Beloved filmmaker Allen Hughes recently shared an interesting take on Tupac’s time with Death Row Records and how it affected Snoop Dogg.
During a recent stop at the “Rap Radar” podcast, Hughes, who along with his brother, Albert, has directed a number of box-office hits including The Book of Eli and The Defiant Ones, as well as ‘hood classics such as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, expressed his beliefs that Snoop in many ways opted to take a backseat to let his then label mate have the spotlight.
“You got a guy [Snoop] that was the rock star of that era,” Hughes pined. “And in the same era, he’s on trial for murder … and thank God, [he] beats the case. And then you got all that little window where Snoop dimmed his light for 2Pac. I never understood that back then. I remember Snoop just dimming his light and letting 2Pac shine when Snoop was the guy, you know?”
Though he was hard at work on his sophomore album, Tha Doggfather, for most of ‘Pac’s tenure at the label in 1995 and 1996, Snoop did make a number of high-profile appearances during that time mostly notably on Tha Dogg Pound’s “New York, New York” and 2Pac’s hit “2 of Amerikkka’s Most Wanted.”
Meanwhile, Hughes is currently hard at work on the long-awaited Snoop Dogg biopic for Universal Pictures.
First announced almost a year ago, production is finally gearing up on the as of yet untitled film which is also slated to be the first film produced by Death Row Records since Snoop acquired the label more than a year and a half ago. Joe Robert Cole, who c0-wrote both Black Panther films, was tapped to write the script.
“Snoop Dogg is one of the most internationally beloved figures in hip-hop,” Hughes said. “There’s just something about his energy that brings people of all walks of life together. Snoop Dogg, not just the artist, but the man and his brand, [have] transcended generations with his connection and appeal to audiences.”
No casting has been announced yet but the question everyone wants to know is who will be tasked with portraying Snoop?
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Hughes quipped, before jokingly adding, “It’ll probably be a Brit.”
