Snoop Dogg – Beautiful – Enough to Save His Career?
For Snoop Dogg, Beautiful featuring Pharrell is just what the rap artist needed. Snoop Doggy Dogg needed a monster hit – and a music video to match – that would catapult him back to the highest rap echelon. The single, released on the album Paid That Cost To Be Tha Bo$$, is immediately catching.
Snoop Dogg Beautiful Song Review
Beautiful was -along with “Drop It Like Its Hot” – a resurrection. The first song released by Snoop and The Neptunes was an instant hit, eventually hiting #6 on the Billboard charts. This paved the way for the follow up track “Drop It Like Its Hot” which topped the charts in 2005. The Neptunes won a Grammy for Producer of the Year, while Snoop Dogg was nominated for Best Rap Song.
Until this, Snoop had trouble creating hits. Many point the finger to his mediocre production team at No Limit Records. Snoop and Dr Dre parted ways, and No Limit snatched him up with a three album contract. It appears that Snoop quickly became disillusioned with the musical production, and quickly put together three records to escape his contract. Very few rappers release three albums in such a short time (Jay – Z did). Snoop, it seemed, was ready for something new.
Soon after, however, Snoop Doggy Dogg started collaborating with The Neptunes, whose stark production proved the perfect balance to Snoop Dogg’s trademark flow and delivery. Beautiful helped The Neptunes gain credibility and launched Snoop back into the limelight as a quality MC who works with quality producers. Without a doubt, this was the single most important track in his career since the early releases with Dr. Dre.
Snoop Dogg Beautiful Video Review
This video did the song justice and helped bring Snoop Dogg back to MTV. Director Chris Robinson delivered a solid video that is set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is in many ways the antithesis of Drop It Like Its Hot; it’s vibrant colors and constant set design seemed much more alive than the reserved black and white video for Drop It Like Its Hot. It features the beautiful Brazilian model Luciana Malavasi, who adds more color and heat to the video than anything else!
For Snoop Dogg, Beautiful was needed. It is certainly one his most important songs, mostly in that it reintroduced the world to the Long Beach rapper, and helped solidify Snoop Doggy Dogg as one of the greatest rappers of all time.