What's good cats?! I'm back with another label salute list that I'm sure will create more talk and will generate water cooler conversations much like the last few have. This salute goes to a rather infamous label that was more known for its controversial in-house practices than music, but the music they did come out with helped define the nineties, and put gangsta rap to iconic levels. It made stars such as Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, made Dr. Dre a legend, and made 2Pac an official icon in music. Like it or not, this label took the fire away from the previously dominant east coast for a while and made the east completely step their entire game up. This is Deathrow Records. With that, let's go!
10. Lady Of Rage- Necessary Roughness
Virginia's own Lady Of Rage made serious noise with her hit from the incredible soundtrack of Above The Rim (see later) "Afro Puffs", buzz was heavy about a debut album from this very lyrically sincere emcee. Speculation was put to rest when she delivered her debut album, Necessary Roughness. With no Dr. Dre influence, this album was one of the hardest albums of 2007. Heavy east coast influenced, Rage thoroughly let loose on cuts like the title track, "Some Shit", and "Super Supreme", and even fit in a dis cut towards Foxy Brown on the cut "The Set Up". Definitely one of the more sleeper albums not just from the label, but in all of the game during that time period.
9. Various Artists- Gang Related OST
If there was one thing Deathrow was known for and it's delivering tremendous soundtracks. The first on the list is the soundtrack to 2Pac's movie, Gang Related. Dropped in the latter stages of success for Deathrow, this was one of the last true bangers of the label. This double album was filled with heat from Deathrow artists and a few posthumous cuts from Pac. Standouts were a plenty and sold two to three times platinum units. Cuts like the G'd out "Way Too Major" and the ominous "Staring Through My Rearview" were classic Deathrow-laced cuts and proved to be a big album and a big soundtrack during this time.
8. Tha Dogg Pound- Dogg Food
The first time we heard Daz & Kurupt was on Dre's iconic debut The Chronic (see later), then again on Snoop's just as legendary debut Doggystyle (again, see later). It was only a matter of time before we had something from these two cats, and it was definitely worth the wait. Released during the heart of the now-infamous "East Coast/West Coast" war that ultimately claimed the lives of Pac and Biggie, they were going after the east with cuts like "New York, New York" but were also serving out G-funk and that ever apparent gangsta shit with dope cuts like "Smooth", "Reality", and the playful first single "Let's Play House". This album was one of the more successful album to appear from the camp and officially put Daz and Kurupt on the map, especially with over three million units sold.
7. Makaveli- Don Kiluminati: The 7-Day Theory
The first posthumous album from 2Pac was a monster. Going beyond the east coast/west coast war, 2Pac (at this time known by his alias Makaveli) went IN on enemies such as Biggie, De La Soul, Nas, and Jay-Z on this album. Deeper than that, this was the most vicious and venomous album in his entire collection. While capitalizing off the mega success of All Eyez On Me (see later), this album was released just after his unfortunate death. What resulted was incredible cuts like "Toss It Up" (which included a Dr. Dre dis), arguably the biggest single of his career "Hail Mary" ( beyond "California Love"), and the RAW "Bomb First". A highly influential album to this day, this stands as one of the single best Shakur album ever recorded.
6. Various Artists- Murder Was The Case OST
Another soundtrack that hit hip-hop hard was the soundtrack for the short film of Snoop's cut on Doggystyle, Murder Was The Case. Released during his first-degree murder trial, this album was not a good look in that regard, but as an album as a whole, this album was one on the strongest soundtracks during that era. With little to no flaws, tremendous performances from the likes of Snoop, Tha Dogg Pound, and DJ Quik really highlighted the soundtrack. The biggest highlight was the reunion on wax between Dre and former NWA brother Ice Cube for the thrilling and vicious "Natural Born Killaz". Fantastic soundtrack and overall VERY dope album.
5. Daz Dillinger- Retaliation, Revenge, and Getback
Arguably, the last critically acclaimed album from the label was Daz's solo album, Retaliation, Revenge, and Getback. After the release of Kurt's debut, Kuruption, Daz delivered a classic Deathrow album with some of the best production from Daz ever heard. He had been heard on albums from Tha Dogg Pound, the aforementioned Murder Was The Case soundtrack, and Above The Rim soundtrack, Daz delivered a serious album filled with incredible hits that brought you back into he early to mid-nineties when the label was basically running hip-hop. From the ode to baby mama beef "Baby Mama Drama" to the raunchy Too Short-assisted "It Might Sound Crazy", this album is considered one of the best albums of the gangsta rap genre, and can still pull its weight against today's standards.
4. Various Artists- Above The Rim OST
If there was a seminal soundtrack to be released during the early nineties, the award would have to go to Above The Rim. Naturally a great movie needs an equally potent soundtrack, and this was a marvelous combination. We're all familiar with the smashes of SWV's "Anything", Warren G and the late Nate Dogg's "Regulate", and H-Town's "Part Time Lover", but other incredible cuts like Thug Life's "Pour Out a Little Liquor", "Sweet Sable's "Old Time Sake", Rage's "Afro Puffs", and Tha Dogg Pound's delightful "Big Pimpin" made this soundtrack one of the hottest of tis time and one of the most acclaimed soundtracks ever. This album was the official exclamation point to those that thought the albums from Dre and Snoop were as far as the label would go. Boy were those critics wrong.
3. 2Pac- All Eyez On Me
Already seen as one of hip-hop's most fiery and important emcees up to '96, 2Pac became a part of the Deathrow family after his prison stint and shortly afterwards released his label debut, All Eyez On Me. With one of hip-hop's all-time best west coast anthems "California Love" killing things, the anticipation was apex for this album, and what resulted was the most commercially successful album of his career. While just short of the deeply personal classic Me Against The World and the angst-ridden Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., this album was more or less a party. This was an album that had him being free to live and free to shine as an artists and as a man. There were hits galore on this double album and had he lived to see the full results of this album, he would be the happiest man walking at this time.
2. Snoop Doggy Dogg- Doggystyle
Clearly the star on Dre's iconic Chronic album, a young Long Beach emcee named Snoop Doggy Dogg was seen as the next big thing in hip-hop around '93. Easily the most anticipated debut of everyone at this time period (including a young NY upstart named Nas), he delivered his MUCH awaited Doggystyle album, and the results were everything we thought they would be and then some. With the breakout success of "Gin & Juice" and other massive cuts like "What's My Name", "Doggy Dogg World" and the classic "Tha Shiznit", there was absolutely no stopping this seminal album. One of the strongest debuts of all-time, many have argued that this album is even stronger than The Chronic. Regardless of what side of the fence you're on with that, what's undeniable is the impact this album made on his career and on the game as a whole. Still his best album, Snoop's rise to legendary status started with this legendary album.
1. Dr. Dre- The Chronic
THE album that put Deathrow in the worldwide spotlight. Clearly one of the greatest albums, not just in gangsta rap, but in all of hip-hop's history, this album was subsequently the greatest debut album to ever emerge from the west. While many would argue that the title of the west's greatest debut album would belong to Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, there's no denying the cultural and musical impact this album has made along the years. Artists like The Game, YG, and ScHoolboy Q have referred to this album as one of the albums that got them started in the first place. Absolutely no shortage of touted hits on here, it marked the start of the gangsta rap genre and became the album by which Dre would be measured. Still among the top ten albums in hip-hop history, Dr. Dre became an icon with just this one album.
As you can see, while there weren't a lot of notable Deathrow albums, the ones that got released were substantial and quite influential. It brought gangsta rap to the forefront and on a worldwide level. While ever controversial and newsworthy for some of their in-house ways, there's no denying the impact Deathrow Records had on hip-hop and on popular music. Over thirty million records sold is a testament to the strength of the label. Until next time folks, I'm out.
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