Tha Dogg Pound's 'Dogg Food'; Classic!, Dope, Regular, or Garbage?

When Suge Knight made bail and essentially signed 2Pac to Death Row, the whole label shifted their attention to Pac. The results: All Eyez On Me. The only negative take away is the attention shifted from Dogg Food, Tha Dogg Pound’s album. Let’s chop it up!

Dogg Food was released in October 1995. “Let’s Play House,” the album’s first single, was a fun cut. It also served as the reintroduction to Michel’le.

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The track created a spark. However, “New York, New York,” the album’s second single, caused a wild fire so severe Smokey The Bear got nervous.

East Coast rappers took the track as a diss due to the title and the reuse of the beat The Notorious B.I.G. rapped over on his St. Ides commercial. Dogg Pound insisted they were showing love. Nevertheless, it contributed to the East Coast/West Coast beef.

But the dope tracks didn’t stop at the singles. “Ridin’, Slipin’ and Slidin’,” Big Pimpin 2,” and “Some Bomb Azz Pussy,” among others, were tracks I found myself leaving on repeat.

Perhaps, “I Don’t Like To Dream About Gettin’ Paid,” the story of Daz’s rise and fall as a Long Beach drug dealer, is my favorite joint from the album. Partially, because it samples my fellow Alabamian Lionel Richie’s “Love Will Find a Way.” The other reason is my admiration for storytelling, which I thought Daz did an exceptional job.

Daz provided majority of the album’s production.

Dogg Food atop the Billboard 200 chart and went 2x platinum. However, I think the album would have did better had all of the attention not shifted towards Pac.