"Vato" is the first single by 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...

 from his album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 Tha Blue Carpet Treatment

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is the eighth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Geffen Records on November 21, 2006. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard charts.- Album information :...

. The song features B-Real

B-Real

Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...

 and was produced by The Neptunes

The Neptunes

The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...

. The word "Vato

Vato

Vato may refer to:* vato, Mexican slang for "man" or "dude".* Vato , a song by Snoop Dogg.* Vato , is also a Georgian name....

" is Chicano

Chicano

The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...

 slang

Slang

Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...

 for "homie".

The music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for Vato premiered on BET

Black Entertainment Television

Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...

 on August 30, 2006 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaTvus0fBt0. Pharrell Williams said the rapper's newest music video 'Vato' will not only feature his gangsta side, but will also tackle the issue of racial conflict in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 between African-Americans and Hispanics and call for racial unity.

It is directed by Philipp G. Atwell and featured Chicano

Chicano

The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...

 rapper Frost as well as Oscar-Nominee Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt...

. An animated video also premiered on snoopdogg.com in September. The final version of "Vato" contains an intro with Snoop Dogg saying "Man don't you know that I'm loco?" and also some shoutouts from Julio G

Julio G

Julio G is an influential West Coast hip hop DJ who was born and then raised in Lynwood, CA, and is credited for being responsible for the rise of gangsta rap as part of the KDAY radio station on-air talent in Los Angeles, CA. Following KDAY, he was a DJ at 92.3 The Beat...

. He was later dissed with B-Real by Mexican

Mexican people

Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....

 rapper Mr. Chino Grande.

The song was performed live in the Life & Rhymes of with B-Real, and in solo on the day of the release in the MSN

MSN

MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...

 live session concert.

Remixes

Official

• "Vato (thug life remix)" (featuring Malverde)
• "Vato (Lil' Uno remix)" (featuring Mr. Lil' One)

Charts

Chart	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	85
Australia Singles Chart	55

Personnel

• Written by C. Broadus, P. Williams, C. Hugo
• Produced by The Neptunes
• Publishers: My Own Chit Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music (BMI); Waters Of Nazareth Publishing/ EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)/
• Recorded by Andrew Coleman at Chalice Studios, Los Angeles, CA, Chris Jackson at Tha Cathedral, Hollywood, CA
• Mixed by Phil Tan in the Tanning Booth at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA & Soapbox Studios, Atlanta, GA
• Assisted by Josh Houghkirk Heavy Harmony Music Publishing; WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) and EMI April Music (ASCAP);