Hollogram 2Pac at Coachella 2012

Dre & Snoop bring out Tupac at Coachella 2012. This is creepy and super ill at the same time.

I'm speechless really.

Classic Material: Death Row's 1995 Source Awards Performance

Death Row's performance from the '95 Source Awards. Snoop, Dre, The Dogg Pound, DJ Quik and the whole crew gets down for a Death Row medley.

Rap Treats #87: 213 - St. Ides Promo Tape (1994)

No company had rappers slanging their product like St. Ides. The beer tasted like piss, but dudes drank it strictly on the strength that Ice Cube and King Tee told them too. Before that, cats drank Old English because N.W.A. rapped about it. And before that, people drank Kool Aid because of that big ass jug of Kool Aid broke through walls and told them to drink the shit. Anyways, this tape is dope and I'm pretty sure you had to be in the right place at the right time to catch one of these cassettes. There is also an Ice Cube tape and an Eric B & Rakim tape out there somewhere too. If you have them send them!

213 (Snoop, Warren G & Nate Dogg)

St. Ides Promo Tape (1994)

1. St. Ides In The LBC
2. When We Sippin On The Brew
3. Drank Anthem
4. Dogg Food & Drank

Nardwuar vs. Snoop Dogg (Interview #3)

Snoop & Nardwuar again, and again, and again.

Rap Treats #45: Dr. Dre "The Ho Hopper" (Unreleased)

Here are two previously unheard tracks from The Chronic recording sessions. The songs ended up on some bootleg tapes around '94 and that's where they were snagged from, which is why the sound quality isn't CDQ. In fact, the songs were never even mixed so they are basically rough demo versions. "The Ho Hopper" is Dre rapping about banging chicks, and "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat" is the original version of the song that ended up on The Chronic. Both songs feature Snoop on the chorus and are among the first songs recorded for Death Row Records.

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg

"The Ho Hopper"

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg

"Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat" (Original Version)

Records: Dr. Dre - The Chronic 12"

I usually like to write some sort of informative blurb when I do one of these mega 12" posts about the artist and the album, but this is Dr. Dre's The Chronic. This shit should be in everybodys top 5, it's as classic as an album can get. Nothing more needs to be said, so here are all the 12"s from The Chronic including "Lil' Ghetto Boy" which was only released as a CD single.

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg

"Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" 12" (1992)

(Death Row Records)

A1 "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" (Radio Mix)

A2 "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" (LP Version)

A3 "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" (Instrumental)

B1 "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" (Club Mix)

B2 "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" (Vibe Instrumental)

B3 "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" (Freestyle Remix)

Produced by Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg

"Dre Day" 12" (1992)

(Death Row Records)

A1 Dre Day (LP Version)

A2 Dre Day (Radio Mix)

A3 Puffin' On Blunts And Drankin' Tanqueray feat. Daz, Kurupt & The Lady Of Rage

B1 Dre Day (Extended Club Mix)

B2 One Eight Seven

Produced by Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre

"Let Me Ride" 12" (1993)

(Death Row Records)

A1 "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix)

A2 "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix)

A3 "Let Me Ride" (LP Version)

B1 "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix)

B2 "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix)

B3 "Let Me Ride" (LP Version)

Produced by Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre feat. Daz & Snoop Doggy Dogg

"Lil' Ghetto Boy" CDS (1993)

(Death Row Records)

A1 Lil' Ghetto Boy (Radio Edit)

A2 Lil' Ghetto Boy (LP Version)

B1 Lil' Ghetto Boy (Instrumental)

B2 Puffin' On Blunts and Drankin' Tanqueray feat. Daz, Kurupt & The Lady Of Rage

Produced by Dr. Dre

Rap Treats #41: Snoop Doggy Dogg - Over The Counter (1991)

Normally this would go in the Demos section, but I've yet to see a complete rip of it. Over The Counter is an album/demo that has baffled me for a while now. The story goes it's made up of pre Dr. Dre songs and early Death Row demos. My personal feeling is it's fake. There is no way this was out on Death Row in 1991 like it says in the credits on the back cover. I do however, think that this may be a compilation of pre Dre/early Death Row demos that was put together. Somebody went to great lengths to make this seem real. Songs even have stories behind them which is interesting on some rap nerd shit (it could all be bullshit though!). The problem is I don't know anybody with the whole album and as far as I know there are only these 6 songs floating around.

Snoop Doggy Dogg

Over The Counter (1 zip w/ all 6 songs)

"Let 'Em Understand" - a diss song aimed at Domino

"187 (It's On)" - this was the original inspiration for "Deep Cover"

"Do You Remember" - supposedly the most played song from Over The Counter at radio

"True To The Game" - he did this with some dude named DJ Glaze, basically a freestyle

"The Message" - recorded before Death Row, a freestyle over "The Message"

"Country Blues" - recorded before he was on Death Row, a freestyle on "Pay Ya Dues"

Like I said, the Over The Counter album doesn't actually exist so we'll just call these demo tracks. If anybody has a copy of Over The Counter then send me a link and prove me wrong! But that won't happen because it's a hoax. But it's a pretty good hoax complete with a beat up album cover, a track list with producer credits (click HERE to see it), and a back story. Wanna here it? Here it goes.

"When Snoop was talking with Cold 187 (Above The Law) he was promised a deal. So Snoop waited..... and waited..... and waited. Nobody ever got back with him. In result, Warren G took 213 to Dre. After Dre heard "Sooper Dooper Snooper" he hooked up with Snoop quickly. About the same time, Cold 187 called Snoop. He told him they had a song ready for his vocals called "Never Missin' A Beat" (the first minute or so of that track was to be for Snoop). But it was too late, Snoop turned him down. Another song "Pimpology 101" was intended for Snoop. Those two tracks were slapped on the album at the last minute as instrumentals.

So Snoop was with Dre. Dre was very, very, very impressed by Snoop's smooth, calm, and charismatic demeanor. He wanted an album out immediately. So they went to work. Although, they failed to realize that they had no way of distributing the resulting album. At that time very late in 1991 Dre & Suge managed to hook up a weak deal directly with Time Warner. But the problem was that Dre was rushing everything before it was legal. Death Row was not yet officially a Record Company. It was more like a Record Organization of Dre's respective partners.

So, Dre and Snoop record a few songs featuring many of the labels early artists such as RBX, CPO, D.O.C., Chocolate and everyone else. It featured producers such as Dre himself, Warren G, Chocolate, and DJ Glaze. Not all the songs were created at Death Row though. Some were recorded during Snoop's wait on Cold 187 and before Snoop's introduction to Dre. A couple were songs that Snoop really liked and wanted to include, recorded with Dj Glaze and Foesum in early 1991 that otherwise would never have been heard. He wanted these songs included also because he had hoped to bring the group Perfection (Foesum) onto Death Row because they were desperately searching for a stable deal. They were the only group that were apart of Snoop's cirlce that never got their chance like RBX, Daz, Kurupt, and Malik got. Due to Foesum's contracts with their record company and due to their own unorganized practices, they were never given a chance by Dre. "Let 'Em Understand Perfection" was the only chance they were given on Death Row.

Time Warner was not legally capable of Distributing the album, so it was shelved. Only promo tapes were pressed and given to LA radio station but never given authorization to play it. But knowing them they played the shit anyway. The song "Do You Remember" was the song most played by radio stations before they were stopped."

There it is. The mystery of Snoop Doggy Dogg's Over The Counter album that came out in 1991 on Death Row Records. Allegedly. That story came from some dude named AnnonymousOne from Internetland so take it for what it's worth. Once again, if you have this make believe album (and also the "Sooper Dooper Snooper" song that Dre supposedly tripped over) then send it over!

Records: Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Deep Cover" 12"

Snoop Dogg's introduction to the rap world.

Dr. Dre introducing Snoop Doggy Dogg

"Deep Cover" 12" (1992)

(Epic Records)

A1 "Deep Cover" (Uncensored)

A2 "Deep Cover" (LP Version)

B1 "Deep Cover" (Instrumental)

B2 "Deep Cover" (Remix 187um)

Produced By Dr. Dre

Rap Treats #23: St. Ides Commercials

St. Ides had the freshest commercials back in the day, and they worked too because it made me drink St. Ides at one point in my life. And St. Ides tastes like shit. There weren't a whole lot of rappers endorsing products in the early 90's like today (except for Hammer) so these were always the dopest commercials on TV. This isn't the hardest comp to find (I think it's available in stores), but the commercials are classic so it had to go up.

St. Ides

Greatest Malt Liquor Hits

1. King Tee "St. Ides"

2. King Tee & DJ Pooh "Forty Ounce Fit For A King"

3. King Tee & DJ Pooh "Tha Bomb Malt Liquor"

4. King Tee & E-Swift "Do Ya Like St. Ides?"

5. King Tee "Do You Wanna Go To The Liquor Store?"

6. E-Swift & King Tee "Let's Have Some St. Ides"

7. Ice Cube & King Tee

8. Ice Cube, DJ Pooh & E-Swift "S.T. Crooked I.D.E"

9. Yo Yo & Cube "Femalt Liquor"

10. Ice Cube & Pooh "All I Want For Christmas"

11. Ice Cube "Jackin For Malt Liquor"

12. Ice Cube "We Don't Want No 8-ball"

13. Ice Cube "Wish They'd Come Up With A 12-Pak"

14. Cube & Pooh "Blind Fold Test"

15. Eric B & Rakim "Real Men's Drink"

16. Rakim "Get Some....."

17. Yo Yo & King Tee "You Need A Six-Pack"

18. EPMD & Ice Cube "East Meets West Malt Liquor"

19. Erick Sermon "40 Oz Or A Can"

20. Kool G Rap, DJ Pooh & Sir Jinx "Getta Grip, Take A Sip"

21. Geto Boys & Ice Cube "5th Ward/South Central Malt"

22. Geto Boys "My Malt's Playin' Tricks On Me"

23. Snoop Doggy Dogg "St. Ides In The LBC"

24. Warren G "When We Sippin' On Tha Brew"

25. Nate Dogg "Drank Anthem"

26. MC Eiht "The Brew Took Me Under"

27. Scarface "Drankin Toon"

28. Wu-Tang Clan "Shaolin Brew"

29. Snoop Doggy Dogg "Dogg Food N Drank"

30. Ice Cube "Crooked I For All Ages"

Demos: Snoop Doggy Dogg & 213 Demo Tape (1991)

Super rare demo from Long Beach's 213, aka Snoop Dogg, Warren G & Nate Dogg (who isn't on this song). This was recorded in 1991, back before Dre snatched Snoop from the group and put him on "Deep Cover" and made him a star. The sound is pretty much what you would expect from a demo tape recorded in '91, but it's still cool to hear a very young Snoop Dogg do his thing. He was the star of the group even back then because out of the 7 minute song he raps for about 5 minutes of it and got the big intro from Warren G.

213 aka Snoop Dogg, Warren G & Nate Dogg

Demo Tape

Nardwuar vs. Snoop Dogg (Interview #2)

Interview number 2 between Snoop Doggy Dogg & The Human Serviette.

Rap Treats #12: Original, Rare and Unreleased 2

Boogie Down Productions (1985)

"Crack Attack"

This is some pre Criminal Minded BDP. Pretty much a don't smoke crack PSA. The sound is very mid 80's and you can tell that they hadn't found that boom bap yet.

Big Daddy Kane feat. Kool G. Rap (1987)

"Raw" (Original)

Easily one of my favorite songs of all time. The Kool Genius of Rap goes in on this one and destroys the beat. I heard that G. Rap went off because Kane had a girl in the studio and he wanted to show him up. Kane and G. Rap had a friendly rivalry, they were homies but always wanted to one up each other. This is one of those times.

Simply II Positive MC's aka Organized Konfusion (1989)

"Audience Pleasers"

This is from the tape that got OK signed to Hollywood Basics, but for some reason it took another two years for them to release any music on the label. This joint was produced by Paul C who was murdered the same year.

Spectrum City aka Public Enemy (1984)
"Check Out The Radio"

This was an actual 12inch release on Vanguard Records. Before they were Public Enemy, Chuck D and the Shocklee brothers were a DJ crew called Spe

2Pac & Snoop

"If There's A Cure (I Don't Want It)" (Unreleased)

Not sure the year this was recorded but it was def during the Death Row years. I'm feeling Pac's usage of KRS' at the beginning of the song. According to Pac this is all freestyle.

Nardwuar vs. Snoop Dogg

This is from 2007 and the first time (I think) that these two hooked up.

Classic Material: Dre & Snoop Live (1993)

Here is Dre & Snoop performing "Deep Cover", "Nuthin' But A G Thing" and "Dre Day" on the 1993 HBO special "Rosie Perez Presents Society's Ride". I didn't get HBO back in the day so I never even knew this show existed. Another MOD jack!