Dogg Food

Dogg Food is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Tha Dogg Pound, released on October 31, 1995, by Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Priority Records.^[2][3] The album features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Michel'le, The Lady of Rage, Tray Deee, and Mr. Malik. Two singles were released from the album: "Let's Play House" (featuring Michel'le and Nate Dogg) and "New York, New York" (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg).

Dogg Food
Studio album by Tha Dogg Pound
Released	October 31, 1995 (1995-10-31)
Recorded	December 1994 – April 1995
Studio	Can-Am Studios (Tarzana, Los Angeles) Dre's Crib (Los Angeles)
Genre	West Coast hip hop gangsta rap G-funk
Length	71:19
Label	Death Row Interscope Priority[1]
Producer	Dat Nigga Daz DJ Pooh Kurupt
Tha Dogg Pound chronology
Dogg Food (1995) Dillinger & Young Gotti (2001)
Singles from Dogg Food
"New York, New York" Released: September 17, 1995 "Let's Play House" Released: November 15, 1995

It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart on November 18, 1995.^[4] The album sold 278,000 copies in its first week.^[5] It is one of the last high-selling and critically acclaimed releases from the label, preceding only Tha Doggfather and Tupac's releases as an anticipated album, and is the last to be "officially" produced under the G-funk era of hip-hop, with Death Row Records' future releases diverging from the style. Though Dr. Dre was Death Row's top producer, the album was mostly produced by Daz Dillinger, while Dre mixed the album. Dogg Food led the way for Daz to become the top in-house producer for Death Row until his departure in the late 1990s.

The video for the first single, "New York, New York", caused some controversy when Snoop appeared in it kicking down buildings throughout New York. The trailer of Tha Dogg Pound was shot at during the process of making the "New York, New York" video although no one was injured. The song is one of three tracks on the album not produced by Daz, as DJ Pooh provided the beat.^[6]

Background

Its controversial lyrics were the subject of shareholder protest. The album was supposed to be released in August 1995, but as a result of the controversy from Time Warner, the release was delayed by two months.^[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[9]
Entertainment Weekly	A[10]
Los Angeles Times	[11]
Muzik	[12]
Q	[13]
RapReviews	8/10[14]
Spin	5/10[15]

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music wrote that the album "revealed a comparative deftness of touch and a penchant for self-parody largely lacking in [the group's] more esteemed colleagues."^[9] The Washington Post opined that Tha Dogg Pound's "variation on what has become a stale formula is less sample-driven than most gangsta funk; instead, it focuses on the formidable verbal flow and rhyme skills of Daz and Kurupt."^[16] The Baltimore Sun wrote that "the music here sounds wonderfully fresh, from the growling synth-bass of 'Smooth' to the dreamy, slightly tropical pulse of 'Big Pimpin' 2'."^[17] Trouser Press called the album "a low-key, unambitious and only mildly imaginative replay of Doggystyle, rolling over familiar G-funk terrain with the same minimum of venom and violence."^[18]

Commercial performance

Dogg Food debuted at number one on both the US Billboard 200 and the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling 278,000 copies in its first week (the week ending on November 5, 1995).^[5] The album was certified 2× platinum on January 5, 1996.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"		Dat Nigga Daz	0:18
2.	"Dogg Pound Gangstaz"	Delmar Arnaud Ricardo Brown	Dat Nigga Daz	5:22
3.	"Respect" (featuring Prince Ital Joe)	Arnaud Brown Delemond Williams	Dat Nigga Daz	5:54
4.	"New York, New York" (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg)	Brown Calvin Broadus	DJ Pooh	4:51
5.	"Smooth" (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg)	Brown Broadus Val Young	DJ Pooh	4:35
6.	"Cyco-lic-no" (featuring Mr. Malik)	Arnaud Brown Broadus La Morris Edwards	Dat Nigga Daz	4:56
7.	"Ridin', Slipin' and Slidin'"	Arnaud Brown Sentrelle Conerly	Dat Nigga Daz Dave "Swang" Knight (co.)	4:02
8.	"Big Pimpin 2"	Williams	Dat Nigga Daz	1:36
9.	"Let's Play House" (featuring Michel'le and Nate Dogg)	Arnaud Brown Broadus Nathaniel Hale Michel'le Toussaint	Dat Nigga Daz	3:24
10.	"I Don't Like to Dream About Gettin Paid" (featuring Nate Dogg)	Brown Broadus Hale	Dat Nigga Daz	5:13
11.	"Do What I Feel" (featuring The Lady of Rage)	Arnaud Brown Robin Allen	Dat Nigga Daz	3:31
12.	"If We All Fuc"	Arnaud Brown Broadus	Dat Nigga Daz	3:13
13.	"Some Bomb Azz Pussy"	Arnaud Brown Broadus	Dat Nigga Daz	4:29
14.	"A Doggz Day Afternoon"	Arnaud Brown Hale	Dat Nigga Daz	2:46
15.	"Reality" (featuring Big Tray Deee)	Arnaud Brown	Dat Nigga Daz Emanuel Dean	6:16
16.	"One by One"	Arnaud Brown	Dat Nigga Daz	5:09
17.	"Sooo Much Style"	Arnaud Brown	Kurupt	5:44
Total length:				71:19

Notes

• "Dogg Pound Gangstaz" features vocals by Snoop Dogg and Big Pimpin
• "Respect" features vocals by Nancy Fletcher, Big Pimpin, and Prince Ital Joe with additional vocals by Dr. Dre
• "New York, New York" features vocals by Snoop Dogg
• "Smooth" features vocals by Val Young, Kevin 'Slow Jammin' James, and Ricky Harris
• "Cyco-Lic-No (Bitch Azz Niggaz)" features vocals by Snoop Dogg
• "Ridin', Slipin' and Slidin" features vocals by Mz. South 'Sentral and background vocals by Kevin 'K.V.' Varnado
• "Big Pimpin 2" features vocals by Big Pimpin and additional vocals by Dr. Dre
• "Let's Play House" features vocals by Nate Dogg and additional vocals by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
• "I Don't Like to Dream About Gettin Paid" features additional vocals by Stacey Smallie and Rochelle Wright
• "If We All Fucc" features vocals by Snoop Dogg
• "Some Bomb Azz Pussy" features vocals by Snoop Dogg, Big C-Style, and Joe Cool
• "A Doggz Day Afternoon" features vocals by Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg

Sample credits

• "Intro" samples "The Shalimar" by The Last Poets
• "Dogg Pound Gangstaz" samples "No Where 2 Hide" by DJ Pooh feat. Threat & Val Young
• "Respect" interpolates "Afro Puffs (extended remix)" by The Lady of Rage feat. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg and "Flash Light" by Parliament
• "New York, New York" samples "You're a Customer" by EPMD, "I Can't Dance" by Genesis and interpolates "New York, New York" by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
• "Smooth" samples "Batterram" by Toddy Tee, "Tha Shiznit" by Snoop Dogg, and interpolates "La Di Da Di" by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick
• "Cyco-Lic-No (Bitch Azz Niggaz)" interpolates "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" by Parliament
• "Big Pimpin' 2" samples "Big Pimpin'" by Tha Dogg Pound
• "I Don't Like to Dream About Gettin' Paid" samples "Love Will Find a Way" by Lionel Richie and interpolates Paid in Full by Eric B. & Rakim

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1995–1996) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)[19] 56 US Billboard 200[20] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position US Billboard 200[22] 154 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[23] 44 Chart (1996) Position US Billboard 200[24] 49 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[25] 16

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[26]	Gold	50,000^
United States (RIAA)[27]	2× Platinum	2,000,000[28]
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• 1995 in music
• List of albums
• List of number-one albums of 1995 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1995 (U.S.)

References

1. "Kurupt Talks Death Row History, Suge Knight, 2Pac, Breaks Down Beefs + More". The Breakfast Club. September 13, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
2. "Tha Dogg Pound | Biography & History". AllMusic.
3. Pareles, Jon (October 31, 1995). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK;Rappers Making Notoriety Pay Off (Published 1995)". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
4. "Tha Dogg Pound". Billboard.
5. "'Dogg Food' Fights To Chart Top". 13 November 1995. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
6. Sidney Madden (October 31, 2016). "Today in Hip-Hop: Tha Dogg Pound Drop 'Dogg Food' Album". XXL. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
7. Chuck Philips (July 11, 1995). "Gangsta Rappers Daz and Kurupt Are Striking Out on Their Own With a Controversial Debut Album, but Will Time Warner and Critics Be Able to . . . : Corral the Dogg Pound?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
8. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Food". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
9. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. pp. 106–107.
10. Hajari, Nisid (November 17, 1995). "Dogg Food". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
11. Coker, Cheo H. (October 29, 1995). "Album Review: Prime Quality 'Dogg Food'". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
12. Ashon, Will (January 1996). "The Dogg Pound: Dogg Pound" (PDF). Muzik. No. 8. p. 100. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
13. "Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Food CD Album". Retrieved August 1, 2016.
14. "Tha Dogg Pound :: Dogg Food :: Death Row/Interscope". www.rapreviews.com.
15. Powers, Ann (February 1996). "Tha Dogg Pound: Dogg Food (Death Row/Interscope)". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 11. pp. 86–87. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
16. Harrington, Richard (November 1, 1995). "DOGG FOOD': MUCH BARK, SAME OLD BITE" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
17. Considine, J. D. (31 October 1995). "Bark is worse than the bite Review: Tha Dogg Pound's new release was expected by some to be the nastiest gangsta rap album ever. But it's surprisingly well done". baltimoresun.com.
18. "Tha Dogg Pound". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
19. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 85.
20. "Tha Dogg Pound Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
21. "Tha Dogg Pound Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
22. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
23. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
24. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
25. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
26. "Canadian album certifications – Tha Dogg Pound – Dogg Food". Music Canada.
27. "American album certifications – Tha Dogg Pound – Dogg Food". Recording Industry Association of America.
28. Adam Sandler (April 1, 1998). "A&M, Kurupt launch hip-hop label Antra". Variety. Retrieved September 23, 2024.

External links

• MusicMatch
• Music Video Database