Snoop Dogg

A new album from Snoop Dogg is more than just a record release, it’s a chance to savor the talents of one of hip hop’s few genuine superstars. Similarly, a new album from No Limit Records is more than just a record release, it’s another milestone in the storied rise of hip hop’s most important record label. So when these two mega forces come together, the result is a rap music landmark event. Snoop Dogg’s first album for No Limit Records, “Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told,” has arrived.

“Snoop Dogg is universal so he can fit into any camp-especially a camp that knows how to handmake shit,” Snoop declares of his new recording home. “And, No Limit hand makes material. They make material fittin’ to the artist and they know what type of shit Snoop Dogg is supposed to be on. That’s why it’s so tight.”

True to his words, “Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told” presents a full menu of musical compliments to Snoop’s world-reknowned storytelling wizardry and Iyrical genius from No Limit production battalion, Beats By The Pound. Over a hooky melody of flutes, bells, and wah-wah guitar, the lead track, “Snoop World”, welcomes fans old and new to experience the fruits of this new team’s work.

But, if hearing Snoop flow over BBTP’s distinctive rolling funk groove’s provides one unprecedented thrill, the Dogg father’s message is still undeniably familiar and winning: “Now, in my world/ A bitch is a girl/ And a man’s best friend is his ends/ And his motherfuckin’ Benz,” he explains in unmistakably playalistic terms.

“Don’t Let Go” finds Snoop’s sing-songy hook and Iyrics devoted to the gangsta lifestyle comfortably supported by a minimalist blend of piano and synch squeals. And on the album’s first single, “Still A G Thang,” his effortless primer of G-rated philosophies is a veritable classic in the making. “That’s one of them songs that I wrote that was definitely from the heart he says about the latter. “It’s just about awareness and being more careful about what you do, how you do it and who you do it with. It’s still a G thang so you gotta stay on your toes.”

Snoop’s revisitation of past rap standards flourishes through additional selections as well: “Gin & Juice II” adds dramatic orchestral accents and timpani rolls to the original’s already intoxicating recipe. “Doggz Gonna Get Ya” puts a DPG twist on the classic KRS-One composed tale of street justice, “Love’s Gonna Getcha.” “DP Gangsta” revamps N.W.A.’s infamous gangbangin’ anthem “Gangsta, Gangsta.” Meanwhile, “D.O.G.’s Get lonely 2” displays Snoop’s expertly executed game in the realm of romance, complete with a seductive reworking of The Time’s timeless slow jam, “Gigolos Get Lonely Too.” “That’s one of those songs that just brings back a whole lot of memories from the old school, the 80’s,” Snoop remembers. “And to touch back and re-do one of those with a rap twist is the thang!”

Of course, celebrating past glories is only one facet of Snoop Dogg. And no No Limit endeavor would be complete without the full cooperation of its other star soldiers. “Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told” supplies them in abundance: Mystikal and Fiend lend their energized vocal assistance on the dynamic Woof!”; No Limit Madame mama Mia X truces verses with Snoop on both the smooth “Slow Down” and the live ass funk of “Picture This”; Fiend, Soulja Slim and Silkk The Shocker poignantly recall days of struggling on “20 Dollars To My Name”; Mystikal and C-Murder help memorialize the thugs that have passed on “See Ya When I Get There”; and the NL colonel himself, Master P. matches lines with his newest star acquisition on the slow roll funk of “Get Bout It And Rowdy.”

Snoop speaks proudly of his collaborations. “It’s been fun cuz I look up to them. To be in a cool environment where rappers give it their all and try to make the best songs in the world. That’s the way that I am in the studio. So to work with them is a compliment to all of us.”

Tellingly, the album’s title was also inspired by a joint effort between P and Snoop. “P hit me with that title and we chose it cuz that’s all I been around. Game is my whole life. And now it’s time to be sellin’ it instead of tellin’ it.”

For an artist whose multi-platinum history has kept him at the top of his trade for the past six years, such tasks shouldn’t be difficult. However, despite his assured success, Snoop’s desire for recognition doesn’t merely begin and end with record sales.

“I wanna be seen as an artist that grew in the public’s eye,” Snoop maintains. “A lot of people don’t know how to accept growth. But I wanna be the artist that grew and the public accepted it. The one that made ’em understand the downs and the ups and made ’em stay behind me through everything until I become one of the most prolific history making rappers of the world.”

Snoop Dogg is still making history. Welcome to his world.