Maps of Music

No Limit Top Dogg (1999)

Where the lyrics of No Limit Top Dogg take you, and where it was really made.

Snoop Dogg's first album to fail to debut at number one still stayed on the Billboard 200 for 40 weeks, second only to Doggystyle.

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Do you know where this album was recorded, or where its cover was shot? Tell us and we will add it to the map.

Master P gave Snoop more creative freedom after Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told
The album returned to the sound of his early Death Row career
First collaboration with Dr. Dre since Dre left Death Row in 1996
An early 1998 reunion attempt on 'Zoom' was blocked by contract problems
LL Cool J replaced Snoop's verses on that song, which went on the Bulworth soundtrack
Collaborators included Warren G, Nate Dogg, Jewell, DJ Quik, and Raphael Saadiq
Snoop saw the album as a companion piece to his debut, Doggystyle

Work spanned many months starting in 1998, unlike the three weeks Snoop said Da Game took
Moved away from the southern sound of earlier No Limit releases
Used more fellow West Coast rappers and producers in a conscious effort to return to his earlier style
'Snoopafella' is a cover of 'Cinderfella Dana Dane' by Dana Dane, continuing his habit of covering an older hip-hop song

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., born October 20, 1971 in Long Beach, California, known professionally as Snoop Dogg.
American rapper, singer, record producer, record executive, songwriter and actor; a key figure in West Coast hip-hop who helped define G-funk and gangsta rap.
Known for a signature drawled delivery and melodic flow; lyrics often address recreational drug use and gun violence.
Rose to prominence in 1992 through collaborations with Dr. Dre on "Deep Cover" and The Chronic.
Debut album Doggystyle (1993), produced by Dr. Dre, debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 806,000 copies sold in its first week; certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA.
Signed with Master P's No Limit Records in 1998; albums Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, No Limit Top Dogg and Tha Last Meal followed.
R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004) produced "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), his first Billboard Hot 100 number one.
Adopted the alias Snoop Lion for reggae album Reincarnated (2013); later albums include Bush (2015) and gospel album Bible of Love (2018).
Acquired Death Row Records from MNRK Music Group in 2022.
Has sold over 35 million records worldwide; co-headlined the Super Bowl LVI halftime show in 2022.
Also active as an actor, business figure and coach on The Voice.

The Source placed the album on its list of the Top 10 Best Albums of the Year for 1999
Critics generally gave the album positive reviews and called it a return to form after the mixed reception of Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told
Critics praised Dr. Dre's production and Snoop's delivery
The A.V. Club: Nathan Rabin wrote that Snoop sounds happier, looser, and more confident on Top Dogg than on any album since his Chronic and Doggystyle days
Rolling Stone: Kevin Powell called the album Snoop's finest work since his debut album
NME praised the album's silken flow and called it a certifiable return to form
The New York Times: Neil Strauss positively compared it to Snoop's previous release
Criticism focused on the album's length and on the No Limit features
AllMusic: Stephen Thomas Erlewine said it runs far too long and has irritating cameos

Complex placed the album at number 17 on its list of the Top 25 Best No Limit Albums in April 2013
Entertainment Weekly ranked it third among Snoop Dogg's albums in 2015

Debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
First-week sales of 187,400 copies, second only to Ricky Martin's self-titled album
Fell to number seven the following week
Spent 40 weeks on the Billboard 200
Certified platinum on October 13, 1999
Sold 1,100,000 copies by the end of 1999, the 73rd best-selling album of the year
As of March 2008, sold 1,518,000 copies in the United States and 2 million worldwide as of 2016

Despite being Snoop Dogg's first album to not debut at number one, it spent 40 weeks on the Billboard 200.
Some speculated that weak first-week sales came from anticipation for Ricky Martin's album, released the same week.
The low awareness was also blamed on a lack of a video or hit single before release.
Master P limited creative control as he was forming Snoop into the No Limit roster, which Snoop later said was not the smartest thing to do.
'Bitch Please' gained popularity on radio and television and lifted album sales by 16% on the Billboard 200 after months of decline.