Tha Doggfather

the take

I'm assuming fans wanted another "Doggystyle" from Snoop right after he beat his murder case in '95. That's the only reason why they lowkey trashed this album and proclaimed it as a "sophomore slump". I have to disagree with that notion, though. Sure, it's a far cry from "Doggystyle" with no mega hits like "Gin and Juice" and "Doggy Dogg World". At the same time, we're witnessing the beginning of a gangsta slowly mature into an adult who doesn't want to deal with that part of life anymore. That, and he was scared shitless that his murder case actually ended up really happening, so can you blame the guy? Of course, with the changes being made, Snoop doesn't sound as aggressive on here like on past songs. Instead, he sounds more calm, collected, and confident in his raps, thus adding to his swagger he already got by this point. How good said raps are is kind of hit or miss, but mostly they get the job done. The production on here is also a reason why certain songs are hit or miss as well. You have to remember, Dr. Dre left Death Row Records in early '96, so the magic Snoop had on "Doggystyle" clearly wasn't there. Even still, other producers like DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, and Soopafly (among others) did what they could to make beats that fits Snoop's new demeanor. While "Downtown Assassins" and "Freestyle Conversation" have always failed to capture my interest, other songs like "Groupie", "Gold Rush", and "Blueberry" help advance Snoop into new territory while still maintaining his original sound a bit. I can see why people say "Tha Doggfather" isn't as good as "Doggystyle". Hell, I agree with said people with that. But to say it's among one of the worst albums Snoop Dogg ever put out is mad disrespectful.