Tha Doggfather

1996年にリリースされたSnoop Doggy Doggのセカンド・アルバム。ビルボード200で1位を獲得し、アメリカでダブル・プラチナム認定。

Snoop Dogg(旧名「Snoop Doggy Dogg」)は、ヒップホップ界で最も不朽の名声を博し、多才なアーティストの一人として、ラップ、ポップ・カルチャー、映画、エンドースメントなど、多岐にわたるキャリアを誇る。『Tha Doggfather』は、Snoopの過渡期を象徴する作品だ。彼がキャリアの新たな段階へと進む前の、Death Row時代の最後の傑作アルバムです。アルバムのタイトル/コンセプト、そしてアートワークは、マフィア/ギャングスターの美学(『The Godfather』にインスパイアされたもの)を想起させ、ストリートカルチャーや大衆メディアに共鳴する時代を超えたテーマの枠組みを巧みに捉えている。アルバムは1996年11月12日にリリース。ビルボード200で1位を獲得し、アメリカでダブル・プラチナム認定。

A lot happened to Snoop Doggy Dogg between his debut, Doggystyle, and his second album, Tha Doggfather. During those three years, he became the most notorious figure in hip-hop through a much-publicized murder trial, where he was found not guilty, and he also became a father. Musically, the most important thing to happen to Snoop was the parting of ways between his mentor Dr. Dre and his record label, Death Row. Dre's departure from Death Row meant that Snoop had to handle the production duties on Tha Doggfather himself, and the differences between the two records are immediately apparent. Though it works the same G-funk territory, the bass is less elastic and there is considerably less sonic detail. In essence, all of the music on Tha Doggfather reworks the funk and soul of the late '70s and early '80s, without updating it too much -- there's not that much difference between "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" and "Oops Up Side Your Head," for instance. Though the music isn't original, and the lyrics break no new territory, the execution is strong -- Snoop's rapping and rhyming continue to improve, while the bass-heavy funk is often intoxicating. At over 70 minutes, Tha Doggfather runs too long to not have several filler tracks, but if you ignore those cuts, the album is a fine follow-up to one of the most successful hip-hop albums in history. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine