Songoftheday 3/1/19 - Went solo on that ass but it's still the same, Long Beach is the spot where I served my cane...

"What's My Name?" - Snoop Doggy Dogg
from the album Doggystyle (1993)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 10

Today's song of the day comes from rapper Calvin Broadus who started out under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg (a carryover from his childhood nickname Snoopy). After a raucous adolescence, Snoop and friends Nate Dogg (his cousin) and Warren G (Dr. Dre's brother) recorded demos that got the attention of Dre, who along with fellow N.W.A. artist the D.O.C. mentored the fledgling rappers. But it was obvious that Snoop with the one they focused on, with Calvin appearing prominently on Dre's debut solo album The Chronic. In fact, all three top-40 hits from the record - "Nothin' But A G Thang", "Dre Day", and "Let Me Ride", featured Snoop Dogg on them with the most upfront verses, although the latter single didn't explicitly credit him (probably so Dre could earn a Grammy for solo Rap Performance). So almost a year later, when Snoop released his debut album Doggystyle, he was already a household name among hip-hop fans. But to reiterate the point, the first single from the record would be the questioning demand "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" shortened to "What's My Name" for the single. Written by Snoop and Dre over a generous sample of George Clinton's funk classic "Atomic Dog", his laid-back delivery won over new fans as well everywhere...

"What's My Name" became Snoop Dogg's first big solo hit, reaching the pop top ten in America in January of 1994. The song also made it to #8 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, while spending three weeks at #1 on their Rap Singles chart. Internationally, the single peaked at #4 in New Zealand and #8 in the Netherlands, and reached the top-40 in France (#11), Australia (#13), Sweden (#14), Germany (#20), the UK (#20), Switzerland (#21), Belgium (#22), and Ireland (#28).

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Snoop debuted his single (with Dr. Dre in tow) on Arsenio Hall...

Next up is the rapper live in concert at the House of Blues in 1996...

In 2000, Snoop reprised his debut hit for his Tha Last Meal album, and when "Snoop Dogg (What's My Name Pt. 2)" was released as a single, the song hit #77 on the pop Hot 100, #20 on the R&B chart, and climbed all the way to #13 in the UK...

And here's Snoop from the same year live in concert on his Up In Smoke Tour...

He also performed the track at the Live 8 concert in 2005...

And lastly, Snoop live from a show in 2016...

Up tomorrow: New Jack Swing group sheds some tears.