Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album Doggystyle (1993), Snoop was arrested and charged with murder and in 1995, spent time preparing for the case that went to trial. On February 20, 1996, he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album without Dr. Dre providing work as a record producer. This was Snoop's final album on Death Row until 2022, when he acquired the rights to the Death Row trademarks from MNRK Music Group, releasing BODR the same year. This would also be his last album under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg. Recording sessions took place from February 1996 to October 1996, with Suge Knight as the executive producer on the album, alongside the additional production from several record producers such as DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly and L.T. Hutton; as well as guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Kurupt, Tray Dee and Warren G, among others.
The album debuted at number one during the week of November 12, 1996, selling 479,000 copies, but it failed to match the commercial success of Doggystyle. Dr. Dre had left Death Row to his partner Suge Knight, who was indicted for racketeering by the end of 1996. Tha Doggfather was also released only one week after another Death Row release, which was the first posthumous album by Tupac, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which also debuted at number one. Consequently, Snoop's second album stalled at sales of two million copies.
Background
In 1993, Snoop and Dr. Dre began work on Doggystyle which was also very popular and acclaimed. During the recording of Doggystyle, Snoop became a defendant in a murder case which saw his acquittal shortly before this album was released, which led him to no longer live the "gangsta" lifestyle he portrayed in his records.
Dr. Dre, who was Death Row's in-house producer, had left earlier in 1996 to start his own label, which led Snoop's first cousin Daz Dillinger to become Death Row's head producer; he worked on this album. The murder of Snoop's close friend and fellow rapper, label-mate Tupac Shakur in September 1996 also weighed on him heavily; Shakur appears on the closing track "Outro", under the name "Makaveli", which he began using a short while before his death.
Recording and production
Production
During the departure of Dr. Dre from Death Row Records, the majority of this album was produced and mixed by DJ Pooh. In addition to DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger and several other producers contributed to this album. In 1996, in an interview with Rap City, Snoop Dogg revealed that he had been working with Dr. Dre for this album; however, he had been prevented from doing so by Suge Knight. The album samples songs such as "It's Like That" performed by Run-D.M.C., "Vapors" performed by Biz Markie, "More Bounce to the Ounce" performed by Zapp & Roger, and "Oops Up Side Your Head" performed by The Gap Band. The Doggfather also marked the debut of Snoop Dogg as a record producer on the track "(O.J.) Wake Up". Snoop Dogg also was beginning to be acknowledged on how to play keyboard by a high-profile producer named L.T. Hutton, who led a hand providing some production on that track as well.
The illustration on the back cover of the CD was done by Joe Cool, the same artist who did the front cover of Snoop's previous album Doggystyle.
Lyrics
Compared to Doggystyle, the lyrics are much less violent and controversial. On Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg wanted to present a more positive image in his lyrics, a reflection of his maturation as an artist and as a new father.
On December 3, 2006, in an interview with VH1, Snoop Dogg revealed the differences between Doggystyle and Tha Doggfather, stating, "I think Tha Doggfather was a rebirth of me, as far as me being more positive on what I was trying to say and, you know, trying to live the life through my music, instead of me just living my life, trying to show people that my life... wasn't like my music...I'm not gonna glorify none of this negativity that Death Row wanted me to do. I'm gonna bring a positive side of music." Although his new lyrical direction was met with mixed feelings from fans and critics alike, Snoop Dogg still thinks of the album as a success: "I enjoyed it and everywhere I go around the world people, you know, I sign more Doggfather records than any other record I put out. That's the one I sign the most and I'm proud at the thing I did and the thing is... sometimes you can outgrow your fans".