West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => West Coast Classics => Topic started by: Suga Foot on March 05, 2009, 11:31:36 AM
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http://dubcnn.com/features/articles/death_rows_greatest_albums_we_never_heard/index.html
There's no question that Death Row records was a dynasty during 1992 - 1996. The label was responsible for over 30 million records sold in that time, and many of those albums continue to sell today. Dr. Dre kicked it off with his ground breaking album, The Chronic, selling over 4 million copies, and changing the face of Gangsta Rap forever. Snoop, Tha Dogg Pound, and 2Pac all had major selling albums in that time as well. But in their 5 year reign, a lot of projects were started and never finished, or ended up being something they were never intended to be. So we're breaking it down for you: Death Row's greatest albums we never heard.
Murder Was The Case OST (Original Version) (1994)
(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/mwtc.jpg)
How did it get Started?
After the amazing success of The Chronic and Doggystyle, Death Row could do no wrong. So they set out to make a short film based on Snoop's song, "Murder Was The Case" (the idea for the song came from a dream Snoop had). The Dr. Dre directed film was only about 20 minutes long, so they bundled the vhs with rare interviews and performances. The soundtrack was to feature songs used in the movie as well as some new exclusive songs. It turns out we didn't get to hear the album as it was originally intended.
What Could it have been?
Tracks left off the Soundrack included Swoop G's "20 Dollars" (which later ended up on his own solo album), and Snoop's "Ni**a Named Dave". If you look inside the Murder was the Case album booklet, you'll see "D.A.V.E. (Death Before Visualizing Eternity)". If you've ever noticed this, and realized it made no sense, now you know why it's there. Ni**a Named Dave's second verse later surfaced on Snoop's Midnight Love.
So What happened?
Originally, the soundtrack was to heavily feature Snoop and Tha Dogg Pound, with few other appearances. It was a chance for artists like Nate Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound to release solo songs without having to wait for a full album of material. It was Suge's decision to bring in some of his own ideas and artists (Young Soldierz, Danny Boy, DJ Quik). The end result was by no means a bad album, but some great songs were left off as a result.
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The Lady of Rage "Eargasm"
(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/RageEargasm.jpg)
How did it get Started?
Ever since Rage's first appearance on The Chronic, she gained instant credibility with male fans, and gave hope and a sense of pride to female fans. Rage was holding her own, and often times even out performing her male counterparts on Death Row. She even gave hope to other female rappers, who were sure she'd be the first to bring home a platinum plaque. With so many fans and well wishers, she began work on her solo album, "Eargasm". Dr. Dre made mention of working on the album backstage at the 1995 Source awards. Saying that they would be releasing it after Tha Dogg Pound's Dogg Food.
What Could it have been?
We all got a taste of what the album could have been with "Afro Puffs". The single (off the Above The Rim Soundtrack) was hugely popular, and is still talked about to this day. She set a trend with the song. It was also rumored that she recorded a verse on "Blunt Tyme", a track that would later surface as an RBX solo on Dr. Dre's Aftermath compilation.
There is no doubt that if she had the material recorded, and released the album after Dogg Food as planned, that it would have gone platinum.
So What happened?
It's unclear on what exactly happened with this album. It was likely due to a lack of material, and perhaps a lack of support from within the camp. 2Pac signed around the time the album was scheduled to drop. When he signed, Suge put everything into Pac, quickly releasing his double LP, All Eyes on Me. Rage was even on the original version of "Got My Mind Made Up", but was later removed from the song.
Rage went on to record and release "Necessary Roughness" in 1997, but due to negativity surrounding the Death Row name, the album didn't perform as expected. It was a solid record featuring a 2Pac adlibbed song, as well as production from DJ Premier. Rage is still regarded as the most consistent rapper from the Death Row era.
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Snoop Doggy Dogg "Doggumentary" EP (1997)
(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/doggumentary.jpg)
How did it get Started?
It was mid 1997, Snoop's Doggfather album had been out for a few months, and had just begun slipping the charts. The murders of 2pac and Biggie were still fresh in everyones mind. It was even recommended that Snoop stop all publicity for Tha Doggfather for fear for his own life. Instead, he disregarded what people told him and decided to headline that summers Lalapalooza tour; and made a few records in the process (one of which ended up on the Men In Black OST). He then put the tracks together for an EP to help further support Tha Doggfather. Death Row went as far as filming a video for Doggumentary's lead single, Midnight Love featuring Daz, and Raphael Saadiq. But just a few weeks before the the album was set to drop, it was shelved.
What Could it have been?
In the case of Doggumentary, most of the songs ended up surfacing somewhere. Either on singles, or on Various compilations over the years. Below is the rumored tracklist:
01. Snoop Bounce (Rock Remix) featuring Rage Against The Machine
02. Snoop's Upside Your Head (Remix)
03. Vapors (Battlecat Remix)
04. Doggfather (Timbaland Remix)
05. Midnight Love featuring Raphael Saddiq & Dat Nigga Daz (Produced by Soopafly)
06. Soldiers Story (Produced by Snoop Doggy Dogg)
07. Gangsta Walk featuring The Dogg Pound (Produced By Dat Nigga Daz)
08. Once Again a.k.a. Pop Some Shit (Produced by Soopafly)
So What happened?
The CD was all set to hit the stores on October 3, 1997. But after seeing what Dr. Dre went through in leaving Death Row, one thing led to another, Snoop was unhappy, and decided to leave too. It was this, and many other disagreements with Suge that led to the scrapping of the EP. Snoop's contract was bought out by Master P and No Limit records, and Snoop had a new home.
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Dr. Dre "The Chronic 2: Papa's Got A Brand New Funk" (1996)
(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/DrDreChronic2.jpg)
How did it get Started?
The Chronic 2 (also known as: "A New World Odor: Papa's got a Brand New Funk") was set to be Dr. Dre's second solo album released on Death Row. After starting the label off on the right foot, and helping the other acts on the label reach high levels of success, he (and many others) felt it was his turn again.
What Could it have been?
The original Chronic album is looked at as a milestone in Hip Hop. Dre zigged when everyone else was zagging. He set a new precedent in Hip Hop music. And he very well could have done it again.
Rumored tracks were to include: the original recording of "California Love", being a Dr. Dre solo, "Keep Their Heads Ringing", "Blunt Tyme", "OG to BG", and a song using the beat from the end of the "California Love" video.
"Been There, Done That", may have also been intended for the album, although this is not clear. The song was recorded during Dre's time at Death Row (as is evident by Suge owning publishing on the song).
So What happened?
From 1994 - 1996 a lot had changed at Death Row. Dr. Dre was mainly focused on the music, while Suge handled the business aspects of the label. Suge started bringing in new artists; people Dre had never heard of. Naturally Dre was reluctant to work with these people. Fights became a regular thing during studio sessions, while little work on the music would actually take place. It was too much partying and fighting that eventually led to Dre's decision to leave Death Row records in 1996. When he left Death Row, he left the album as well.
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Dr. Dre & Ice Cube "Helter Skelter"
(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/helterskelter.jpg)
How did it get Started?
When Ice Cube left NWA, it was instant beef between him and the remaining members. Cube left because he felt he was underpaid (or unpaid all together) for the work he put in writing the songs. He said he wrote 40% of the music, but was receiving far less than 40% of the money. In 1992 when Dre left for the exact same reasons, he ended up reconciling with Ice Cube. Their mutual resentment for Ruthless Records bonded them again.
After the decision was made to record a duo album, Dre came up with the title "Helter Skelter". The album would feature the two artists rapping over Dr. Dre's beats, with Ice Cube and The DOC handling the writing (Dre never really wrote his own lyrics).
A poster was available for a short time in 1994 with a painted Dr. Dre featuring a white "Helter Skelter" baseball cap on his head.
What Could it have been?
Rumored Tracks Included: "Can't C Me", "Gimme 50 Feet", "Game Over", "Natural Born Killaz", and "Grand Finale 2".
Cant C Me was later given to the Tha Dogg Pound as the lead single for Dogg Food. But Suge made a decision that no Dre produced songs should be on the record. The track ended up on 2Pac's All Eyes On Me.
Natural Born Killaz ended up on the Murder Was The Case OST, and Game Over was given to Scarface for his Untouchable album.
So What happened?
There is no definitive answer for why this album never materialized. It was probably due to a number of things.
There may have been problems with paper work, organizing Death Row and Priority (Cube's Label). Death Row was famous for being difficult to deal with. Also, Cube was also just beginning his long career as a film star. And with Dr. Dre being a half owner of Death Row records, he had other duties than just making music.
It's likely that "Grand Finale 2" was The DOC's idea. It was during the recording for Helter Skelter that The DOC was having issues with his voice. DOC felt he was still capable of rapping, while Dre thought otherwise. This left a sour taste in DOC's mouth. Dre had discovered The DOC in the late 80's and brought him to California to join Ruthless Records. Now without Dre's support, and without his regular speaking voice, The DOC felt he had little support at Death Row. He ended up leaving the label in 1995 and taking the writings for Helter Skelter with him.
To spite Dr. Dre and Death Row, The DOC released his own version of "Helter Skelter" in January of 1996 with the lyrics he had originally penned for Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. The album went on to achieve very limited success, but is still sought after by die hard fans.
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thats dope u bringing this up, but y now?
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I wrote it last month while I was reading Ronin Ro's Dr. Dre bio.
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:o dope thx
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tight article, props man
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nice, but:
It was during the recording for Helter Skelter that The DOC was involved in a devastating car accident, severing his larynx.
that's not true.
at the time of the accident, Helter Skelter didn't exist yet.
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tight article, props man
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nice, but:
It was during the recording for Helter Skelter that The DOC was involved in a devastating car accident, severing his larynx.
that's not true.
at the time of the accident, Helter Skelter didn't exist yet.
Word, I thought it was ages before, like before the Chronic, when you hear him on the $20 sack pyramid skit he's got the raspy voice
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Dope article, did u knw that most pple who frequent dubcnn r deathrw records fans? Nt a single day passes without any1 mentionin DR.
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Dopeness Adon
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nice, but:
It was during the recording for Helter Skelter that The DOC was involved in a devastating car accident, severing his larynx.
that's not true.
at the time of the accident, Helter Skelter didn't exist yet.
Word, I thought it was ages before, like before the Chronic, when you hear him on the $20 sack pyramid skit he's got the raspy voice
1989 if i'm not mistaken.
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A Good Read!
Thank You!
Is There Anymore Information On Other Unreleased Death Row Albums?
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damn that was a dope read, a few traks i nevr knew about.
props adon
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Greatest Albums? Snoop was lazy as fuck back in those days & didn't Dre have some problems coming up with songs? Helter Skelter is propably only one of those that could've been great, others would've propably been average.
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Cool read, But yeah defo change that stuff on The D.O.C.'s accident..
He defo had his accident during his "Ruthless Records" day's.
His raspy voice made apperences as early as on "100 Miles & Runnin'" EP & "Efil4zaggiN"
(So around '89ish But defo way before Death Row)
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Fixed. I caught that yesterday too when I was proof reading, I guess I forgot to change it.
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Fixed. I caught that yesterday too when I was proof reading, I guess I forgot to change it.
good :)
Greatest Albums? Snoop was lazy as fuck back in those days & didn't Dre have some problems coming up with songs? Helter Skelter is propably only one of those that could've been great, others would've propably been average.
where did you get that from?
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well death row unreleased shit is still a good topic but sorry i ain't learn somethin' new this time.. about murder was the case soundtrack it was a real dope lp but i'm really not sure that having more snoop songs would have made this album better it was a really good idea to let tha dogg pound quik and nate dogg do solo trackx."One more day" is one of the doppest song of the g-funk era and one of nate dogg best performance...
About the unreleasesd material what's up with snoop dogg's " over the counter " album? is that a myth? few tracks are on the net but neva the all tape.. i relly would like to know cuz the tracklist looks amazing.. that be good somebody ask snoop....
peace
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Good Read. I only wish Lady of Rage could have dropped an album at that time. She was so dope.
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well death row unreleased shit is still a good topic but sorry i ain't learn somethin' new this time.. about murder was the case soundtrack it was a real dope lp but i'm really not sure that having more snoop songs would have made this album better it was a really good idea to let tha dogg pound quik and nate dogg do solo trackx."One more day" is one of the doppest song of the g-funk era and one of nate dogg best performance...
About the unreleasesd material what's up with snoop dogg's " over the counter " album? is that a myth? few tracks are on the net but neva the all tape.. i relly would like to know cuz the tracklist looks amazing.. that be good somebody ask snoop....
peace
I'm pretty sure that shit was fake. The way the myth was presented was that someone had a tape of it like the album was finished and ready to go. It's hard to buy that there was some mystery Snoop album that was already at that stage when the buzz for Deep Cover was just barely starting. More so, I've never heard anyone with any real credibility mention it at all. Only story I heard was from some guy on the Internet who supposedly had one that he bought at a store in 1991 but the tape itself was stolen and all he had left was the cover. If there was an actual source to confirm it, it would be one thing.
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so is scarfaces "game over" supposd to be used for helter skelter?
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Props for a good read.
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Keep your comments coming!
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so is scarfaces "game over" supposd to be used for helter skelter?
Apparently yeah.
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well death row unreleased shit is still a good topic but sorry i ain't learn somethin' new this time.. about murder was the case soundtrack it was a real dope lp but i'm really not sure that having more snoop songs would have made this album better it was a really good idea to let tha dogg pound quik and nate dogg do solo trackx."One more day" is one of the doppest song of the g-funk era and one of nate dogg best performance...
About the unreleasesd material what's up with snoop dogg's " over the counter " album? is that a myth? few tracks are on the net but neva the all tape.. i relly would like to know cuz the tracklist looks amazing.. that be good somebody ask snoop....
peace
I'm pretty sure that shit was fake. The way the myth was presented was that someone had a tape of it like the album was finished and ready to go. It's hard to buy that there was some mystery Snoop album that was already at that stage when the buzz for Deep Cover was just barely starting. More so, I've never heard anyone with any real credibility mention it at all. Only story I heard was from some guy on the Internet who supposedly had one that he bought at a store in 1991 but the tape itself was stolen and all he had left was the cover. If there was an actual source to confirm it, it would be one thing.
pretty sure your right..
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Yeah DOC lost his voice b4 100 Miles and Runnin.
I also have a HUGE POSTER of that Heltah Sketah pic you are talking about 4 that album (Dre and Ice Cube).
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Propz for this article - Shame that some of these projects were never finished, spacially "Eargasm" - that would be a fuckin' MASTERPIECE 8)!
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Damn shame.
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In my opinion , the following three westcoast albums could have been historic and classics , regardless the era :
- Cube/Dre album
- NWA reunion album
- The Wash OST being a Snoop/Dre album (I cannot believe how these morons are going to retire without a collabo album... wont happen in the future and anyways it would be way too late)
Others are not major misses
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in addition to Swoop G, other artists were supposed to be on MWTC but did not make it, including Michel'le, 2pac, Lil' Bow Wow, and OFTB (they were supposed to be on all copies, not just cassette only)
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THX FOR ALL THE INFO! PROPS
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great article, props.
Any info on the follow up to dogg food ?
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great article, props.
Any info on the follow up to dogg food ?
Wasn't it suppose to be Dogg Shit?
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great article, props.
Any info on the follow up to dogg food ?
Wasn't it suppose to be Dogg Shit?
yeah
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(http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/5101/dpgdoggshitback3pc1.jpg)
I think these are some of the tracks that were suppose to be on it
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great article, props.
Any info on the follow up to dogg food ?
Wasn't it suppose to be Dogg Shit?
its confirmed fake. There was supposed be another dpg album called Westcoast Aftershock, the main single was supposed to Me In Your World. There is a list of tracks just recently came that were supposed to be made for the album.
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great article, props.
Any info on the follow up to dogg food ?
Wasn't it suppose to be Dogg Shit?
its confirmed fake. There was supposed be another dpg album called Westcoast Aftershock, the main single was supposed to Me In Your World. There is a list of tracks just recently came that were supposed to be made for the album.
I always thought it was real, after hearing that one track on the 2002. I think it's the song with Soopafly. There's some talking at the end and it's something to the effect of "it took several years to digest...."and then you hear a toilet flush. I know that's hardly solid proof, but I figured that track was probably originally intended for "Dogg Shit."
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great article, props.
Any info on the follow up to dogg food ?
Wasn't it suppose to be Dogg Shit?
its confirmed fake. There was supposed be another dpg album called Westcoast Aftershock, the main single was supposed to Me In Your World. There is a list of tracks just recently came that were supposed to be made for the album.
I always thought it was real, after hearing that one track on the 2002. I think it's the song with Soopafly. There's some talking at the end and it's something to the effect of "it took several years to digest...."and then you hear a toilet flush. I know that's hardly solid proof, but I figured that track was probably originally intended for "Dogg Shit."
nah its not for that album, that is the original version of the song, probs meant for dillinger and gotti album or the 2002 album, who knows?
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There was supposed to be a Dogg Shit album that followed a West Coast Aftershock EP. That list of tracks you are speaking of isn't a tracklist to it. If you could read those inventory sheets properly you would see that they were songs performed by an artist named "Aftershock" that we don't know about. Just because 2 things have the word Aftershock in common doesn't mean they're related.
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Snoop Doggy Dogg - Soldiers Story [Produced by Snoop Doggy Dogg]
Does this song ever leaked?
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Snoop Doggy Dogg - Soldiers Story [Produced by Snoop Doggy Dogg]
Does this song ever leaked?
i dont think so.
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well death row unreleased shit is still a good topic but sorry i ain't learn somethin' new this time.. about murder was the case soundtrack it was a real dope lp but i'm really not sure that having more snoop songs would have made this album better it was a really good idea to let tha dogg pound quik and nate dogg do solo trackx."One more day" is one of the doppest song of the g-funk era and one of nate dogg best performance...
About the unreleasesd material what's up with snoop dogg's " over the counter " album? is that a myth? few tracks are on the net but neva the all tape.. i relly would like to know cuz the tracklist looks amazing.. that be good somebody ask snoop....
peace
I'm pretty sure that shit was fake. The way the myth was presented was that someone had a tape of it like the album was finished and ready to go. It's hard to buy that there was some mystery Snoop album that was already at that stage when the buzz for Deep Cover was just barely starting. More so, I've never heard anyone with any real credibility mention it at all. Only story I heard was from some guy on the Internet who supposedly had one that he bought at a store in 1991 but the tape itself was stolen and all he had left was the cover. If there was an actual source to confirm it, it would be one thing.
i remember when i started that debate. i found it on some site ages ago and brought it to here. next thing u kne everybody on all the sites was talkin bout it, 8)
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keep it coming
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what about the lbc crew album or a tray deee solo
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what about?
murder iv hire, bloody mary, 2nd oftb cd, redrum, aftershock, la nash, k-solo, paradise, mc hammer 2nd cd, sam sneed album, dorasel album, etc.
WE NEEEEED THAT SHIT.
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what about?
murder iv hire, bloody mary, 2nd oftb cd, redrum, aftershock, la nash, k-solo, paradise, mc hammer 2nd cd, sam sneed album, dorasel album, etc.
WE NEEEEED THAT SHIT.
Mc Hammer? C'mon now, you serious?
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what about?
murder iv hire, bloody mary, 2nd oftb cd, redrum, aftershock, la nash, k-solo, paradise, mc hammer 2nd cd, sam sneed album, dorasel album, etc.
WE NEEEEED THAT SHIT.
Mc Hammer? C'mon now, you serious?
Yep, even if "Too Tight" is the only dope joint on that CD I STILL wanna hear it 8)
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what about?
murder iv hire, bloody mary, 2nd oftb cd, redrum, aftershock, la nash, k-solo, paradise, mc hammer 2nd cd, sam sneed album, dorasel album, etc.
WE NEEEEED THAT SHIT.
Mc Hammer? C'mon now, you serious?
how much credibility does a crackhead have?
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Wasn't most/all of "R.A.W." recorded during the last of Daz's Death Row days?
(Wonder what the OG album title was, If not RAW)
I have said this before, I love 2Pac's music & have since I first heard him spit on Digital's "Same Song"
But his arrival on Death Row changed everything we loved about classic DR. (Including personal)
Alot of scrapped project's & stuff put on the back burnner for Pac.
(Granted 2Pac blazed those joint's & prob did more with them than the intended OG's
Just suck's that we will never know)
It will always be a big what if?
(Imagine 2Pac never signed to Death Row)
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Wasn't most/all of "R.A.W." recorded during the last of Daz's Death Row days?
(Wonder what the OG album title was, If not RAW)
i think the album was gonna be called What It Iz rather than RAW. I think it was confirmed thats RAWS tracklisting was the deathrow tracklisting.
but mentioned by several ppl here, i think lbc crew's album shouldve been discussed as we hav nearly the full album and it is a banging album that wouldve done well fo sho.
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LBC Crew was under Doggystyle records weren't they?
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A nice article. Thanks.
It's certainly more enjoyable than Ronin Ro's dre biography. I'd rather gouge out my own eyes using my thumbs than read that again.
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A nice article. Thanks.
It's certainly more enjoyable than Ronin Ro's dre biography. I'd rather gouge out my own eyes using my thumbs than read that again.
lol, you're overreacting man :P
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LBC Crew was under Doggystyle records weren't they?
yes, but it was still under death row records.
doggystyle/death row records.
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LBC Crew was under Doggystyle records weren't they?
yes, but it was still under death row records.
doggystyle/death row records.
But what are the unknowns with this album? It leaked, just in low quality right?
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LBC Crew was under Doggystyle records weren't they?
yes, but it was still under death row records.
doggystyle/death row records.
But what are the unknowns with this album? It leaked, just in low quality right?
no the whole thing didn't leak
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Keep it coming
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what about the lbc crew album or a tray deee solo
Yup they're the albums I wanna hear!!! How many LBC tracks leaked??
Props on that read, good info and laid out nicely. I wish Eargasm would of been completed, one of the few female emcees I could stand!
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what about the lbc crew album or a tray deee solo
ther was a tray dee solo album?
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what about the lbc crew album or a tray deee solo
ther was a tray dee solo album?
who knows...he probably had recorded enough songs to make a solo...I'm just saying, tray deee was w/ deathrow, I think a tray deee solo deathrow album in 96-98 would have been a straight up classic.
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(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/DrDreChronic2.jpg)
Any 1 Have A Bigger Picture Of That "Chronic 2" Cover?
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(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/DrDreChronic2.jpg)
Any 1 Have A Bigger Picture Of That "Chronic 2" Cover?
http://www.zshare.net/image/570416152f59f932/ there it goes
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damn i woulda bought all those albums.
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(http://dubcnm.com/images/ArticleImages/DrDreChronic2.jpg)
Any 1 Have A Bigger Picture Of That "Chronic 2" Cover?
is that a fan-made cover or is it the real one?
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i think, the skull image with chronic leaf was on a t-shirt sold on tour.
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i think, the skull image with chronic leaf was on a t-shirt sold on tour.
I think you might be right, I remember having a poster similar to that on my wall back in the day.
(Also had one that looked kinda simialr but with Dre on it, "Helter Skelter" written across his hat)
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im still waiting to hear dat redrum or bloody mary album.
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im still waiting to hear dat redrum or bloody mary album.
You Should Ask RedRum About Those
www.myspace.com/theeoriginalredrum781pirulove