In a recent chat on the R&B Money Podcast, Snoop Dogg opened up about 2Pac’s lasting influence on him and Death Row Records’ culture.
Around the one hour and 56 minute mark, Snoop shared how Pac pushed him to upgrade his appearance.
“When 2Pac come to Death Row [Records], he like, ‘Na, you gotta step your fly up. Na, you gotta get your hair done, your nails did, na, like the players in the Bay, na,'” Snoop recalled. “When we did the ‘[2 Of] Amerikaz Most Wanted’ video, he specifically said, ‘Na, lay your shit down … I ain’t got no hair, na.'”
Snoop noted that 2Pac, who died at 25 in a 1996 drive-by shooting, brought a new level of star power and professionalism that changed Death Row’s entire approach.
Snoop Dogg shared his insights on 2Pac’s star quality during the R&B Money Podcast.
“He was way ahead of us. We was just artists, he was a superstar, you see what I’m saying? That’s just the truth. He probably wasn’t a big ass superstar, but he was a superstar as far as knowing and understanding what it takes to be a star,” said Snoop.
“He had been in movies. He had been on sets and he knew that Death Row was big, but it was certain things that we was doing that he helped us get great at. Like spontaneous, making music and putting shit out and just—he taught us that.”
Snoop explained how Pac revolutionized their studio approach: “He gave us a different spirit on working. Like, studio time became valuable when he was there. Before it was just like n*s in there nine hours. Now it’s like, ‘That na ‘Pac coming up here looking to work. Whoever in their bullshit gotta get out,'” he said. “Or either he got a studio locked up for 12 hours and Snoop got one locked up for 12 hours. So it’s gotta be, ‘What y’all making while y’all in here?'”
Now heading Death Row Records since 2022, Snoop carries on Pac’s work ethic: “As I move with Death Row now, his spirit is all in me. Like that’s how I move. I don’t wait. I used to wait.”
He added that Pac taught them to keep creating instead of overanalyzing: “With Tupac, na, we on song 16 right now. For real,” Snoop said. “While you n*s is listening to songs, he said the engineer’s job is to listen to it, ‘That ain’t my job.’ Makes sense, right? [The] Engineer’s job is to straighten all this shit out, like, we falling in love with the record. ‘What we doing? Get to the next one.’ The next may be better than that one.”
