Today in Hip-Hop: Dr. Dre Drops ‘Deep Cover’ Featuring Snoop Dogg

On this day, April 9, in hip-hop history...

1992: Back when West Coast hip-hop was just coming into its own, a business-minded Dr. Dre, CEO and founder of Death Row Records, was leading the charge. After a lengthy dispute with his former crew, N.W.A, Dre branched out on his own and on April 9, 1992 released his first solo single, "Deep Cover", also known as "187," featuring Snoop Dogg. The single coincided with the 1992 film Deep Cover starring Laurence Fishburne.

"Deep Cover" was a landmark in each rappers' careers. Though it was not a huge commercial success by the numbers, peaking at only number 166 on the Billboard 200, this track marked Snoop Dogg's first time on a recording and Dre's first creative effort after N.W.A.

Evoking a very 'West Coast' vibe, the song has elements of G-funk and features sample beats from popular 1970 funk bands like Sly & the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song." Check the old-school video below.