Snoop Dogg Reflects On Writing ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’: ‘I Cannot Let Pharrell Out-Rap Me’
From hip-hop and gospel to reggae and country, Snoop Dogg is no stranger to dabbling in different genres. On Thursday (June 15), the West Coast rap legend begins his foray into yet another new genre: spoken word.
In an exclusive clip from his Audible Original Words + Music series episode titled “From the Streets to the Suites” shared with Billboard, the hip-hop icon reflects on writing the 2004 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Drop It Like It’s Hot” with legendary producer Pharrell Williams. “He in the back with the keyboards, it’s just him and the engineer. He ain’t even got the beat all the way made,” he reveals in the snippet. “This how this n—a get down, he don’t say words, he just [mimics Pharrell’s wordless vocalizations], so it’s my job to make that s–t make sense!”
According to the “Gin and Juice” rapper, Pharrell laid his verse for “Drop It Like It’s Hot” first. The producer impressed Snoop so much that the rapper joked, “This n—a done took the bar all the way … I cannot let Pharrell out-rap me on my motherf—–g song!”
Snoop then recounts the creation of the song’s third verse. While he was in the recording booth, Pharrell stopped him and said, “That third verse … that ain’t it.” Just “20 minutes later,” Snoop returned with an even harder verse. “That’s what I mean about ‘I like to be produced,'” Snoop said. The 16-time Grammy-nominee also revealed that Dr. Dre was his “worst critic on all of [his] music at the time.”
“This n—a don’t like nothing!” Snoop exclaimed. “I’m scared he gon’ come and say he don’t like it!” Thankfully, even Dre couldn’t deny the greatness of “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” As Snoop tells it, Dr. Dre called him on the phone and said, “N—a, this s–t right here off the hook! This s–t bomb, n—a! Y’all did that!”
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” went on to become the first of Snoop’s three Hot 100 chart-toppers. The Cali icon has landed 45 songs on the ranking throughout his career. On the Billboard 200, the “What’s My Name” rapper has sent 11 titles to the top 10, three of which reached the summit.
Snoop Dogg’s new Audible Original, “From the Streets to the Suites,” debuts on Audible today and serves as vol. 35 of the platform’s signature Words + Music series. The special is set to feature Snoop Dogg’s reflections on his life and career, including pivotal moments such as meeting Dr. Dre and buying Death Row Records. Directed by radio personality Angie Martinez and written and performed by Snoop himself, “From the Streets to the Suites” also features original performances of a slew of classics including “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” “Gin and Juice,” “Beautiful” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
Other musicians to grace Audible’s Words + Music series include John Legend, Eddie Vedder, Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, Common, Smokey Robinson, Rufus Wainwright, Alanis Morissette, St. Vincent, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, Gary Clark Jr., Sting, Church D, Sheryl Crow and Billie Joe Armstrong.
Listen to the full exclusive clip below:
Kyle-Brandon Denis
Billboard
