Tha Doggfather

Tha Doggfather
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 12, 1996
RecordedFebruary–August 1996
Studio
Genre
Length74:13
Label
Producer
Snoop Doggy Dogg chronology
Doggystyle
(1993)
Tha Doggfather
(1996)
Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told
(1998)
Singles from Tha Doggfather
  1. "Snoop's Upside Ya Head"
    Released: September 14, 1996
  2. "Vapors"
    Released: January 18, 1997
  3. "Doggfather"
    Released: April 8, 1997

Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album Doggystyle (1993), Snoop was arrested and charged with murder and in 1995, spent time preparing for the case that went to trial. On February 20, 1996, he was cleared of all charges[1] and began working on his second album without Dr. Dre providing work as a record producer. This was Snoop's final album on Death Row until 2022, when he acquired the rights to the Death Row trademarks from MNRK Music Group, releasing BODR the same year. This would also be his last album under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg before it was shortened to Snoop Dogg. Recording sessions took place from February 1996 to October 1996, with Suge Knight as the executive producer on the album, alongside the additional production from several record producers such as DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly and L.T. Hutton; as well as guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Kurupt, Tray Dee and Warren G, among others.

The album debuted at number one during the week of November 12, 1996, selling 479,000 copies, but it failed to match the commercial success of Doggystyle.[2] Dr. Dre had left Death Row to his partner Suge Knight, who was indicted for racketeering by the end of 1996. Tha Doggfather was also released only one week after another Death Row release, which was the first posthumous album by Tupac, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which also debuted at number one. Consequently, Snoop's second album stalled at sales of two million copies.

The album name and cover is inspired by the 1972 film The Godfather.

  1. ^ Tina Daunt (February 21, 1996). "Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg Is Acquitted of Murder". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  2. ^ "Billboard magazine - August 22, 1998". Billboard. August 22, 1998. Retrieved June 20, 2016.