Happy 25th Anniversary to Tha Dogg Pound’s debut album Dogg Food, originally released October 31, 1995.
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When paying tribute to an album, it can sometimes be difficult to recapture the context in which it was released. Times change, and a once controversial events can seem ridiculous or even prosaic when viewed through the lens of hindsight. For example, I seriously doubt that today, in 2020, if someone listened to Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound for the first time, they would guess that its release was the flashpoint in the cultural war against hip-hop music. But 25 years ago, the Long Beach-based duo were at the center of the storm.
Tha Dogg Pound, comprised of Ricardo “Kurupt” Brown and Delmar “Daz Dillinger” Arnaud, were an integral part of Death Row Records. Formed by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight, the label took hip-hop by the throat in late 1992, refusing to let it go. That said, the label, distributed by Interscope and Warner Bros., didn’t release many albums during the early days, but whenever it did, they made a huge impact. I’ve described the importance of both The Chronic (1992) and Doggystyle (1993) for this site. Both are regarded amongst the best and most successful hip-hop albums ever recorded.
Dogg Food’s eventual release took place during the convergence of two very mid ’90s phenomena: a manufactured East Coast/West Coast beef and the manufactured outrage at Gangsta Rap, specifically gangsta rap distributed by Time Warner Records. The latter issue is what led to extensive delays for the finished product to hit the shelves and established legacies for many of the characters involved.
Outrage at gangsta rap had been manifesting since the late ‘80s/early ’90s, but it came to its zenith a quarter of a century ago. C. Delores Tucker, a civil rights activist and former secretary of state of Pennsylvania, had aggressively denounced rap music, often specifically targeting Death Row. In 1995, she began to apply pressure to Warner Bros to dump Death Row and Interscope from under its umbrella. She zeroed in on the impending release of Dogg Food, decrying it as the filthiest album ever recorded without listening to a note of it.
She was joined by William J. Bennett, former secretary of education under George H.W. Bush, and Bob Dole, the senate majority leader and future presidential candidate. They began a media blitz which led to Warner Bros. agreeing to stop distributing Interscope Records, while in the midst of pressing up copies of Dogg Food. The album was delayed as Interscope looked for a new distributor; they quickly forged an interim agreement with Priority Records to put out the project.
All of this was a lot of noise for what turned out to “just” be a really dope gangsta rap album. Dogg Food doesn’t shatter any norms. In terms of “explicit” content, it didn’t feature anything particularly controversial. There are a few jokes included that are in bad taste, but nothing that would sound outlandish back in 1995. While Tucker, Bennett, and Dole were giving a clinic in performative outrage, Daz and Kurupt just made some great music. Behind The Chronic (1992) and Doggystyle (1993), Dogg Food is the third best album Death Row ever released.
Listen to the Album:
Daz crafts most of the album’s beats on the album and makes the most of the spotlight. He picks up where he left off with “Big Pimpin’” and “Dogg Pound 4 Life” from the Above the Rim soundtrack (1994), extensively using live instrumentation to create lush musical backdrops. He enlists a bevy of talented musicians to assist him. The most prominent of which is Priest “Soopafly” Brooks, who plays keyboards throughout the album. Soopafly would go on to work with Daz for years and would become a very talented producer in his own right soon thereafter.
The only outside production featured on Dogg Food is two tracks provided by respected West Coast O.G. DJ Pooh, who does an excellent job. What’s a little surprising is the almost complete lack of Dr. Dre’s production throughout the album. The Doctor mixed the album and appears to drop a few ad-libs at the beginning of “Respect,” but is otherwise absent. Dre was originally slated to produce one track on the album. Press kits for Dogg Food mentioned “Can’t C Me” featuring George Clinton, beginning the album’s second half, but wasn’t featured on the final version of the album. The song later turned up on 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me (1996). This was after it was first conceived as the opening single for a scrapped Dr. Dre/Ice Cube album, Helter Skelter.
On the lyrical side, Dogg Food is a coming out party for Kurupt. The Philly-born emcee had shown tons of promise via his appearances on The Chronic and Doggystyle, as well as other loose Dogg Pound tracks and guest appearances. Throughout Dogg Food, he shows an increased mastery of cadence, functioning as a “poetical poltergeist, precise and cold-hearted.” The commanding performance is probably the overall best of Kurupt’s career. And while Daz doesn’t command as much attention on the mic, his laid-back flow complements his partner’s strengths.
What Dogg Food may lack in the presence of Dr. Dre, it makes up for in the presence of Snoop Dogg. Daz’s cousin and the hip-hop superstar is nearly ubiquitous throughout the album, from dropping verses to providing hooks to some of the crew’s best-known songs. But he never overpowers or outshines Kurupt or Daz, allowing them to fully take advantage of their moment.
The crew hits hard on “Dogg Pound Gangstaz,” the menacing opening track. The song is a pronouncement that they’re to be taken seriously as emcees. Kurupt sounds locked in from the gate, rapping, “It takes two to tangle / I told Daz don't worry like Keith Murray Imma strangle / Emcees with the microphone cord / You don't faze me, your thoughts been invaded and explored.”
Kurupt gets an early solo showcase with the DJ Pooh-produced “New York, New York,” the album’s second single. The track served as a focal point for the beef between the East and West Coasts. Just a few months before Dogg Food’s release, Death Row had made a statement at the contentious 1995 Source Awards, with Suge Knight driving the point home with an awards acceptance speech that not-so-subtly dissed Sean “Puffy” Combs. During an equally confrontational Death Row showcase during the broadcast, Tha Dogg Pound would perform “What Would U Do?” in front of the increasingly hostile New York crowd.
“New York, New York” seems inspired by these feelings of ill will, as the crew reinterpret the hook from the Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five track of the same name. Kurupt journeys to the Big Apple to “serve 2,000 emcees” in a single night. He gives a masterful performance, delivering dope lyrics with a shifting, complex delivery. “Suicidal, brainwaves conveys,” he raps. “Through the average motherfucker's minds these days / I’m all ready to put work in / Take ten steps and turn to shoot the first n***a smirking.”
The song’s video became another source of controversy. Kurupt, Daz, and other members of the label’s roster frequently appear as giants wandering through the city’s skyline, basking in their seeming invincibility and occasionally knocking down a building or two. During the video shoot, shots were fired at the group’s trailers by unknown persons; luckily no one was injured.
Kurupt gives an equally strong performance on “Smooth,” the other track produced by DJ Pooh on Dogg Food. Though Snoop leads off the track with an extremely dope verse in its own right, Kurupt is in complete command with his second verse, creating a masterpiece on wicked imagery: “Frozen stiff, ’cause what I’m holding lifts the soul / This mental automatic weapon keeps me in control / Never fold, I scald like water in order / To let these emcees know I slaughter, so time's getting shorter.”
The duo dedicates portions of Dogg Food to their efforts to leave the dangers of the streets behind them as they dedicate themselves to their musical careers. “Respect” finds the pair narrating their lives in the midst of engaging in illegal activities, knowing that they have the potential to make something out of their lives as artists. “Reality” deals with the flip side, as the two find that leaving the street mentality behind isn’t so easy. Gripped with paranoia, they wonder if their criminal pasts will leak into the world of hip-hop, putting their lives in jeopardy.
“Ridin’, Slippin’, and Slidin’” is one of the best Southern California rider-anthems of the era, rivaling Dr. Dre’s “Let Me Ride,” as the two dedicate the track to rolling through the streets of Los Angeles, enjoying the sights and sounds, and getting into some skanless shit. The beat is one of Daz’s smoothest and overall best creations.
Though “Let’s Play House” was Dogg Food’s biggest hit, it’s far from my favorite song on the album. A tale of seeking out female affection, it’s a little too glossy, especially on this pretty gritty album. “I Don’t Like to Dream About Getting Paid” is similarly polished, but it’s a creative reworking of Lionel Richie’s “Love Will Find a Way.” Daz shines on the track, demonstrating the fragility of success when you’re hustling through illegal means, going from rags to riches and back to rags in the space of his two verses. Nate Dogg’s unique vocal talents throughout the song are another highlight.
Other members of the extended Death Row family appear throughout the album. Mr. Malik, formerly of Illegal, shows up on the synth-driven “Cyco Lic No (/Bitch Ass N****z).” The Lady of Rage joins the pair on “Do What I Feel,” one of the album’s finest tracks. The track’s keyboard groove and guitar work are absolutely infectious, as all three emcees sound particularly inspired. Rage gives an appropriately aggressive post-“Afro Puffs” performance, with a stop-and-start, syllable-splitting flow that’s perfect for the track.
Tha Dogg Pound occasionally push the limits of good taste on Dogg Food. The one-two combination of “If We All Fucc” and “Bomb Azz Pussy” seems recorded for the express purpose of pissing off Tucker, as Daz and Kurupt are again joined by Snoop Dogg to deliver incredibly raunchy raps. “If We All Fucc” is the better of the two, as the three rock over a spare track backed by a subtle bassline and occasional guitar licks. The more laid back “Bomb Azz Pussy” is also more blatantly offensive, and notable for the extremely vocal orgasm that Snoop mimics at the beginning of the song. It rivals Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Sweet Sugar Pie” for loudest orgasm performed on record in 1995.
In actuality, much of the content on Dogg Food is closer to “New York, New York” or “Smooth” than “Bomb Azz Pussy.” The pair establish themselves as dope emcees, dedicating themselves to their craft on tracks like “A Doggz Day Afternoon,” “One By One,” and “Sooo Much Style.” “Doggz Day…” is a particularly strong entry, highlighted by strong performances by both emcees. Kurupt continues to describes the power of his mind with raps like, “Construction of thoughts that's as lethal as turpentine/ An expert when I flex rhymes feared like ex-cons.” Daz holds pace with his partner as well, rapping, “I create the beats that beats the fucks right outta your speakers / Amps are blown, shown for me to grab the microphone alone.”
Twenty-five years later, all of the political theatre leading up to Dogg Food seems even more pointless. The album sold millions of copies, but that didn’t stop Tucker, Bennett, and Dole from declaring victory. Bennett moved on to targeting violent TV content, before circling back a year later to attack Warner Bros. yet again. Dole ran for President against Bill Clinton in 1996, losing handily. Tucker continued her crusade against Death Row, but was frequently accused of being motivated by money and not morals. She died in 2005. Meanwhile, by early 1996, Interscope negotiated a lucrative new distribution deal with MCA/Universal, and Warner Bros. continued to make money from the label via publishing rights and distribution options.
The East Coast/West Coast beef looks just as ridiculous in hindsight. In an episode of Netflix’s Hip-Hop Evolution dedicated to the coastal rivalry, everyone interviewed sounded incredibly embarrassed and uncomfortable when talking about that period in history. Which makes sense, because it was really, really, REALLY dumb.
It’s for the best that all the ridiculousness associated with Dogg Food has been lost to “Hey, remember when…” conversations and the occasional think-piece. Tha Dogg Pound made a damn good debut album on their own terms. Any extra baggage and context just distracts from the quality of the music.
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LISTEN: