Throwback Thursdays: Snoop Doggy Dogg - Gin And Juice (1993)

Am I the only one who thinks of this song every time they hear anyone reference gin? And furthermore, who drinks gin??

In any event, I felt that I had been giving East Coast rappers all the shine on Throwback Thursdays. So, I figured it would only be right to give props to one of the West Coast's legends, Mr. Cordozar Broadus (yes, that's actually his name).

Snoop got his start by being heavily featured on Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" album, which is widely regarded as a hip-hop classic. It was a good look for the Dogg, especially considering that he ethered Dre on most of his own records. Of course, that was followed by Snoop signing with Death Row Records and dropping a classic of his own, "Doggystyle". Classy title. According to the good people at Wikipedia, the album went four times platinum.

While recording the album, Snoop was indicted for his involvement in a gang shootout and murder. He hired Johnnie Cochran, so you already know he beat the charge. He dropped one more album with Death Row before their inevitable breakup. He claimed that Suge Knight was jerkin' him out of his money, seeing as how Suge held ownership to every record Snoop made until his contract expired (think Puff Daddy vs. L.O.X.). He refused to make any more records with Death Row, and then signed with No Limit Records.

After switching labels, he shortened his name from Snoop Doggy Dogg to just Snoop Dogg. I'm still not sure why, but No Limit was pretty popular in the late '90s (HOODY HOO!). Snoop rolled with them for a while and tried the whole rap supergroup thing, which never really works out well. He dropped three different albums under their helm before parting ways with Percy. He then dropped an album in 2002 that featured this gem, which is a song I consider to be among one of the best singles of his career. Them Brazilian chicks in the video weren't half-bad, either.

After he left No Limit is when things started to get a little ridiculous. He put out "Drop It Like It's Hot", which is the first new song I remember hearing my freshman year of college (is that Lauren London in the video? She could get work). This was a good song (or a good beat, at least), but we really started to see Snoop's skills diminish at this point. It was like watching Patrick Ewing limping up and down the court for the Orlando Magic. Or watching Greg Oden as a rookie. Just pathetic.

It seems at this point in his career, he doesn't really expect anyone to take him seriously. Honestly, I think he stopped taking himself seriously. What makes songs like "Gin And Juice" so memorable is that he no longer raps like that anymore. Nobody considers Snoop to be among the best rappers in any category, and he's been in the game for 15 years. It's almost as if he's allowed himself to become a hip-hop caricature, highlighting everything stereotypical and nonsensical within the culture.

You knew it was over for Snoop when he started making videos like this one and starring in "nigga films" such as these. The real icing on the cake, though, came when he decided to make a country song as a tribute to Johnny Cash. If you click no other link in this post, be sure to click that one. You're guaranteed to either laugh out loud or shake your head in shame. Maybe even both.

Suffice it to say, I can no longer in good conscience cosign Snoop Dogg. I think comparing this video to the music he makes today will make it crystal clear how far he's fallen off. R.I.P. to Cordozar's career.

Juries, California & No Homo

I'm convinced. I never want jury duty.

Discussion (and criticism) of the criminal justice system, my thoughts on the passing of Proposition 8, and my public vote to ban "no homo".

Here are the links I promised, by the way. You know I always give my people what they want. Pause.

Buzzer-Beaters, Basketball & The No Fun League

And just like that, the NBA season is upon us.

This Friday edition of RLGL touches on the basketball game shown above, previews the NBA season, and crowns another Bonehead Athlete of the Week. Also, some discussion on the NFL's strange double standards.

Throwback Thursdays: Eminem - My Name Is (1999)

I remember the first time I heard this song. I was probably...well, in 1999, I musta been in the 7th grade. I thought the song was funny, and just assumed that the rapper was making his voice sound funny for comical reasons. Little did I know that he only sounded like that cuz he was white. I had no idea who he was, though, and someone told me his name was Eminem. Naturally, I thought they were talking about M&Ms. It sounds ridiculous now, but it wasn't that far-fetched at the time, considering that those little bastards were putting out commercials every other week.

Turns out Mr. Mathers was much more than just a goofball. Truth be told, he was probably one of the best lyricists of the past 10 years. He's most likely in the top 5 of anyone's list of rappers from the past decade. His delivery is impeccable, and the way he puts words together is pretty amazing. I think what makes him stand out is the way he seemingly pays attention to every single syllable in every single word. Sometimes, he even manages to match words that don't even rhyme.

I believe that his decision to introduce himself to hip-hop as a clown was a wise one. Let's be completely honest with ourselves; had he come out with some real records, he would have been ridiculed simply because he's white. No one would have ever taken him seriously, and we'd all be comparing him to this guy. By making fun of himself before we got a chance to do it, he entered a "safe" zone within the hip-hop community. That allowed him to make more serious records in the future.

Now, I could post link after link after link of gems from Eminem, but the one song of his that stands out the most to me is this one. In my humble opinion, it's his best song. I think what sets it apart is not only the usual lyricism, but the fact that he was willing to just say how he felt without sugarcoating it. He exposed himself, and allowed the fans to take a glimpse into his mind. It was something that you didn't see very often at the time, and you barely see it that much today, either.

After putting out a movie that was based loosely on his life, Eminem dropped "Encore" in 2004, which was easily his worst album to date. That weed plate was a complete bust, and people began to question whether or not he lost his skill. He then released a plethora of songs about his daughter Hailie before supposedly disappearing off the face of the earth. Since '04, he's been chillin' at home, taking care of his kids and getting fat. Then, out of nowhere, rumors started to swirl around that he would be releasing an album called "Relapse" either late this year or early in 2009. He even dropped a freestyle to prove that he still got it. Hopefully this album actually comes out, unlike "Detox", which was supposed to have come out each of the last six years. We'd love to see you come back, Marshall.

Barack, Black Folks & The Slope

The 44th President of the United States of America is a black man. I just know Dr. King is somewhere smiling right now.