Snoop Dogg and Pharrell’s ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ Hits No. 1 – Today in Hip-Hop
On this day, Dec. 11, in hip-hop history...
2004: After spending over a decade on the very top of the mountain in Hip-Hop, Snoop Dogg reached a new pinnacle on December 11, 2004, finally having a hit record reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in his career with "Drop It Like It's Hot," featuring Pharrell Williams.
It's hard to imagine that with the success Snoop saw up to this point in 2004, especially in the early part of the 90s when he was signed to Death Row and dropped his classic debut, Doggystyle, the Dogfather hadn’t seen a number one hit until more than a decade into his career.
Surprisingly enough, landing a number 1 spot with "Drop It Like It's Hot" was a first for Pharrell too despite seeing massive mainstream success with his own releases like 2003's "Frontin,'" as well as having produced some of music's biggest songs across multiple genres as a member of The Neptunes alongside Chad Hugo.
With some minimalistic production (just a few synths, electronic drums and a few famous tongue clicks) from Pharrell's production team, the aforementioned Neptunes, Snoop's signature smooth and flawless flow is complimented by a slick verse from Skateboard P himself, and an infectious hook that is highlighted by one of the most commonly used phrases in Hip-Hop history, which also serves as the song's title, "Drop it like it's hot."
Before reaching the number 1 spot and remaining there for three consecutive weeks at the tail end of 2004, "Drop It Like It's Hot," was released as the lead single for O.G. Uncle Snoop's seventh studio album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, laying the groundwork for the album to sell a whopping 225,000 copies in its first week. As if being the first number 1 hit for two of the game's most acclaimed acts ever isn't enough, the song is also certified 2x platinum by the RIAA and was nominated for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, among with numerous other accolades. Even the video for "Drop It Like It's Hot," is an award winner, with the visual taking home the hardware at both the MOBO Awards in 2005 and the 2006 MTV Australia Video Music Awards.
To this day, the track's influence is present among the game's newest generation of rappers. Most recently, Ski Mask The Slump God paid homage to the Pharrell and Snoop collab with a similar melody and flow on the song, "Foot Fungus," off of his recently dropped album, Stokeley.
As a song that still bangs at block parties, nightclubs and bar mitzvahs alike, "Drop It Like It’s Hot" is a timeless smash from two of the most prominent names in music history.
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