Snoop Dogg is barely a rapper these days. Sure, he’s still cranking out albums at a furious rate (he released an album on the 20th of April this year because, of course, he did) and he’s set to release another one before the year is out. But Snoop is more than a rapper: he’s a beloved cultural figure who can liven up just about anything he’s involved in, whether he’s selling denim or cooking with Martha Stewart, something he should do as long as they’re both alive.
But just like any other aspiring MC, Snoop went through a period where he constantly needed to prove himself. While his star was practically shot out of canon thanks to his appearance all over Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, he was still freestyling to prove his bona fides well after the release of Doggystyle, specifically when he made his first appearance in the UK in 1994.
While appearing on radio host Tim Westwood’s programme in ’94, Snoop and The Dogg Pound members Daz & Kurupt let loose on an easy beat that highlights the laconic style of all the members.
You can practically hear the haze of marijuana hanging over the proceedings, as the MCs give their unhurried take on whatever comes to their mind. That’s usually their own skills and their love for weed, as should be expected.
But more than just falling into their stereotypical signature styles, the Dogg Pound, and Snoop, in particular, prove just how adept they are at crafting verses. It takes a lot of skill to sound as laid back as these three do, and to be as clever as they are in the moment. Snoop might not be the fastest or most adept at rhyming, but there are few others who are as much fun to listen to as Snoop, especially when he’s making it up on the fly.
Check out the freestyle down below.
