MMM: Who Am I (What’s My Name)? – Snoop Doggy Dogg

Milo here.

MMM time! You’re used to it by now, yeah? Numbed to the droning pain of constant content…

Today, we’re looking at the G-funk masterpiece Who Am I (What’s My Name)? from Snoop Dogg’s debut Doggystyle, back from when he still had the ‘Doggy’ in his name — good times. Check the video below:

Regardless of the fact that that is one of the goofiest videos (you don’t love me you just love my doggystyle) and radio edits (never hesistate to put a fool on his back) I’ve seen in a WHILE, this is one of the coolest gangsta tracks to come out of the 90s, and Dr Dre’s catalog — which is a strong statement in and of itself. Sure, the party/gangsta/drug/namecheck/biggest nuts-centric lyrics aren’t exactly Shakespeare, but there are plenty a memorable line here, with Dre’s “you see that it’s a must we drop gangsta shit” being one of my favourite lyrics from the album, and the aforementioned ‘biggest nuts’ line never failing to make me giggle.
These lyrics are delivered masterfully by Snoop, who was in his absolute prime when this was realised — with a flow unrivalled at the time, every line being dropped on time and with the swagger that can only be obtained from living in a blunt smoke greenhouse.
And this is all backed up by Dr Dre’s iconic instrumentation, following all the hallmarks of his trademark sound that made him so successful — and for good reason, as that classic G-funk sound is one of my favourites in hip-hop history, in terms of production styles. The overhead high-pitched drones contrasting with the heavily distorted bass makes for gangsta rap perfection, with a beat that only Dre could engineer for a G-funk classic.

“So peep out the manuscript, you see that it’s a must we drop gangsta shit.”

Lots of hugs, kisses and lacerations

Milo.