before his death and his first studio album to be posthumously released...
, which also debuted at number one. That Snoop remained a star, but he no longer had the influence he had just two years before. The illustration on the back cover of the CD is done by Joe Cool
Joe Cool
Joe Cool may refer to:*Snoopy of Peanuts fame, whose aliases included Joe Cool*Joe Montana, a former NFL quarterback who earned the nickname...
; the same artist who did the front cover of his hit 1993 debut album Doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
.
Background
One of the most notable things on the album is the complete lack of production or involvement of Dr. Dre; (due to the fact that he left Death Row RecordsDeath Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
in early 1996 over money disputes) leaving Dat Nigga Daz and especially DJ Pooh
DJ Pooh
DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:...
as the main producer of the album. One the key signs of an album not produced by Dr. Dre is the not so heavy use of G-Funk
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...
on the album compared to his first album. A key factor being the less noticeable bass sound, high-pitched synthesizers, and also less musically sonic detail. Another noticeable thing other than the mysterious lack of an appearance by 2Pac other than the outro, is the lack of a major hit single in the US pop charts such as Gin and Juice
Gin and Juice
"Gin and Juice" is the second single by rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg from his debut album Doggystyle. A top 10 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, peaking at number eight, "Gin and Juice" was nominated for the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance...
and What's My Name. However, Tha Doggfather is still considered a good album by most reviews.
Snoop Dogg stated in an interview with Vh1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
on December 3, 2006 that the reason behind many of the differences between Doggystyle and Tha Doggfather was because he felt he needed to bring a positive image to the music industry. He also stated "I think Tha Doggfather was a rebirth of me, as far as me being more positive on what I was tryin' to say and you know tryin' to live the life through my music, instead of me just livin' my life, tryin' to show people that my life... wasn't like my music was, tryin' to bring my life to my music... my present life". Snoop also stated that it was really understood at the time, where people wanted him to feel happy that he had won the case and rapping about violence. Though he did not want to and responded by saying "that's not what I felt" and that he felt emotionally lost since he didn't have Dr. Dre, Tupac had just been killed, and Suge Knight was in jail. After that he stated "I'm not gonna glorify none of this negativity that Death Row wanted me to do, I'm gonna bring a positive side of music". He felt like it got looked at the wrong way but in his own opinion it felt successful, stating "I enjoyed it and everywhere I go around the world people; you know I sign more Doggfather records than any other record I put out. That's the one I sign the most and I'm proud at the thang I did and the thang is... sometimes you can outgrow your fans".
Release
Tha Doggfather sold reasonably well, stalling at over two million copies sold and charting at number-one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Charts. In an interview with VH1, Snoop said that everywhere he went around the world, Tha Doggfather is the album he has signed the most, out of all his solo albums. It also did better than Doggystyle on the charts in countries like AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, The United Kingdom and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Style
On this album, Snoop and his guests try to display a more old school gangster style, resembling that of the mafiaMafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
. In contrast, on Doggystyle, he had displayed himself as a Crip
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
(a street gang). Snoop also demonstrates that lyrically he is still in touch with songs that have exceptional flow like Freestyle Conversation which shows Snoop rapping faster than normal, and Doggyland, with smooth, flowing lyrics about peace to the streets. The production is different from Doggystyle on songs like Snoop Bounce, Snoop's Upside Ya Head, Up Jump Tha Boogie and 2001, which have an old school funk feeling. Tha Doggfather also features some positive content, such as the skit When I Grow Up, in which Snoop tells a young fan to never be like him.
Album title
Inspired by the hit gangster film The GodfatherThe Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
, the album title uses the same letter format as the movie title.
Production
The majority of the album was produced and mixed by DJ PoohDJ Pooh
DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:...
, taking the place of what Dr. Dre did with Snoop on Doggystyle. Snoop Dogg also stated in an interview with Rap City in 1996 after Tha Doggfather just got released that he had been trying to work with Dr. Dre for the album. The problem was that Suge Knight would not allow him to work with Dr. Dre. Snoop also stated that Suge told him that the only way he was going to make the album was without Dr. Dre. He also added that working without Dr. Dre gives him more freedom to work with more producers, instead of just working with one key producer.
The album also noticeably leans to a more "old school" influenced funky beat, sampling songs like "It's Like That" by Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
, Vapors
Vapors (song)
"Vapors" is a single by West Coast rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg from his 1996 album Tha Doggfather. The song features Charlie Wilson and Teena Marie. It is produced by DJ Pooh. The song contains an interpolation from "Vapors" by Biz Markie, 'Blind Man Can See It", and "Papa Don't Take No Mess" both by...
by Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
and others like More Bounce To The Ounce by Zapp & Roger and Oops Upside Your Head
Oops Upside Your Head
"I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance ", , is a 1979 funk anthem recorded by the R&B group The Gap Band and released off their fourth album, The Gap Band II....
by The Gap Band. A noticeable thing about one of the tracks of the album, "Wake Up" is that this is the first song that Snoop Dogg actually produced. He stated that L.T. Hutton came in and helped him learn how to produce without Dr. Dre by teaching him how to play keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
.
Lyrics
Compared to Doggystyle, the lyrics are much less violent and controversial. As Snoop said in an interview he wanted to present a more positive image in his lyrics. Since he became a father he wanted to be a better role model for his kids. He wanted kid's parents to go out and buy the album for them, instead of the kids going out and getting the album without the parents knowing. A possible reference to Doggystyle in how controversial it was and how the album had debates on whether or not it should be listened to, along with other gangsta rap albums.Commercial performance
Before the release of the album many were questioning if the album would become lost in the turmoil and tragedy of the label. Or even to be bypassed in the rush of Tupac's posthumous albumThe Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is the fifth and final studio album by Tupac Shakur, under the new stage name Makaveli, finished before his death and his first studio album to be posthumously released...
. However retailers thought differently such as Violet Brown, urban music buyer for the Wherehouse music chain. "Customer anticipation has been huge. As soon as record executives found out they were opening against Snoop [this week], they shifted the release dates of some rival rap albums to avoid the Snoop sales rush." The album debuted at number one with strong first week sales of 479,000 copies, with Tupac at number two with second week sales of 250,000 (proving that Death Row still had a strong hold on the pop charts). While falling short of Doggystyle's 803,000 in the first week sold (the record at the time for a rap album), the album still was the third-highest rap debut of that year behind Shakur's "All Eyez on Me
All Eyez on Me
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released February 13, 1996 on Death Row Records and Interscope Records....
" (566,000 first-week copies) and "Killuminati" (664,000 copies), and it ranks fourth overall on the year's list of top debuts, which is headed by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's "Load" (680,000). The album has sold over two million copies in the United States.
Critical response
The album at the time of its release generally received moderate reviews from critics and fans. In an issue of SpinSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine on February Dr. Dre stated his feelings on the album and said "But to be perfectly honest, I don't like Snoop's new album. And it has nothing to do with me not working him, because I'm just like everybody else: I like it, or I don't. The first time I heard the single, I was grooving to it, but then I really started to get into the production and how it was sounding, you know? The first time you hear some shit, you just listen to it to get your groove on, but after that, I start breaking songs down. There's really nothing that was said on there that hasn't been said 50 times before." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
praised the album by stating "Even without Dr. Dre behind the board, Snoop and his studio team concoct an intoxicating blend of old-school funk and gangsta cool" but also noted that "There's not much to love in the album's attitude toward sex, drugs, and first-degree murder." With Muzik
Muzik
Muzik was a UK dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003.Muzik was created by two former Melody Maker journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of Muzik from its launch until he left the magazine in 1998, at which point Turner took over as editor...
saying "...a more angular, spiky, old school-influenced vehicle for the Dogg Father to strut his matter-of-act rhymes over... you [are taken in] by the strength of the rhyming...". And Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
ranking it #49 on Melody Maker's list of 1996's `Albums Of The Year. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that "Snoop still is one of rap's most electrifying performers. But unlike "Doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
" and the "Murder Was the Case
Murder Was the Case
Murder Was the Case is a 1994 short film and soundtrack album starring Snoop Doggy Dogg. The 18 minute film was directed by Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy and chronicles the fictional death of Snoop Dogg and his resurrection after making a deal with the Devil...
" soundtrack, few of the beats on this album rival his rapping prowess." They complimented some of the tracks, calling 'Doggfather' "... the epitome of cool smoothness. Over a slow-rolling Daz and DJ Pooh track", 'Freestyle Conversation' "... an Outkast-style exercise in which Snoop speaks a mile a minute, but still manages to maintain a funky rhythm", 'Gold Rush' a "funky pistolero track" and the Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
remake 'Vapors
Vapors (song)
"Vapors" is a single by West Coast rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg from his 1996 album Tha Doggfather. The song features Charlie Wilson and Teena Marie. It is produced by DJ Pooh. The song contains an interpolation from "Vapors" by Biz Markie, 'Blind Man Can See It", and "Papa Don't Take No Mess" both by...
' "the album's real gem". The review went on to conclude that "Tha Doggfather may not be Doggystyle, but Snoop shows that he has the prowess and the talent to survive." . The New York Times predicted that the album would chart in the top ten due to his presence in the music industry. They also stated that "The album has a few obligatory mentions of sexual exploits and gun-toting, usually delegated to guest rappers. But most of the raps are about his position as a hit-maker. He still has one of the most distinctive deliveries in rap: a casual, nasal, conversational tone that sounds leisurely even when he's barreling forward. His producers are a little less slick than Dr. Dre was, but they have supplied swampy bass riffs and catchy backup choruses, drawing heavily (like Dr. Dre) on George Clinton's P-Funk. Snoop Doggy Dogg insists, and The Doggfather does that, maintaining a party atmosphere. Yet while it insists that gangsta rap isn't dead, it plays down tough-guy tales in favor of a star's pronouncements." AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that the album runs on too long at over 70 minutes and "Though it works the same G-funk territory, the bass is less elastic and there is considerably less sonic detail". But also praised the album by stating "Though the music isn't original, and the lyrics break no new territory, the execution is strong -- Snoop's rapping and rhyming continue to improve, while the bass-heavy funk is often intoxicating." He ended the review on a positive note stating "...the album is a fine follow-up to one of the most successful hip-hop albums in history."
Track listing
| # | Title | Guest(s) | Producer(s) | Samples | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intro | 0:46 | |||
| 2 | Doggfather Doggfather "Doggfather" is the last single from Snoop Doggy Dogg's Tha Doggfather album. It was released in August 26, 1997 .-Background:... |
Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... |
Dat Nigga Daz | Humpin' Humpin' "Humpin'" is a 1980 song by The Gap Band, from their fifth album The Gap Band III released as a single in 1981. The original B-side, "No Hiding Place", was originally released on The Gap Band II. The song had mixed chart success, only peaking at #60 R&B, but busting into the top-20 on the dance... by Gap Band Gap Band The Gap Band was an American funk band, who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. Comprising brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group shortened its name to The Gap Band... |
3:57 |
| 3 | Ride 4 Me (Interlude) | 1:01 | |||
| 4 | Up Jump tha Boogie | Kurupt Tha King Pin Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records... |
DJ Pooh DJ Pooh DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:... |
4:43 | |
| 5 | Freestyle Conversation | Soopafly Soopafly Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.- Early life:The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach... |
4:17 | ||
| 6 | When I Grow Up (Interlude) | 0:37 | |||
| 7 | Snoop Bounce | Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... |
DJ Pooh DJ Pooh DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:... |
More Bounce To The Ounce More Bounce to the Ounce "More Bounce to the Ounce" is an influential funk single recorded by the Ohio-based band Zapp, led by singer-songwriter Roger Troutman. Released in 1980 on the Warner Bros. Records label, the song was originally recorded in 1979 while Troutman's group was part of George Clinton's Uncle Jam Records.... by Roger Troutman Roger Troutman Roger Troutman was the lead singer of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the Funk movement and heavily influenced West Coast hip hop due to the scene's heavy sampling of his music over the years... |
4:03 |
| 8 | Gold Rush | Kurupt Tha King Pin Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records... and LBC Crew LBC Crew The LBC Crew are a collective of Long Beach-based rappers. They were the first act to be executively-produced by Snoop Dogg. In 1997, The LBC Crew were signed to Doggystyle Records, a label operated by Snoop and distributed through Snoop's then record label, Death Row Records... |
Arkim and Flair Flair Flair can refer to:*Ric Flair , a professional wrestler*David Flair , his older son, also a professional wrestler*Reid Flair , his younger son, also a professional wrestler*The Flairs, an American doo-wop group in the 1950s... |
4:52 | |
| 9 | (Tear 'Em Off) Me & My Doggz | L.T. Hutton | 3:31 | ||
| 10 | You Thought | Too Short, Soopafly Soopafly Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.- Early life:The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach... |
Soopafly Soopafly Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.- Early life:The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach... |
4:44 | |
| 11 | Vapors Vapors (song) "Vapors" is a single by West Coast rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg from his 1996 album Tha Doggfather. The song features Charlie Wilson and Teena Marie. It is produced by DJ Pooh. The song contains an interpolation from "Vapors" by Biz Markie, 'Blind Man Can See It", and "Papa Don't Take No Mess" both by... |
DJ Pooh DJ Pooh DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:... |
Vapors Vapors (song) "Vapors" is a single by West Coast rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg from his 1996 album Tha Doggfather. The song features Charlie Wilson and Teena Marie. It is produced by DJ Pooh. The song contains an interpolation from "Vapors" by Biz Markie, 'Blind Man Can See It", and "Papa Don't Take No Mess" both by... by Biz Markie Biz Markie Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989... |
4:21 | |
| 12 | Groupie | Tha Dogg Pound Tha Dogg Pound Tha Dogg Pound is a rap group made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success. The group made their 1992 rap debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, on various songs. They also appeared on Snoop Dogg's debut album... , Nate Dogg Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale , better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician. He is noted for his membership of rap trio 213 and his solo career in which he collaborated with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac and Snoop Dogg on many hit releases. Nate Dogg released three solo albums, G-Funk... , Warren G Warren G Warren G , is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer. He is also Dr. Dre's half-brother.His biggest hit is the song "Regulate" with Nate Dogg released in 1994... & Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... |
Dat Nigga Daz | 5:06 | |
| 13 | 2001 | DJ Pooh DJ Pooh DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:... |
3:32 | ||
| 14 | Sixx Minutes | Arkim and Flair Flair Flair can refer to:*Ric Flair , a professional wrestler*David Flair , his older son, also a professional wrestler*Reid Flair , his younger son, also a professional wrestler*The Flairs, an American doo-wop group in the 1950s... |
The Show The Show (Doug E. Fresh song) "The Show" is a 1985 hip hop single by Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew. Described as "a reality show of a Hip Hop performance" the track focuses on a conversation between Doug E Fresh and MC Ricky D as they prepare for a show... by Doug E. Fresh Doug E. Fresh Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box... and Slick Rick Slick Rick Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper... |
4:40 | |
| 15 | (O.J.) Wake Up | Tray Deee Tray Deee Tray Deee is a rapper who was once signed to Death Row Records and later signed with Snoop Dogg's label Dogghouse Records .-Career:... |
Snoop Doggy Dogg and L.T. Hutton | It's Like That It's Like That (Run-D.M.C. song) "It's like That" is a song by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C. It was first released in 1983 on a cassette backed with the track "Sucker M.C.'s". The release marked the start of Run-D.M.C.'s career and is widely regarded as ushering in a new school of hip hop artists with a street image and an... by Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C... |
4:43 |
| 16 | Snoop's Upside Ya Head Snoop's Upside Ya Head "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" is the second European hit and the first single release of Snoop Doggy Dogg's 1996 sophomore album Tha Doggfather... |
Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... |
DJ Pooh DJ Pooh DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:... |
Oops Upside Your Head Oops Upside Your Head "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance ", , is a 1979 funk anthem recorded by the R&B group The Gap Band and released off their fourth album, The Gap Band II.... by Gap Band Gap Band The Gap Band was an American funk band, who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. Comprising brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group shortened its name to The Gap Band... |
4:30 |
| 17 | Blueberry | Tha Dogg Pound Tha Dogg Pound Tha Dogg Pound is a rap group made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success. The group made their 1992 rap debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, on various songs. They also appeared on Snoop Dogg's debut album... and LBC Crew LBC Crew The LBC Crew are a collective of Long Beach-based rappers. They were the first act to be executively-produced by Snoop Dogg. In 1997, The LBC Crew were signed to Doggystyle Records, a label operated by Snoop and distributed through Snoop's then record label, Death Row Records... |
Sam Sneed Sam Sneed Sam Sneed is a producer and rapper. He originally got his start working as a producer for K-Solo and the Hit Squad.-Death Row Records:... |
4:15 | |
| 18 | Traffic Jam (Interlude) | 0:34 | |||
| 19 | Doggyland | DJ Pooh DJ Pooh DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:... |
The Love You Save The Love You Save "The Love You Save" is a 1970 number-one hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. It held the number-one spot on the soul singles chart for six weeks. It held the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two weeks, from June 27 to July 4, 1970... by The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana... |
4:39 | |
| 20 | Downtown Assassins | Dat Nigga Daz Daz Dillinger Delmar Drew Arnaud , better known by his stage name Daz Dillinger is an American hip hop producer and rapper mostly known for his membership in the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound, with Kurupt, and his work with Death Row Records.-The Chronic, Tha Dogg Pound and Dogg Food:Daz began his career on Death Row... , Tray Deee Tray Deee Tray Deee is a rapper who was once signed to Death Row Records and later signed with Snoop Dogg's label Dogghouse Records .-Career:... |
Dat Nigga Daz Daz Dillinger Delmar Drew Arnaud , better known by his stage name Daz Dillinger is an American hip hop producer and rapper mostly known for his membership in the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound, with Kurupt, and his work with Death Row Records.-The Chronic, Tha Dogg Pound and Dogg Food:Daz began his career on Death Row... |
4:22 | |
| 21 | Outro | 2Pac | Dat Nigga Daz | 0:42 |
Leftovers
- "Work It Out" featuring Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
& Mista Grimm - "Dogg Collar" featuring Lady "V"Val YoungVal Young , is an Urban/Dance-pop artist from Detroit, Michigan, who achieved success during the 1980s. She is now based in Los Angeles.- Career :...
, KV, Big Pimpin', 6'9, Twin & Bad Azz, later released on the bonus CD of Dr. Dre The Chronic Re-Lit - "Street Life" featuring 2Pac, Val YoungVal YoungVal Young , is an Urban/Dance-pop artist from Detroit, Michigan, who achieved success during the 1980s. She is now based in Los Angeles.- Career :...
& Prince Ital JoePrince Ital JoeJoe Paquette , better known as Prince Ital Joe, was a Dominican-American reggae musician best known for his collaborations with Marky Mark... - "Just Watching" featuring 2Pac & Tha Dogg Pound
Singles
| Title | Chart positions | Video director | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurochart Hot 100 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
UK Top 75 UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
Australia Top 100 | ||
| "Doggfather" (featuring Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... ) |
- | 36 | - | Joseph Kahn Joseph Kahn Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas... |
| "Vapors Vapors (song) "Vapors" is a single by West Coast rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg from his 1996 album Tha Doggfather. The song features Charlie Wilson and Teena Marie. It is produced by DJ Pooh. The song contains an interpolation from "Vapors" by Biz Markie, 'Blind Man Can See It", and "Papa Don't Take No Mess" both by... " (featuring Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... & Teena Marie Teena Marie Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer... ) |
- | 18 | - | Paul Hunter Paul Hunter (director) Paul Hunter is a music video director known for his high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular music singles. He has directed over 100 music videos, many television advertisements and was nominated for an Emmy for Nike's Freestyle commercial... |
| "Snoop's Upside Ya Head Snoop's Upside Ya Head "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" is the second European hit and the first single release of Snoop Doggy Dogg's 1996 sophomore album Tha Doggfather... " (featuring Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... ) |
47 | 12 | 44 | Darius S. Henderson |
Album
| Album charts | Certification | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Billboard Year-end Albums Chart 1997 | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (cont.) | UK Top 75 Albums | UK Top Selling Artist Albums 1996 | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
|
| Position | 1 | 43 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 148 | 2x Platinum |
| Date | 30.11.1996 | 1997 | 1996 | 1997 | 23.11.1996 | 1996 | 04.02.1997 |
See also
- List of number-one albums of 1996 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1996 (U.S.)