Showing 1 - 25 of 94
Artist: Snoop Dogg
As the embodiment of '90s gangsta rap, Snoop Dogg blurred the lines between reality and fiction. Introduced to the world through Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Snoop quickly became the most famous star in rap, partially because of his drawled, laconic rhyming and partially because the violence that his lyrics implied seemed real, especially after he was... [+] Read More
Artist: Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold is the DJ, remixer, and producer who did more than anyone else to break house music in Britain during the late '80s. During 1987-1988, Oakenfold hosted a series of crucial club nights that introduced thousands of Brits to house music. Just a few years later, he helped push the new dance crossover into the charts by masterminding... [+] Read More
Artist: 2Pac
2Pac became the unlikely martyr of gangsta rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle exacted on urban black America. At the outset of his career, it didn't appear that he would emerge as one of the definitive rappers of the '90s -- he started out as a second-string rapper and dancer for Digital Underground, joining only after they had... [+] Read More
Artist: Butch Cassidy
A promising West Coast vocalist/rapper that worked with Snoop Dogg and Xzibit on their late-2000 albums, foreshadowing a possible future as a West Coast utility man in the tradition of Nate Dogg and Kokane. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Soopafly
Soopafly began to garner a substantial name for himself as one of the West Coast's better G-funk producers of the late '90s and early 2000s by aligning himself with some of the coast's better rappers, such as Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Mack 10. Though he never played a major role in Death Row's major successes -- Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Snoop Dogg's... [+] Read More
Artist: Tha Eastsidaz
Protégés of Snoop Doggy Dogg, Long Beach, CA-based duo tha Eastsidaz teamed rappers Big Tray Deee and Goldie Loc, whose partnership was forged in 1999. Their debut album, Snoop Dogg Presents Tha Eastsidaz, appeared early the following year on the newly formed Dogghouse label. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Timbaland
Timbaland ascended to the top of the rap industry in the late '90s, remarkably balancing his in-demand hitmaking abilities with his outlandish production style. Few rap producers were capable of such a balance between commerce and craft. Timbaland produced an endless list of hits, primarily for a select group of affiliates (Missy Elliott,... [+] Read More
Artist: Hitman
This rugged West Coast rapper played a significant role on Dr. Dre's mammoth 2001 album, even though he was a relatively unproven rapper at the time. Though his performance didn't parallel that of Snoop Dogg's on The Chronic, it was similar in scope, and, like Snoop Dogg, Hitman was instantly dubbed Dre's new protege with talk of a solo album in... [+] Read More
Artist: Big Tray Deee
A member of Snoop Dogg's proteges Tha Eastsidaz, Big Tray Deee released his first solo effort in 2002. Before that, he was discovered by the infamous West Coast rapper along with his friend Goldie Loc in the mid-90's. Snoop Dogg had left Death Row Records and was trying to help his friends get recording deals, and after being impressed by Tha... [+] Read More
Artist: Suga Free
Suga Free's career got off to a slow start despite a promising debut album, 1997's Street Gospel. In 2000, he returned to the spotlight with high-profile guest appearances on Xzibit's Restless and Snoop Dogg's Tha Last Meal. In 2004, the rapper issued his second album, The New Testament, followed two years later by Just Add Water and two volumes... [+] Read More
Artist: Test Shot Starfish
Multimedia duo Kyle Schember and Ryan Stuit met in 1999 in Los Angeles on a film set and, in addition to their own work, have since contributed audio to several television programs, commercials, and other video. They have also done remixes for Coldplay, Gus Gus, and Snoop Dogg and contributed work to such high-profile clients as Showtime, ESPN,... [+] Read More
Artist: Jelly Roll
A West Coast producer who got his start crafting G-funk beats for Snoop Dogg on his Top Dogg and Tha Last Meal albums. Similar in style to Battlecat and Meech Wells, and obviously influenced by Dr. Dre, Jelly Roll's beats tend to emphasize a sense of funk by focusing on chunky bass lines and plenty of synth. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Mike Elizondo
Along with Mel-Man and Scott Storch, Mike Elizondo served as a protege to Dr. Dre, beginning with his contributions on bass to the West Coast Don's 1999 album, 2001. A year later, he was again working alongside Dre for Xzibit's Restless and even managed to score co-production accolades for three tracks appearing on Snoop Dogg's Tha Last Meal. ~... [+] Read More
Artist: Bad Azz
West Coast rapper Bad Azz is far from well-known, yet he has worked with some of the best-selling hip-hop artists of all time, including Snoop Dogg, Warren G., and Tupac Shakur. Bad Azz first got into the rap game in his hometown of Long Beach, playing at house parties and eventually joining the LBC Crew. After deciding to go solo, he had a... [+] Read More
Artist: Battlecat
One of the West Coast's most promising rap producers of the late '90s, Battlecat made a substantial name for himself by laying down beats for Snoop Dogg and his affiliates (Kurupt, tha Eastsidaz, Doggy's Angels, Xzibit), along with a number of other West Coast rappers. His aesthetic is a progression from the early-'90s G-funk sound pioneered by... [+] Read More
Artist: Sha Money XL
Sha Money XL (born Michael Clervoix III on February 11, 1976) is an American record producer. He is the founder of Sha Money Management; a firm in which he manages a group of new producers. He helped bring rapper 50 Cent to the mainstream and has produced numerous tracks including "Poor Lil Rich", "Beg For Mercy", and "This Is 50". After... [+] Read More
Artist: Dat Nigga Daz
One of the most important members of the mid-'90s Death Row Records empire, producer/rapper Daz Dillinger worked alongside some of the West Coast's best rappers. Along with Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Snoop Dogg, Dillinger (at time known as Dat Nigga Daz) was one of the Long Beach, CA, clique that had been introduced to Dr. Dre through Warren G... [+] Read More
Artist: Shabazz
After growing up in the California Bay Area, Shabazz moved to Atlanta, where he launched his rap career with the Baysickinstinct album. The album features production by Studio Ton, one of the Bay Area's more prolific producers during the '90s (E-40, B-Legit, Celly Cel, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg). In addition to Studio Ton, the album also boasts... [+] Read More
Artist: The Used
The members of the Used had to overcome poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse, not to mention the straight-laced attitudes of their hometown of Orem, UT, to bring their screamo-tinged brand of post-hardcore to life. But they persevered and earned a contract with Reprise Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in June 2002. Having... [+] Read More
Artist: RL
After two albums with the trio Next, RL launched a solo career with the aid of record industry bigwig Clive Davis. The legendary record exec signed RL to his newly formed J Records label and released a debut album, RL: Ements. The album featured one or two sure-shot singles -- the Snoop Dogg-Lil' Kim-Battlecat collaboration "Do You Wanna Roll"... [+] Read More
Artist: Doggy's Angels
Following the success of his venture with Tha Eastsidaz in 2000, the entrepreneurial-minded Snoop Dogg launched Doggy's Angels on his Doggy Style label (a subsidiary of TVT). A trio of female rappers featuring Big Chan, Coniyac, and Kola, Doggy's Angels followed much in the footsteps of West Coast G-funk pioneers such as Dr. Dre and DJ Quik,... [+] Read More
Artist: Pony Club
The Irish rock outfit Pony Club is the brainchild of former cab driver, Mark Cullen. While growing up in the rough neighborhoods of Dublin, Ireland, Cullen daydreamed of becoming an artist. He worshipped Brian Wilson as a teenager, and gained respect for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg as a young adult. By the new millennium, Cullen finally threw caution... [+] Read More
Artist: Lady of Rage
Though she had made more than a dozen appearances on soundtracks as well as albums from her Death Row Records cohorts, the Lady of Rage didn't release an album until 1997. A native of Farmville, VA, she was discovered by Death Row's Dr. Dre and cut several vocals for the L.A. Posse's 1991 album They Come in All Colors. Her 1994 single for Death... [+] Read More
Artist: Daz Dillinger
One of the key members of the mid-'90s Death Row Records empire, producer/rapper Daz Dillinger worked alongside some of the West Coast's best rappers. Along with Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Snoop Dogg, Dillinger (at time known as Dat Nigga Daz) was one of the Long Beach, CA, clique that had been introduced to Dr. Dre through Warren G during the... [+] Read More
Artist: Nate Dogg
He's known as the soul man of G-funk, and before his first album had ever been released, Nate Dogg made appearances on several huge hits: "Regulate" with Warren G, 2Pac's All Eyez on Me, and the soundtrack to Murder Was the Case. The cousin of Snoop Dogg, Nate was born in Los Angeles and began working with Warren early in the '90s. By 1994, the... [+] Read More
