Doggystyle

Amazon.com

Produced by the infamous Dr. Dre with assistance from Mr. Suge Knight, Doggy Style was the first solo outing by Calvin Broadus a.k.a. Snoop Doggy Dog. Incorporating a straight gangsta vibe into the deep funk grooves pioneered by George Clinton and his Parliament-Funkadelic ensemble, Snoop and Dre dogmatically invent the “G-Funk” aesthetic. Espousing an irreverent dope, bitches, and guns mentality, Doggy Style garnered the Parental Advisory for explicit lyrics it sorely deserved. Still, Snoop’s lazy-yet-acrobatic rap/drawl is distinctive and undeniably entertaining. With additional vocals from Tha Dogg Pound (Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, and Dat Nigger Daz), this disc is deceptively professional and musically quite slick. “Murder Was The Case” is practically an inner-city classic, while “Ain’t No Fun” is another blunted, urban-rap anthem. Woof! –Mitch Myers