tha dogg pound
dogg food
death row / interscope
1995
feb 24
I love rap regardless of its origin. I love both American and Polish rap. I love all kinds of rap. Occasionally, I find myself listening to French and German rap. I don't necessarily understand what they're rapping about, but I love it (sometimes I try to translate it for myself). What matters to me is a good beat and flow that flows and sets my body in various strange movements, aiming to synchronize with the rhythm. I think it's the work of the sympathetic nervous system. I close my eyes, nod my head in different directions, and raise my hands. That's how it was 30 years ago when I first heard this musical genre, which has only recently come of age, and it's still the same now. I make exactly the same movements at the age of 41. It's incredible how music can impact life. I mean, especially us listeners. Listeners and fans.
The first artist I fell in love with was Ice-T. It was a time when Ice-T was as raw as a herring in the sea. I won't go into detail about him now, as I'll write more about him shortly, but I mention him for a reason. He was a kind of beautiful and raw bridge connecting my not fully formed brain with something that elevated my love for rap to the level of fanaticism. It was G-funk. G-funk that carved out a significant piece of my heart, packed it into an envelope, and sent it FedEx to Cali. Oh, what was happening when I got my hands on productions like Snoop's Doggystyle and Dre's The Chronic. Then Warren G with Nate Dogg stepped in and dropped "Regulate". Just when I thought I could handle the quality, they appeared, all in white, two guys from LBC, from DPGC. Dillinger & Young Gotti. Tha Dogg Pound with their Dogg Food. I never recovered from that.
So, the beginnings of my rap adventure were mostly on the West Coast. There was this cool moment when g-funk had been dominating the airwaves for a few years. I'm not a big funk expert, and my knowledge comes from exploring planets where fat beats and smooth rhymes rule under the majority governments (at this point, a little digression comes to mind about Daz's fat beats and Kurupt's smooth rhymes). But I'm on familiar terms with g-funk. In various doses, since the early '90s, you could catch it in most productions from the West Coast. At least, based on my observations, and my conclusions from those observations are always subjective, so as life goes: it can vary. But okay, I see I'm wandering a bit, so let's get back to our heroes.
The album turned out to be released on October 31, 1995, three months later than it should have been. Activists protesting against gangsta rap decided to support the album's promotion by highlighting all the negative things easily associated with rap music, telling stories about life in the ghetto, easy women, and smoking weed. After all, it's a breeding ground for murderous tendencies in the pimply white youth living in well-to-do neighborhoods of the sunny West Coast. I really wonder why civil rights activists like Mrs. C. Delores Tucker can't connect the dots and come to the clear conclusion that the more records you burn and run over with a steamroller, the higher the demand for them will be. Just to be clear, I'm not judging C. Delores Tucker's entire activity, and the topic of misogyny in rap music is a vast one. So, in a nutshell, due to the mentioned protests, Warner Bros., the main distributor, decided to stop distributing content from Interscope and Death Row. Dogg Food had to wait for a new distributor, which turned out to be Priority Records.
What came out of it? A steamroller. A steamroller that ran over me countless times. Every time I play this album, I hear the roar of a powerful engine behind me, and I know it's already coming for me. So why do I do it? Because it's worth it. Tha Dogg Pound is killing it and taking no prisoners. I could loop tracks 1 through 11 indefinitely. It's a massive energy dose. Alright, but why only 1 through 11 if it's so good? Well, there seems to be a bit of a shortage of fuel or ideas on how to piece it all together. The album could have ended at track 11. It's too long, and after "Do What I Feel", the level drops. Although it's not a very steep drop, the first half (fortunately the larger one) is so phenomenal that I lack the patience for the second half. Maybe not everything turned out exactly as it should. Supposedly, the song "Can't C Me" by 2Pac and George Clinton was originally supposed to be on Dogg Food and end up in the second half. A bit of a shame and a bit not. After all, it's a very good song and an important element of All Eyez on Me, the opus magnum of 2Pac's short career. 2Pac was calling the shots after joining Death Row.
Still, the album is phenomenal. It's hard to pick a favorite track. I would have to think about it for a long time. Let's say it would be one of the following: "Respect", "New York, New York", "Smooth", "Ridin', Slipin' and Slidin'", and "Let's Play House". I listened to the last two the most. Daz showed that he's a great producer. I really enjoy listening to him. Like many, I think Kurupt is the better rapper, but Daz is still doing a great job. He smoothly enters a track, perfectly syncing with the beat. Nothing rocks like when you play "Ridin', Slipin' and Slidin'". You stand there, nodding your head, eyes closed, imagining cruising the streets of Cali. It's a brand new day in the hood. It's money to make, and I'm doin' bad, and it ain't lookin' good. Or "Let's Play House" with guest appearances by Michel'le and Nate Dogg. Daz starts beautifully under one of the best beats on the album, which he is the author of. A fat cat on a fat beat. Then Kurupt's entrance with his lazy flow is masterful. I know you know this girl by the name of Danielle. Body of a goddess, face from Hell (ha, can't quote the rest). Dope. It's just a shame that Warren G's verse didn't make it into the final version.
"Respect" and "Smooth" are super high-energy. The latter kicks off with a killer verse from Snoop, who seamlessly fits into DJ Pooh's dope production. There's something special about this track. I sense a massive surge of energy in it, hitting harder and faster than caffeine. Kurupt himself says it: I came to storm on these MC's like electrical clouds. In "Respect" Daz and Young Gotti beautifully exchange verses, and what they do in "Do What I Feel" (featuring The Lady of Rage) is beyond human comprehension. That's a real banger. My go-to track from Dogg Food for the gym. I'm a D.P.G.C. for life. I do what I feel, and I do what I like. Of course, we can't forget the iconic "New York, New York", Kurupt's solo showcase where he feels right at home on another DJ Pooh beat (maybe even like a raw herring on ice) and adds fuel to the fire of the East Coast-West Coast beef (I recommend checking out the St. Ides commercial featuring Biggie). It's also worth mentioning "Cyco-lic-no" and the last two tracks on the album, "One by One" and "Sooo Much Style". However, as I mentioned, I rarely get to them because usually after "Do What I Feel", I start my Dogg Food adventure all over again.
No well, dealing with Dogg Food isn't easy. While writing this post, just to jog my memory, I've been listening to this album for the past two weeks. It's like drinking way too much coffee. Coffee is definitely what my body needs to function, but too much is unhealthy. This album is coffee on steroids. A hell of an energy boost. The Dogg Pound splits atoms and runs over people with a steamroller. I need a break. In some time, I'll probably feel the urge again and return to the addiction. I'll come back to fat beats and an awesome flow. I'll return to recharge my batteries with a powerful dose of g-funk.