No Limit Top Dogg

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Snoop’s first album for No Limit shows the rapper adapting his West Coast style to the label’s New Orleans aesthetic. The big attraction is the three tracks produced by Dr. Dre, his first work for Snoop since 1993’s landmark <i>Doggystyle</i>. “Buck ‘Em,” “Bitch Please” and “Just Dippin’” pursue that same brand of sleek, cerebral funk that elevated Dre’s <i>The Chronic 2001</i>, made the same year. Equally good are the three tracks produced by DJ Quik, the other reigning L.A. rapper-producer. He brings his smooth-as-butter feel to “Doin’ Too Much” and “Don’t Tell,” a perfect fit for Snoop’s behind-the-beat drawl. Snoop’s taste in smoked-out R&B comes out in “Trust Me” and “Somethin Bout Yo Bidness,” the latter of which was produced by neo-soul crooner Raphael Saadiq. On the other end of the spectrum, “Ghetto Symphony” is a No Limit update of the classic Juice Crew posse cut, and it remains one of the label’s defining moments. Snoop fit in easily with the No Limit family, but his essence is best captured on “Snooperfella.” Built on a canonical West Coast sample (Brick’s “Dazz”) the song shows Snoop’s undiminished skill for Slick Rick-style story rapping.

via Apple Music

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