Behind The Mic: Iconic Dr Dre track 'Nuthin But A G Thang'

Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre are undoubtedly one of hip hop’s most dynamic duos. First coming together in the early 1990s for Dr Dre’s 1992 single ‘Deep Cover’, ever since, the two, as business partners and friends, have grown closer, giving listeners hit after hit.

First introduced to Dr Dre by their mutual friend Warren G, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre formed a cross-community partnership between Long Beach and Compton, with Dre quickly signing Snoop to his record label Death Row. From there, along with Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight, Death Row became one of the most dominant forces in hip hop, with their signature G-funk sound garnering attention from every corner of the country.

With their first collaboration, ‘Deep Cover’, proving to be a hit, the duo knew that together they were unstoppable and went on to collaborate again for Dr Dre’s first album, The Chronic. The song ‘Nuthin But A G Thang’ has now become a classic, but a lot went into the making of that record.

Recorded in Death Row’s very own studio, ‘Nuthin But A G Thang’ was written primarily by Snoop Dogg and produced solely by Dr Dre. The track samples the 1975 funk hit, ‘I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You’ and, as stated, was created in the Death Row studio inside Dr Dre’s L.A. mansion. Former N.W.A member, The D.O.C, also added some finishing touches to the track’s vocals.

‘Nuthin But A G Thang’ was one of the first G-funk tracks to enter the top ten of the U.S. charts and showcased the West Coast sound to the masses. It was a cross-genre track that got played in clubs but also on R’n’B radio. 

One fact not many people don’t know is that a young Snoop Dogg, who was operating under the name Snoop Doggy Dogg, was involved in a murder case at the time, ‘Nuthin But A G Thang’ was in the charts. He was arrested in August 1993 after his bodyguard was murdered. However, he was declared innocent in 1996. 

The song, which debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, has been sampled by many artists since its release in 1992. It was sampled by the duo Kriss Kross for their 1993 single, ‘I’m Real’ and was also sampled by Ja Rule for his 2001 single, ‘Livin’ It Up.’ You can listen to ‘Nuthin But a G Thang’ in the video below.