Murder Was the Case Soundtrack (Death Row, 1994) by various

I remember I bought this album on my 8th grade East Coast trip in the summer of 2001.  Blink-182 had released a new LP too (props to them as well), and while many of my classmates purchased that, I rushed to the rap section and found this older release.  "Murder Was the Case" is one of Snoop's best songs ever, and the remix does it justice.  The biggest deal of the release though is "Natural Born Killaz"- a great reunion of Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.  Other noteworthy tracks are Nate Dogg's "One More Day" and Jodeci's "Come Up to My Room."  I remember on the last night of the trip, I listened to the album non-stop and burned through an entire set of batteries on my portable CD player.  Good times.

Deep Cover Soundtrack (Solar, 1992) by various

This soundtrack is a classic for the title track alone.  The song is genius for so many reasons.  The beat is great, and the rhymes are solid.  Additionally, Dr. Dre, on of the best producers ever, used his first solo track to introduce a new artist-how brilliant is that?  And last but not least, that new artist was Snoop Doggy Dogg.  The song led to bigger things like The Chronic and Doggystyle.  But it would be wrong to not acknowledge where one of the greatest duos in Hip-Hop history began.

Tha Last Meal (No Limit, 2000) by Snoop Dogg

This album will be remembered as the best album in No Limit's catalog.  As Snoop's last release on Master P's southern label, the material has a decidedly more West coast feel.  After years of searching for his identity as an artist post Doggystyle.  Tha Doggfather recognizes his niche on this album with heavy bass lines and funk.  The epitome of this album is the classic single, "Lay Low," wherein atop a Dr. Dre beat with a Nate Dogg hook, Snoop, Tha Eastsidaz and Master P trade bars- all rapping about what they rap about best.  This album was all about Snoop being his own man and declaring his independence.  Mission accomplished.  He was already a superstar, but his career achievements since have undoubtedly made him one of the most charismatic and recognizable figures in all of hip hop history.

Doggystyle (Death Row, 1993) by Snoop Dogg

This is one of my all-time favorite albums.  In my opinion, it is superior to The Chronic [but that is and always will be a masterpiece of an album that forever changed hip hop and music production].  Dre's trademark flawless G-funk sound is still here, but the lyrics aren't as blatantly aggressive.  Not to say the "parental advisory" sticker isn't warranted, but repeating Snoop's name for a chorus will probably hold up better than "Bitches ain't shit" for one.  Also, as far as rapping flow, Snoop is better than Dre.  It is the perfect party album.  It has gangsta swagger with pop sensibilities.  Snoop's laid back delivery is a great match for Dre's beats; they complement each other well.  "Bitch Please," "Still D.R.E." and "The Next Episode" are all fantastic, but the two of them haven't sounded this good together since.

Snoop Dogg Presents Tha Eastsidaz (Dogghouse, 2000) by Tha Eastsidaz

Snoop's first foray into breaking new talent turned out to be pretty good.  In 2000, while Dre was still riding off the success of 2001 and Snoop was experiencing a return to critical acclaim with Top Dogg, the time was prime for new talent from the west to emerge.  There's ample filler here, but the single "G'd Up" was one of the best west coast rap records to come out in years.  It's why DJ Battlecat's name should be up there with Dre and Quik.  Xzibit steals the show on "The Big Bang Theory" and "Take it Back to '85" seemingly captures that era perfectly.  Tray Deee and Goldie Loc are good rappers, but Snoop, in addition to the album's heavy guest load, make it difficult for the two of them to stand out on the 22-cut album.  Nevertheless, the album sold a million and Tha Eastsidaz became stars in the midst of a west coast revival.

Unpredictable (No Limit, 1997) by Mystikal

Other than Snoop Dogg and Mac, Mystikal is the only emcee out of the No Limit camp whose records had technical merit and didn't just move units as a result of the seemingly invincible No Limit movement that Master P ushered in during the late 90s.  The opening cut, 'Born 2 Be a Soldier," gives Mystikal a proper introduction to the No Limit army and then Mystikal drops a solid collection of songs with few guest emcees. Even if one of the album's highlights is "Here We Go" with B-Legit, E-40 and Master P, there is no denying Mystikal's talent on solo cuts such as "Unpredictable" and a song he recorded about his deceased older sister called "Shine."

Tha Doggfather (Death Row, 1996) by Snoop Dogg

Dr. Dre's absence on Snoop's sophomore album is very apparent.  However, the album still has a few very strong points.  Just like his cover of old school hip-hop on Doggystyle with "Lodi Dodi", the homage continues on Tha Doggfather with "Vapors".  "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" is a great party record, as well as "Groupie".  The latter is good, but is clearly a "Ain't No Fun" part 2.  Lyrically, Snoop is very much a party MC.  Yet, at the end of the second verse on the title track, he addresses the situation that probably delayed the album and could've forever changed Snoop's life and West coast rap had the outcome been different: "You know I ain't tryin' ta floss/But uh, (Murder, murder, murder) was the case that they lost/I'm Tha DoggFather."

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (Geffen, 2006) by Snoop Dogg

This is Snoop's best album since Tha Last Meal.  The opening song, "Think About It", even finds his fluid flow in top form like he was on Doggystyle classics like "Tha Shiznit" and "Gz and Hustlaz."  "Vato" with B-Real was good, but it didn't take off like it should have.  "I Wanna Fuck You" with Akon was an excellent single and the Nottz-produced "That's That Shit" featuring R. Kelly was a perfect choice to keep the momentum going.  For the most part, Dr. Dre's contributions to the project are solid.  However, with the popularity of "Stan", I thought it was very daring to sample Dido's "Thank You" for "Round Here."  The album's best song "Imagine" features Dr. Dre behind the boards and on the mic and is an interesting track which imagines where people would be if hip hop did not exist.  There is some material on this release that could've been left on the cutting room floor, but it's Snoop doing what he does best and that's always something to raise a glass of gin and juice to.

No Limit Top Dogg (No Limit, 1999) by Snoop Dogg

Mystikal and Snoop were the only two No Limit soldiers whose albums didn't sound they were recorded factory-line style.  Even Da Game is to be Sold Not Told sounded a little unique (i.e. the "Gangsta Gangsta" cover "DP Gangsta").  However, Top Dogg made up for Da Game and then some.  Not only did Snoop reunite with Dre and bring Xzibit to the mainstream with "Bitch Please", but he also crafted stellar songs with Raphael Saddiq ("Somethin' Bout Yo Bidness") and Sticky Fingaz ("Buck 'Em").  And "Don't Tell", a DJ Quik-produced track featuring Mauseberg, Warren G and Nate Dogg, is so good that the music held my attention even more than the visuals of the XXX-rated hip hop themed film that it was featured in.

All Eyez on Me (Death Row, 1996) by 2Pac

The amazing thing about this album is how quickly it was recorded (just over two weeks).  I believe this 2-disc set is a wonderful testament to Pac's amazing work ethic and his ability to rapidly put together quality material.  Although, there is some filler.  From a production perspective, it is some of the best music Pac has ever rhymed over.  Me Against the World was the first time that 2Pac had tracks intense enough to compete with his subject matter, but All Eyez on Me was able to match his attitude at the time as well.  "Ambitionz Az a Ridah", "Can't C Me", and "How Do U Want It" are all incredible.  "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" was masterful timing and I think it's great that Snoop still performs that song so many years later (that hologram was cool at Coachella too).  My favorite song, however, is "Life Goes On".  It is, in my opinion, one of Tupac's most emotional songs (props to "Unconditional Love" as well) and one of my all-time favorite records.

The Chronic (Death Row, 1992) by Dr. Dre

There is nothing I can say about this album that has not already been said.  It is a masterpiece.  Snoop Dogg's laid-back flow is a perfect match for the melodic production.  I have never heard dirty music sound so clean.  And as a result of Dr. Dre's innovative board work, hardcore hip-hop is able to cross over to Top 40.  Put simply, The Chronic changed popular music and its influence only continues to increase over time.  Now if only I could get away with pulling a beautiful woman's bikini top off while "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" plays in the background (just kidding).