Tha Doggfather

Snoop Doggy Dogg’s second album is often known more for its surrounding circumstances than for its music. After the meteoric success of his 1993 debut album *Doggystyle* alongside producer Dr. Dre, he stood trial in a highly publicized murder case. He was acquitted, but Dre split from Death Row soon after, after having issues with the label\'s co-founder Suge Knight. Then, labelmate Tupac Shakur was brutally murdered in Las Vegas. That left Snoop in the loneliest state yet for his heavily anticipated sophomore album. Fortunately, Daz Dillinger was up to the task: He took over as the label’s head producer, and the likes of DJ Pooh, Soopafly, and Sam Sneed contributed their own slate of G-funk slaps that hugged Snoop’s silky flow like a glove. And Snoop, meanwhile, had just as much charisma as ever, with rapping that hadn\'t lost a step. He would eventually leave Death Row and venture out on his own, but this album proved that he was in rap to stay, regardless of who was turning the mixing knobs or signing record contracts.