“I didn’t have no expressions. You know what I’m sayin’? It was all inner. I prayed on it,” said the Lion formerly known as Dogg to MTV, following the emotions he visited while the verdict of the OJ-esque circus trial of the hip-hop elite’s infamous 1993 murder charge was deliberated.
A day earlier on February 20, 1996, he and his bodyguard were acquitted on the majority of charges revolving around the gang-loyalty shootout death of 20-year-old Philip Woldermariam. The following day, subsequent acquittals rolled out, Snoop strutting in his pinstripe suit and braids into his chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce a free man. So went the real life version.
Rewinding back to 1994, Snoop, Dre, Tha Dogg Pound and a record’s worth of a rap entourage immortalized their gangsta cred in a short film and accompanying soundtrack christened Murder Was The Case, anti-glorifying through means of questionable drug, violence and sex glorifications, in one spectacularly produced swoop. Dre’s signature falsetto key work is one ghetto-genius thing. But Snoop’s life imitating art, God-fearing deal with the devil on the title-track, is his Rod Serling of rap moment:
As I look up at the sky
My mind starts trippin’, a tear drops my eye
My body temperature falls
I’m shakin’ and they breakin’ tryin’ to save tha Dogg
Pumpin’ on my chest and I’m screamin
I stop breathin’, damn I see deamons
Dear God, I wonda can ya save me
I can’t die Boo-Boo’s bout to have my baby
I think it’s too late for prayin’, hold up
A voice spoke to me and it slowly started saying:…
‘Bring your lifestyle to me I’ll make it better’
…How long will I live?
…
‘Eternal life and forever’
…And will I be, the G that I was?
…
‘I’ll make your life better than you can imagine or even dreamed of
So relax your soul, let me take control
Close your eyes my son’—
My eyes are closed
…
Murder… murder was the case that they gave me
Murder… murder was the case that they gave me
