Death Row Records–co-founded by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight in 1991–was, of course, incredibly influential in the world of west coast rap in the early '90s. And incredibly controversial.
But not everything released on the label was quite as provocative as say, “Deep Cover.” There was also 1996's Christmas on Death Row album, which boasted songs like opener “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto”–not to be confused with, but likely inspired by the James Brown song of the same name–by Dat Nigga Daz, Nate Dogg, Tray Deee, Bad Azz and the LBC's own Snoop Doggy Dogg (as he was still called back then).
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A far cry from “Murder Was the Case,” this tune (mostly) abandons gangsta posturing, in favor of rhymes like “Santa Claus on the ceiling/Jack Frost chillin'/Pinch the Grinch for being a holiday villain.” Snoop even talks about giving out turkeys to the poor at church; Daz gets all Linus on us, reminding of the “true meaning” of Christmas. Bill O'Reilly would be proud.
Snoop Dogg is in concert at the Glass House in Pomona the day after Christmas (Boxing Day, as some call it); he probably won't do this song but it'll be fun anyway.
