Presents Welcome To Tha Chuuch: Tha Album [PA]

Performer: Snoop Dogg
Engineer: Dave Aron; Sam Lobue II; Nate Oberman; Kacey Phillips; Shon Don; Brian Warfield
Producer: Larrance Dopson; Kacey Phillips; Shon Dornae Brooks; L.T. Hutton; Soopafly; Battle Cat; Mira Mira
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Personnel: Kurupt (vocals); Marlon Williams (guitar); Chookie (keyboards). Audio Mixers: Larrance Dopson; Dave Aron; Sam Lobue II; Nate Oberman; Kacey Phillips; Shon Don; Battlecat; Brian Warfield; Lamar Edwards; Mira Mira. Koch Records took the opportunity to break some tracks from Snoop Dogg's WELCOME TO THE CHURCH mixtape series, which had been making the rounds in the West Coast underground for some time before this 2005 album's release. Members of Snoop's Doggystyle crew are featured across the collection's 13 cuts, with new voices like Tiffany Foxx, James, and Lady of Rage appearing alongside Daz, Nate Dogg, and the main Dogg himself. Though WELCOME TO THE CHURCH lacks the edge of much of Snoop's best material, there is an appealing, blissed-out feel to the mix. The laid-back R&B flavor and the ubiquitous hip-hop party themes (namely, getting stoned and sexed-up) contribute to the vibe as well. This is a good bet for die-hard Snoop devotees (he makes several cameos throughout) and a testament to the longevity of the g-funk sound. A collection of tracks from Snoop's Welcome to tha Chuuch mixtape series, Koch's Welcome to tha Chuuch: Da Album gives these tracks their first aboveground exposure. There's a bunch of worthy newcomers, plus veterans of the West Coast like Daz, Kurupt, and Lady of Rage, but there's very little of Snoop himself and definitely less than was found on the original mixtapes. Still, the tracks retain their street feel and there's plenty of heat, even if the album as a whole is poorly sequenced with shabby packaging. The West Coast faithful and Snoop fanatics who don't have access to the shady world of mixtapes should check it if only for the raw feel, but everyone else can pass. ~ David Jeffries

Snoop Doggy Dogg ensured his place in rap history by providing the perfect vocal complement to Dr. Dre's mellow, ominous, West Coast G-funk sound. His distinctively lazy singsong and soft-spoken drawl was first heard on Dre's title cut from the DEEP COVER soundtrack in 1991. Snoop's appearances on Dre's solo album THE CHRONIC shortly thereafter propelled him to almost overnight stardom, and his albums DOGGYSTYLE and the DOGGFATHER both hit the top of the charts. Despite a much-publicized murder trial, and a falling out with Death Row Record's CEO Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg ascended to the highest echelon of rap royalty, and through shrewd marketing, brilliant collaborations, and his smooth pimp persona, he has kept his crown well into the 21st century.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25