With hip-hop still being in its infancy at the time, there were many aims by suburban America to rid the country of its “poisonous and degrading lyrics,” and Doggystyle certainly caught its fair share of flack. But it was its longevity and influence on future West Coast artists that would later prove and solidify Doggystyle. With singles such as “Gin & Juice” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name”) reaching mainstream success landing on the Billboard charts and later propelling the album to platinum selling status, and album cuts such as “G’z and Hustlas” and “Ain’t No Fun”, the album figuratively planted its flag into the hip-hop mountain. The album had that versatility to reach both gangbangers and suburbanites alike. The neighborhood youth in Brooklyn, New York was not only hearing, but listening and understanding the same stories told by Snoop in the same way as the Rollin 60’s Crips of South LA were. But what separated Doggystyle from the pack (no pun intended) was its ability to be heard and understood by listeners across the country. “G-Funk” quickly became the voice of the West Coast sound as syrupy lyrics were laid down over layered samples of the slow bounce sounds of the 70’s.

His debut album Doggystyle, would join The Chronic as leaders in introducing the hip-hop world to “G-Funk”, an adaptation of the “P-Funk” sound of music made mostly famous by George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic.

Through his contributions to Dre’s album (and certified classic) The Chronic, expectations were high for the young G’s solo product. He came into the rap limelight a year earlier learning from the tutelage of one of the rap game’s buddening talents Dr. Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop Doggy Dogg, who would later drop the “Doggy”, then have an 180 degree turn and add on a “Lion”, was on that date just another young rapper looking to break through.

Snoop dogg snoop lion