The world of mainstream music is constantly transforming as new artists, styles and trends are embraced with each passing year. In spite of these changes, some musicians have maintained their popularity across decades, reinventing their sounds and careers. Each week, A&E columnist Emily McCormick will discuss the evolution of ’90s artists who have carried the spirit of their decade into today’s music scene.
Hip-hop sometimes has a bad rap.
To some, the genre is synonymous with violence, drug usage, misogyny and an otherwise unsavory style of living. Shallow-minded stereotypes have led to some views of hip-hop artists as second-class musicians.
And yet the first artist to have a debut LP enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1 was not a pop or a rock musician – he was a rapper.
The musician was none other than Snoop Dogg, and the album was his first as a solo artist, 1993’s “Doggystyle.” After he stole the show on his mentor Dr. Dre’s previous album “The Chronic,” Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” became one of the most anticipated albums in music history. The acclaim was a testament to hip-hop’s mass appeal and validity as a genre.
Over the decades, Snoop Dogg has built a brand on his understated swagger, humor and affinity for dog-related puns. He’s a personality as much as a musician, and even though he’s worked with some of the best in the business and has become an icon himself, he’s done it all with a cool head and approachable aura.
Snoop Dogg’s attitude is apathetic, and his sound and voice are similarly subdued. What has always attracted me to Snoop Dogg’s music has been his smooth rapping style, really speaking his poetry rather than shouting like fellow ’90s-era M.O.P. or 2Pac. Bordering on sounding lazy, Snoop Dogg’s casual raps fit well with his equally type-B personality, baggy jeans and West Coast roots.
Snoop Dogg has always been especially explicit in relating his own Southern Californian upbringing into his music. He has rapped about everything from growing up in poverty to violence in South Central Los Angeles. When he was on trial for allegedly murdering a rival gang member in the ‘90s, he released the songs “Murder Was the Case” and “Serial Killa.”
A former Long Beach Crip and ex-con, Snoop Dogg has successfully drawn on his own experiences to transition from child delinquent to chart-topper. After all, hip-hop is appealing because the artists rap candidly about their own lives – even when they aren’t painting the prettiest picture.
“It’s great for an artist to come from struggle because he has more to say; it’s more relatable because more people are struggling than they are succeeding,” Snoop Dogg said.
Now in his mid-forties, Snoop Dogg has become an enduring icon for a culture of partying and youth. It’s no secret that Snoop Dogg is associated with marijuana, but he’s largely avoided backlash because of his blasé take on his own lifestyle. Whether singing about sipping on gin and juice, getting drunk or smoking weed, Snoop Dogg just says it like it is.
And often, Snoop Dogg says it in an unconventional way. Like a street Shakespeare, Snoop Dogg has shaken up pop culture with newfangled slang. I can’t imagine the hip-hop world without the “izzle” suffix Snoop Dogg devised.
As for his latest invention, Snoop Dogg has a new identity.
In 2012, Snoop Dogg recorded his album “Reincarnated” in Jamaica. During the trip, he said a priest told him he was the reincarnation of Bob Marley, and was to be deemed “Snoop Lion” from then on. Since his rather radical rebranding, Snoop Lion’s music has done a 180, abandoning rap for reggae.
Though the “Lion” name hasn’t quite stuck, his latest album released earlier this year retains an island-inspired flow. 2015’s “Bush” blends Snoop Dogg’s hip-hop funk with smooth R&B style.
“Bush” is supplemented with vocals by pop icons Stevie Wonder, Gwen Stefani and Kendrick Lamar. Snoop Dogg has a known knack for networking with other music greats, and I’ve always thought his best work has come out of collaboration. “Drop it Like It’s Hot” from 2004 with Pharrell Williams is legendary, and “California Gurls” with Katy Perry was easily the 2010 song of the summer.
I’ve heard Snoop Dogg on headphones between classes, blasting at parties, driving down Pacific Coast Highway with windows down and live in concert. He’s kept it cool for decades, and with new albums and singles coming out by the year, it seems the Doggfather is here to stay.
After all, Snoop Dogg is still young and wild and free as ever, and he doesn’t care who sees.
– Emily McCormick