In 1999, Snoop Dogg finally reconciled with Dr. Dre after both had left Death Row Records and embarked on the next journey of their respective careers. Dre left Death Row to start his Aftermath imprint, and Snoop had left to join Master P and his No Limit Records camp after the death of 2Pac.
On Snoop’s 1998 No Limit debut Da Game Is To Be Sold Not To Be Told, he hollered out at Dre to holla at him on the song “Still A G Thang”. For 1999’s No Limit Top Dogg, the Compton and Long Beach icons reunited for 3 tracks, including the lead-single “Bitch Please” featuring Xzibit and Nate Dogg.
Xzibit, who had been steadily building on the success from his first two releases, At The Speed of Life and 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz, made the most of his show-stealing guest appearance on the record. Leading off the track armed with a sharp, pointed verse aimed at anyone who gets caught in the crossfire, “Mr. X to tha Z” made it clear that Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg made no mistake in the opportunity given to him: “Glass and metal in every direction/Innocent bystanders taught a very hard lesson/I’m the reason there’s no time to reach for that weapon/And reason why niggas with problems keep on steppin'”
Snoop’s cool, laid-back, melodic microphone presence easily fit seamlessly in over top of Dr. Dre’s updated G-Funk track on the second and third verses. While Dre had attempted to let gangsta rap go, and move in a different direction in his first incarnation of Aftermath, Snoop remined everyone, including the gangsta rap architect that they were definitely back to keeping it gangsta. “Dre say, ain’t “No Limit” to this/As long as we drop gangsta shit/Look here bitch, you fine and I dig your style/Come fuck with a nigga and do it doggy style”.
Finally, the late, great Nate Dogg laces the track send-off in the way only he can, smooth and soulful. As the undeniable King of Hooks, Nate Dogg let’s listeners know that this is a DPG thing, and he’s a Dogg Pound Gangsta for life. “Ayo, ayo, ayo/You don’t wanna step to me/Still claiming D.P.G. ’til the day I D-I-E”.
Dre, Snoop and Nate back on a track again felt like old times. Bringing Xzibit into the fold solidified the West Coast in becoming dominant once again as Dr. Dre and Xzibit would follow Snoop with industry-changing albums over the next year and after.
Check out “Bitch Please” with Snoop Dogg featuring Xzibit & Nate Dogg, produced by Dr. Dre below: