Snoop Signs With Neptunes For Next Step In Long Label Trek
06.15.2004 4:13 PM EDT
   
   
Pharrell and Snoop Dogg (file)
Photo: Capitol
 
If Snoop Dogg were a baseball player, he'd have a genuine dilemma on his hands trying to decide which hat to wear into the hall of fame. After launching his career with Dr. Dre and Death Row Records, Snoop has barnstormed from one home to another, crafting his own inimitable legend along the way.

Now Snoop has a new place to hang his hat for his upcoming solo album: the Neptunes' label, Star Trak. Snoop has signed a deal with the hitmaking producers' imprint, according to the team's Chad Hugo. "We're trying to bring him back to Chronic-era Snoop," Hugo said, referring to the 1992 Dr. Dre album on which Snoop made his debut.

In the recent record-business reshuffling, Star Trak left its original home, Arista, for industry powerhouse Interscope Records, which already houses artists like Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent (see "House That Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo Built To Undergo Big Overhaul").

Snoop's yet-untitled next album, which will also be released through Snoop's own Doggystyle imprint, is due by the end of the year. It will be one of the first two albums the Neptunes release through their new partnership with Interscope. The other is the major-label debut from Houston rapper Slim Thug.

Snoop left Death Row Records in 1997, at the end of a turbulent run for the label that saw the defection of co-founder Dr. Dre, the death of Tupac and the indictment of owner Suge Knight on federal racketeering charges. In 1998, Snoop latched onto Master P's No Limit Records for his next two albums. Two years later he inked directly with Priority Records, the onetime home of gangsta-rap progenitors N.W.A — the group with which Dre made his name. While on Priority, Snoop scored a hit with his most recent Neptunes collaboration, "Beautiful," which offers a softer and less contrived image for the hip-hop icon.

Confused? Here's a brief history of Snoop's tour of duty:

Era: G-Funk
Label: Death Row
Albums: Doggystyle (1993), Tha Doggfather (1996)
Snoop as: Young, gifted and laid-back. Snoop liked girls, homies and house parties.

Era: No Limit Soldier
Label: No Limit
Albums: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999)
Snoop as: Gangsta. Tried out the role of smooth-talkin' hustler while getting down with Master P's camp.

Era: Da Pimp
Label: Priority
Album: Tha Last Meal (2000), Paid Tha Cost to Be Da Bo$$ (2002)
Snoop as: Ballerific pimp who loved his women and his power.



—Joseph Patel

I KNOW people are gonna erupt at this.

It's not really bad or good to me. He sounds best over west coast beats, and I'd rather him do work with Battlecat and Fred Wreck.

This is BIGG news for sure whether you think its good or bad.  Im glad to see Chad saying he wants to bring Snoop back to the Death Row days.  Hopefully they take some time in making and crafting some G'd up beats for Snoop on his next album.  Alota peeps been hatin on the Neptunes but Ive always enjoyed their production.  And Snoop seems to rap well over their beats.

Now Snoop has a new place to hang his hat for his upcoming solo album: the Neptunes' label, Star Trak. Snoop has signed a deal with the hitmaking producers' imprint, according to the team's Chad Hugo. "We're trying to bring him back to Chronic-era Snoop," Hugo said, referring to the 1992 Dr. Dre album on which Snoop made his debut.

I'm not trippin that he signed with them, but this cat better make good on his word

lol@pop label...........explain to me how netpunes are only pop..........they made hits for bare cats......and who was he gon sign with on the west, only 2 chioces really........aftermath.........seems like the dre/snoop situation aint to cool yet or death row?...lol.......plus his dogstyle is westcoast and wateva label he signs to, he is still westcoast.......interscope is a global label, not east,south, west n so on.............

i wont hate if the album is heat, it'l back fire on him big time if its weak.......but like jome said before about banks album, im sure people already made their mind up about this album now........even though it aint even gotta title yet!

....actually it'l be real interestin if the album turns out to be heat and he gets hated by everyone.........

but i'll wait.......

like someone else said........i aint sure if this is a good or bad thing yet.........i'll know once his album drops

peace

HERE IS THE LINK..http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1488430/20040615/snoop_dogg.jhtml?headlines=true

i could bitch and wine all day about snoop being a bitch and a sellout, but fuck that, ill say this, at least they "say" they wana take snoop back to the doggystyle era. So im guessing they wont lie... neptunes doing g funk? its possible... or just a Britney and Snoop album??

well..we will see