With the release of his newest album Bush this past week, Snoop Dogg dived into the funk world alongside producer Pharrell, but funk is hardly a new look for the California MC.
Along with help from OGs like Stevie Wonder and Charlie Wilson and MCs like Kendrick Lamar, T.I. and Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg was able to deliver 40 minutes of straight funk, which happens to be the music that influenced his entire career.
The Doggfather has had his fair share of funky moments. He's a vocal fan of George Clinton and a proprietor of the G-funk genre, so in a lot of ways a full-fledged funkathon is a natural progression for Uncle Snoop. Today, we're taking a look into his funkiest moments to see just how he got here.
G-funk
Let's start at the beginning. When G-funk was just getting started, there were a few main players in the game. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were possibly the two most important.
"G Funk (Intro)" featured George Clinton and an undeniably funky sound. Classic tracks like "Who Am I? (Whats My Name?)" sampled FOUR Clinton tracks for that extra depth.
The movement caught on and birthed a whole bunch of great music by the likes of Snoop, Dre, Warren G, Nate Dogg, 2Pac, and more. Most recently, Kendrick Lamar was influenced by the G-funk era on his album To Pimp A Butterfly.
Baby Boy
When Snoop Dogg starred in "Baby Boy" alongside Tyrese Gibson, he played a gangster ex-boyfriend. You'd never know it from this particular scene though, when Snoop lights one up, closes his eyes, and grooves with Bootsy Collins.
The Wash
Another 2001 flick starring Uncle Snoop was "The Wash." Below you can watch our subject gettin' down to some Funkadelic sounds. Of course, he's smokin' on one here too...
"Undercova Funk (Give Up the Funk)" featuring Mr. Kane, Bootsy Collins, Quaze and Fred Wesley
For Eddie Griffin's 2002 movie Undercover Brother, Snoop Dogg gave a facelift to one of funk's all-time classic tracks, Parliament's "Give Up the Funk."
Performing with George Clinton & Bootsy Collins
He sampled them. He bumped them in his movies. He even collaborated with them. In 2005 everything came full circle when Snoop Dogg performed alongside Clinton and Collins in an all-star BET production.
DJ Snoopadelic
With the DJ culture on the rise, Snoop decided to hop behind the decks. The inspiration for his name and the tracks he spins comes right from that stanky music that boosted his whole career: the FUNK.
7 Days of Funk with Dâm-Funk
A couple years ago, Snoop Dogg released an entire funk project with fellow Californian Dâm-Funk. The producer, who has ties with Stones Throw Records, provided a modern take on funk music for Snoop to flow on.
Rolling Stone Interview
If there's any doubt about the funk's role in Snoop Dogg's career, he made things very clear in his recent interview with Rolling Stone. Snoop said, "When hip-hop came about he didn't antagonize. He allowed us to use his music and sample his creativity, and he worked with us...A lot of those artists that were old were disgruntled, and they didn't want the hip-hop artists to use their samples and built up a bad relationship with the hip-hop community."
Snoop also shared his ultimate funk moment with the publication. You can peep that below!
Bush
We can't forget the reason we're making the list, Bush. Snoop's new album channels his funk influence in a new way. Pharrell, who helped out on Daft Punk's funky Random Access Memories album, provided some excellent backdrops for Uncle Snoop to flex on. It's another great addition to a legendary catalogue of music. For a new generation that wants the funk, Snoop Dogg delivers.