By The Numbers: Snoop Dogg’s First Six Platinum Solo Albums

Before Snoop Lion was making reggae songs and Snoopzilla was exploring the funk, Snoop Doggy Dogg was credited as a pioneer in trademarking the West Coast’s G-Funk sound in the 1990s. At the time, the rapper dropped the blueprint for a perfect debut album with Doggystyle in 1993, rivaling Nas’s Illmatic introduction the next year. Aside from releasing six platinum albums during his first decade, Snoop definitely Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$ by overcoming numerous controversies, including being criticized by Congress as a scapegoat for his role in Gangsta rap, defeating a manslaughter trial that lasted two years, beefing with Suge Knight and 2pac, and joining Master P’s No Limit Soldiers at the height of their success.

XXL has compiled a guide to the first decade of Snoop Dogg's historic career—finishing out our series on the four rappers who have started their career with six platinum solo albums in a decade—analyzing Tha Doggfather’s growth from a gangsta to a pimp, a drug dealer to a family man, an accused murderer to an award-winning pornograpahy director, and much more. —Christian Bonoan

Previously: Breaking Down Kanye West’s Six Platinum Solo Albums
Analyzing Jay Z’s First Eight Platinum Solo Albums
By The Numbers: Nas’ First Six Platinum Albums

Album: Doggystyle
Release Date: November 23, 1993
First Week Sales: 802,858
Platinum Certification Date: January 11, 1994
Major Singles (Billboard Hot 100 peak): “What’s My Name” (8); “Gin and Juice” (8); "Doggy Dogg World" (N/A)
Album Producers: Dr. Dre, Suge Knight
Biggest Rap Album Competitor:  Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers); A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders; 2Pac, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
Memorable Remixes/Feature Verses: Tha Dogg Pound, "What Would You Do" featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg and Jewel; Tha Dogg Pound, "New York, New York"
Top News Headlines: Snoop Doggy Dogg Makes His Debut On “Deep Cover,” “Nothin but a ‘G’ Thang,” and Dr Dre’s The Chronic
Snoop And Dre Cover Rolling Stone
McKinley Lee and Snoop Dogg Are Charged With Murder
Snoop Releases “Murder Was the Case” Based On His Real Life Legal Troubles

Album: Tha Doggfather
Release Date: November 12, 1996
First Week Sales: 478,971
Platinum Certification Date: February 4, 1997
Major Singles (Billboard Hot 100 peak): "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" (N/A); "Vapors" (N/A); "Doggfather" (N/A)
Album Producers: Suge Knight, DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly, LT Hutton, Sam Sneed, Arkim & Flair
Biggest Rap Album Competitor:  The Notorious B.I.G., Life After Death; 2pac, All Eyez On Me; Nas, It Was Written
Memorable Remixes/Feature Verses: 2Pac, "2 Of Americaz Most Wanted"
Top News Headlines: Snoop Dogg Is Criticized In Front Of Congress As The One Of The Main Faces In Gangsta Rap Culture
Grand Jury Acquits Snoop On Murder Charge
Snoop Marries His High School Sweetheart Shanté

Album: Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told
Release Date: August 4, 1998
First Week Sales: 802,858
Platinum Certification Date: October 22, 1998
Major Singles (Billboard Hot 100 peak): "Slow Down" (41); "Still a G Thang" (19); "Woof!" (62)
Album Producers: Master P, Beats By the Pound, DJ Pooh, DJ Darryl, Meech Wells, Soopafly
Biggest Rap Album Competitor:  Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; Jay Z, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life; Juvenile, 400 Degreez
Memorable Remixes/Feature Verses: Keith Sweat, "Come And Get It With Me"
Top News Headlines: Snoop Leaves Death Row For Master P’s No Limit Records
Snoop Makes His Hollywood Debut In Half-Baked
Snoop Doggy Dogg Officially Shortens His Name To Snoop Dogg

Album: No Limit Top Dogg
Release Date: May 11, 1999
Platinum Certification Date: October 13, 1999
First Week Sales: 187,400
Major Singles (Billboard Hot 100 peak): "G Bedtime Stories" (N/A); "Bitch Please" (77); "Down 4 My Niggaz" featuring C-Murder
Album Producers: Master P, Dr. Dre, KLC
Biggest Rap Album Competitor:  Eminem, Slim Shady LP;  Jay Z, Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter; Dr. Dre, 2001
Memorable Remixes/Feature Verses: Dr. Dre, "The Next Episode"; Dr. Dre, "Still D.R.E."; Harlem World, "Cali Chronic"
Top News Headlines: Snoop Reunites With Dre, Warren G and Nate Dogg
Snoop Delivers Classic Verses On Dr. Dre’s 2001 Album

Album: Tha Last Meal
Release Date: December 19, 2000
Platinum Certification Date: February 26, 2001
First Week Sales: 397,238
Major Singles (Billboard Hot 100 peak): "Snoop Dogg (What's My Name Pt. 2)" (77); "Hennesey N Buddah" (N/A); "Lay Low" (50); "Losin’ Control" (N/A)
XXL Rating: XL
Album Producers: Master P, Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo, Jelly Roll, Scott Storch, Meech Wells, Battlecat, Timbaland, Soopafly, Studio Ton, Carlos Stephens
Biggest Rap Album Competitor:  Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP; Nelly, Country Grammar; OutKast, Stankonia
Memorable Remixes/Feature Verses: Lil Bow Wow, "Bow Wow (That's My Name)"; Mariah Carey, "Crybaby"; Dr. Dre, "The Wash"
Top News Headlines: Snoop Coins “Fo-Shizzle,” Creating A New Countrywide Suffix-Based Slang
Snoop Launches Doggystyle Records
Snoop Transitions From Gangsta To Pimp
Snoop Makes His Debut As Porn Director, Doggystyle Becomes A Top-Selling Porno

Album: Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$
Release Date: November 26, 2002
First Week Sales: 174,000
Platinum Certification Date: March 31, 2003
Major Singles (Billboard Hot 100 peak): “From Tha Chuuuch To Da Palace" (77); "Beautiful" (6)
XXL Rating: XL
Album Producers: Battlecat, Daz Dillinger, DJ Premier, E-Swift, Fredwreck, Hi-Tek, Keith Clizark, JellyRoll,  Josef Laimberg, Just Blaze, L.T. Hutton, Meech Wells, The Neptunes
Biggest Rap Album Competitor:  Eminem, The Eminem Show; Nelly, Nellyville; Nas, God’s Son
Memorable Remixes/Feature Verses: 50 Cent, "P.I.M.P." (Remix) featuring Lloyd Banks and Young Buck
Top News Headlines:  Snoop Dogg Stars In The Wash, Training Day, and Bones
Snoop Turns 30 And Briefly Quits Smoking Weed
Snoop Starts Coaching His Son’s Peewee Football Team
Snoop Stars In MTV’s Doggy Fizzle Televizzle
Snoop Disses Suge Knight On "Pimp Slapp'd"