As a 25-year veteran in the Hip Hop game (wow, time flies doesn’t it?), Snoop Dogg knows about all sorts of extreme highs and lows when it comes to his music. Despite being one of the few legacy rappers who is able to collect revenue from other areas of the entertainment world, he still consistently puts out albums that sonically remain true to self.
Case in point, his Summer 2016 release, Coolaid. On his fourteenth studio album, Snoop, 45, spliced G-funk and trap hybrids from the likes of Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz, Cardo and Timbaland, among others, while still being pimped out as ever. The album garnered him high marks across the board and even earned prime placement amongst HipHopDX’s Most Slept On Albums of 2016.
“See man, that’s why I be hating,” Snoop relays to HipHopDX during a roundtable discussion for an upcoming campaign with Tanqueray Gin — gracious for the salute, but still expressing frustration with being overlooked. “I hate when I do good work [like Coolaid] and it goes … and then when I do work that’s so-so, they like to promote it and push it and I don’t be feeling good about that. But at the same time, I do feel appreciated that y’all recognize game.”
When asked about the generational divide that’s currently a hot button topic, Snoop attributed it to be an issue, but only in terms of seeing the big picture of the culture.
“I think it was so much repetition in records when my record came out, that everything sounded the same and this was a record that didn’t sound that same so it was not in the same vein,” he says. “So lot of DJs wouldn’t take that chance and say, ‘Well, I’ma play this Snoop Dogg record because I know it’s dope and it’s fly.’ [They would say,] ‘I can’t play it because it don’t go with everything in the club that’s doing this [*dabs and cooks*] and the same rap styles.’ It’s not doing that. Snoop’s shit is here and there, but a real DJ would know how to move and groove. Not saying these youngstas aren’t real DJs, but I’m watching. And when you come from the origins of Hip Hop, you respect the foundation and the foundation is dope. It feels good.”
Listen Again: Stream the album here.
Coolaid debuted at an uncharacteristically low No. 40 on the Billboard 200, but according to Snoop, it was just a minor setback, for he’s putting together a bigger package together.
“I have a movie coming out for Coolaid,” he says. “I thought that record was dope, it was fly. I thought it was mishandled by the record label [eOne]. So what I did was put a movie together to help you better understand where I was coming from. That should be out in March to support the record.”
Last year, his Doggystyle artist, Jooba Loc put out a similar album/movie mashup in Only Way Out, which captivated all who saw it. Snoop also expressed elation on the developments of his other artist, October London, who is currently in the studio working on new music.
Radio dj’s don’t even control what’s played anymore
Lol nah. Djs will still play classic snoop. Snoop has only one amazing album. The rest I could live without. Coolaid was okay. Nobody really wants new snoop music. We got bored after you went southern style, then said you were the reincarnated bob Marley, called yourself snoop lion, worked on Nickelodeon, then expected to come back and make a hot gangster rap album lol. It’s just soo corny. Snoop used to seem gangster. Stop acting…
What is the one album you are referring to?
Doggustyle of course! Dogg father, and blue carpet treatment, and even doggimentary aren’t bad, but notnamazing albums. It’s sad when your a dr dre protege and only have one amazing album.
You have to pay the DJ’s to get your record played. Why you think the same wack songs come on over and over. They pay for play.
Snoop at one point was in my top five. Once he signed to master p. He fell out my music rotation. The Last Meal was a good album tho I never listened to Coolaid, guys I’ll check it out.
This nigga Snoop had 2Pac killed that’s why he ran to the South and hid.
Suge! How the hell did you gain access to the interwebs in the bing?
The album was pure trash.
This site has become Zionist garbage, however thank you for at least being the only one to actually proofread your articles.
Ignorant. Go learn what Zionism is before saying stupid shit like that.
People wanna try to bash something, and then they come out like dumb retarted assholes
Dear Snoop, DJ’s only play your old stuff because your new stuff is GARBAGE. Which 45 year old man rhymes about being in a gang and smoking weed and beig a pimp. Retire old man and focus on your family!
I loved the Cool-Aid Album but I thought he released the wrong singles. I thought Sidepiece , Top Down , ooo na na…… I alo thought Snoop needs to stay away from the overly Gangsta shhh. Noone believes that. your Uncle snoop now. We love the fun Snoop, Smoke mello player Snoop. also please no more Jazze pha …umm played out washed up. Where is the young dope cats off the West that fit your brand or anywhere. Dom Kennedy . Problem, Schoolboy Q , Yg , Nipsey also no more just blaze. what about soulful cats like the Soul Council 9th wonder, plus Dj quik, Terrace martin, cat from Tde soundwave . also raphael Saadiq… soulful and playa shhh… we want the Rhythm and Gansta Snoop… fresh pair of panties , ups and downs, the joint with Bootsy……also find some new fresh singers to collab with
U are spot on bro. He needs to bring an album with DJ Quik for life. Coolaid had joints on it, like all Snoop albums if you enjoy the Dogg.
Snoop makes a great point, of course he is biased for his own records to be played but lets not miss the point. I live in Atlanta and no matter how hot a record is in the streets they will only play top 40 hits made from outside GA. They will play an entire Gucci, Migos, 2chains.. Jeezy.. Thugger album the day it comes out.
But if kendrick, Cole, Sean, Wale, Wiz, ASAp, Curren$y, Krit, Meek, Travis, Dirk, Nipsy….. has a hot record in the streets in every other city you will not hear it in the club here. And it seems that all the DJs are following Atlanta so we’re fk’d!
Case in point: Fabolous dropped summer 16 mix which was well recieved and pretty much fire.. Real One feat Jazzy is a certified hit. A song any guy would love to come on right after he gets chica to put that ass on him. But you will NEVER hear that RECORD EVER come on in the club. Instead this fool ass DJ would rather reach all the way back and throw on “In the Club -50” as some bs salute to NY. FOH
Bad music old ass play lists.. its amazing. I haven’t went out in damn near a year and stopped thru for a homies birthday last mo and the playlist was the same shit they were playing 2-3 yrs ago with a few new migos joints sprinkled in
I’ve been saying for years that one of the main reasons ATL clubs are falling off is because of the DJ’s. No matter how ignorant your crowd is, no one can catch a vibe to that garbage all night long. It’s crazy because I’ve been going to these spots for 10+ years watching REAL DJ’s sell out. Only club poppin in ATL these days is MJQ on faceoff Friday. Otherwise you have to go to a 30 and up spot. It’s crazy watching pretty women tryna dance like they tough.