20 years ago today an album was released that was to change the shape of Hip-Hop for the following two decades.
After months of hype following his debut on Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” – November 23rd 1993 saw Snoop Doggy Dogg’s debut album “Doggystyle” hit the streets.
The incredible debut saw Hip-Hop Heads in their thousands head to local records stores to pick up the most talked about record of the year – and perhaps, when we look back, one of the most important records ever released in the genre.
The distinctive sounds of “Doggystyle” introduced “G-funk” to a global, mainstream audience, ensuring West Coast Hip-Hop rose to dominance across radio and TV over the following years. “Doggystyle” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and sold 802,858 copies in its first week alone – which was the record for a debuting artist and the fastest-selling album ever until Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP” in 2000. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified “Doggystyle” quadruple platinum in 2008 and it remains Snoop Dogg’s highest-selling album.
Snoop has spoken about “Doggystyle” in countless interviews but rarely as candidly as he has down the years with DubCNN.com – especially when he discussed the production on the record with us in 2006. Ensure you check out the entire four-part epic here. You can also read the DubCNN track-by-track review from 2002, here.
The influence of the album is still felt today – and is reinforced by Kendrick Lamar in a recent interview where he spoke about the impact of “Doggystyle” on his early life, and career;
“That’s all they were playing around you as a kid, I couldn’t escape it. I’m definitely influenced by that album. The structure. The cohesiveness. The skits. The flow. The melodies Snoop kicked. The raw raps. There wouldn’t be a Kendrick Lamar without Doggystyle. [What stood out about the album] was its sound. Albums that last that long have their own sound. It was nothing duplicated, that’s why it stood out. It was that G-Funk.”
Let’s remind you all what a classic “Doggystyle” is – you can stream the full album below – and ensure if you dont’ have a digital copy you get it now via iTunes.
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (Album Stream)
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Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (Tracklist)
01) Bathtub
02) G Funk Intro (Feat. Dr. Dre and The Lady of Rage)
03) Gin and Juice (Feat. Dat Nigga Daz and David Ruffin’ Jr.)
04) W Balls (Feat. Nanci Fletcher and Ricky Harris)
05) Tha Shiznit
06) House Party
07) Lodi Dodi (Feat. Nanci Fletcher)
08) Murder Was the Case (Feat. Dat Nigga Daz)
09) Serial Killa (Feat. D.O.C., RBX and Tha Dogg Pound)
10) Who Am I (What’s My Name)? (Feat. Jewell, Dr. Dre and Tony Green)
11) For All My Niggaz & Bitches (Feat. Tha Dogg Pound and The Lady of Rage)
12) Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None) (Feat. Nate Dogg, Warren G Nanci Fletcher and Kurupt)
13) Chronic Break
14) Doggy Dogg World (Feat. Tha Dogg Pound, Nanci Fletcher and The Dramatics)
15) Betta Ask Somebody
16) Gz and Hustlas (Feat. Nanci Fletcher)
17) U Betta Recognize
18) Gz Up, Hoes Down (Feat. Hug) *
19) Pump Pump (Feat. Lil’ Malik)
* The original pressings of the album which contained “Gz Up, Hoes Down” listed all of the interludes separately on the album’s artwork, showcasing a total of nineteen tracks. Later pressings of the album, which removed the track, do not list each of the interludes on the album’s artwork, although they are featured. Some editions also featured “Tha Next Episode” on the tracklist but this track was never pressed and has only ever been leaked as a poor quality sample.
With that said it’s only right we talk about those missing tracks and offer them here for stream – remember many of these were never released and as such they are poor quality recordings.
“Tha Next Episode” (Feat. Dr. Dre) – listed on the tracklisting provided to retailers before the album’s release, but does not feature on any pressings of the album. The instrumental was later used for Warren G’s track “Runnin’ Wit No Breaks” from his album, Regulate…G Funk Era.
“Doggystyle” (Feat. Jewell & George Clinton) – recorded during the album sessions, remaining unreleased until its inclusion on the compilation album, Snoop Doggy Dogg’s – Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1.
“The Root of All Evil (Outro)” (Feat. Teena Marie) – recorded during the album sessions, remaining unreleased until its inclusion on the compilation album Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1. The instrumental was later used for the remix of “California Love”, by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre.
“Every Single Day” (Feat. Kurupt and Nate Dogg) – recorded during the album sessions, remaining unreleased until an alternate version was released on Tha Dogg Pound in 2002.
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (Album Cut Tracks/Leftovers)
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Finally here are a set of images/press cuttings and photos from around the time of the albums release in 1993.
Please share this page and drop comments about your thoughts on the album 20 years on!
My understanding the album was originally going to drop in Jan/Feb of that year and was delayed. I picked it up on my born day 11.23 in 1993.