Snoop Doggy Dogg
Doggystyle

THE REVIEW

Upon the release of his debut album in '93, Snoop Doggy Dogg was already a well-known name in hip hop, despite still being very young. In fact, the year before Doggystyle, Snoop had been one of the protagonists of one of the most influential rap music albums of the '90s, which is Dr. Dre's The Chronic.

Endowed with a rather unique voice and a captivating and pleasant flow, Snoop had no difficulty finding success and admirers. The themes of the album are the classic ones of West Coast g-funk during that period: drugs (especially weed), women (never seen romantically, always as objects for sex), violence, and business, along with the inevitable self-celebration.  

Accompanying him are not only the beats of Dr. Dre, who repeats the formula of The Chronic with extensive use of funk samples, but also the Dogg Pound (Kurupt and Daz Dillinger), Lady of Rage and Nate Dogg, and others: all manage to make a great impression and especially give a sense of great cohesion and unity.

The best moments are G-Funk Intro featuring a great Lady of Rage (many men don't even have half of her grit); Gin And Juice, the type of song that really makes you want to live; the almost blasphemous story (but maybe I misinterpreted it) of Murder Was The Case; the aggressive For All My Niggaz & Bitches; then a song that shines for its lack of romance, which is the wonderful Ain't No Fun (with a Nate Dogg showing that one can be soulful even with explicit and harsh lyrics) and GZ And Hustlas with Snoop in top form, preceded by an intro that well exemplifies the spirit of g-funk (with a guy asking kids what they want to be when they grow up, and Snoop-child's arrogant response).

But the peaks of the album are Who Am I, which stays in your head even if you don't want it to, and Doggy Dogg World with the Dogg Pound and the Dramatics, intense despite its theme being anything but deep.

But even the other tracks are excellent, all on very high-level bases.

Of course, if you want something that explains the meaning of life, or cheesy love songs, or self-pity in the style of Kurt Cobain, well, this is not the album for you. Nor is it the album for you if you're looking for social critique. Here there is no anger, no frustration, no attack on power. Here, there is materialism, there is sexism and harshness, all with a relaxed presumption and indifference. It is the attitude of "I don't give a fuck" that is fully expressed in this album.

To me, it always manages to improve my mood.