''Murder Was the Case'' is a 1994 short film and

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

album starring and performed by Snoop Doggy Dogg. The 18 minute film was directed by Dr. Dre and

Fab Five Freddy Fred Brathwaite (born August 31, 1959), more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American visual artist, filmmaker, and hip hop pioneer. He is considered one of the architects of the street art movement. Freddy emerged in New York's downtown ...

and chronicles the fictional death of Snoop Dogg and his resurrection after making a

deal with the Devil A deal with the Devil (also called a Faustian bargain or Mephistophelian bargain) is a cultural motif exemplified by the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles, as well as being elemental to many Christian traditions. According to ...

. The film's title comes from Snoop's song of the same name from his debut album, ''

Doggystyle ''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg (then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg). It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop's ...

'', which had been released a year earlier. The single "What Would You Do" by Tha Dogg Pound was included on the ''Natural Born Killers'' soundtrack and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in the 38th Annual Grammy Awards in 1996. The album was re-released with a bonus DVD containing 3 music videos on July 11, 2006.

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

was paid $200,000 by Death Row Records owner

Suge Knight Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. (; born April 19, 1965) is a American former music executive, convicted felon, and the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Knight is considered a central figure in gangsta rap's commercial success i ...

to record a song for the album, but the track ("Life's So Hard" featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg) was never used on the official soundtrack release; it was later released on the soundtrack for his posthumously released film, '' Gang Related''.

Reception

*''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' (12/29/94-1/12/95, p. 178) - "... tisn't the trailblazer that Dre's ''The Chronic'' was last year. But it is rap very nearly as strong. Featuring West Coast stalwarts...and new discoveries..., Dre and Dat Nigga Daz present gangsta- and R&B-infected fare that slams..." *''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' (11/11/94, p. 76) - "...confirms...Dr. Dre as the new king of pop. In addition to the ominous remix of Snoop's title song, Dre reunites with Ice Cube...Dre's G-funk sound may be the hardest in the land, but it's also the most gut-wrenchingly soulful..." - Rating: A * ''Q'' magazine (1/95, p. 258) - 3 Stars - Good - "...While most ears will be tuned to the bile'n'beats of "Natural Born Killaz"...the best track here is from Snoop's young protege, Nate Dogg....One of West Coast rap's more imaginative albums." *''

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the maga ...

'' (1/95, p. 85) - 4 Stars - Slammin' - "...while Jodeci duets with Tha Dogg Pound and an all-star cast to try their hand at the G-Funk sound, Dre begins plotting his next move...heavy-metal bass meets chunky keyboards..." *'' NME'' (12/24/94, p. 23) - Ranked #8 in NME's list of the 10 best compilation albums of 1994. *'' NME'' (10/15/94, p. 53) - 7 - Very Good - "...anyone expecting this to signal Dre's decline is kidding themselves. ''Murder Was the Case'' shows the old dogg has plenty of new tricks..."

Commercial performance

In the United States, on the chart dated November 5, 1994, ''Murder Was the Case'' debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 at number one, powered by first week sales 329,000 units. The album opened at the top spot of the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The following week it stayed on top with 197,000 copies sold and was certified Gold. The album is certified 2× platinum with 2,030,000 copies sold.

Track listing

Samples

"21 Jumpstreet" * "Nobody Can Be You (But You)" by

Steve Arrington Steven Ralph Arrington (born March 5, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, drummer, record producer, engineer and minister, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio. Biography Arrington played in various local bands before joining and touring with The M ...

"Who Got Some Gangsta Shit?" * " P.S.K. (What Does It Mean?)" by

Schoolly D Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D (sometimes spelled Schooly D), is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Career Schoolly D teamed up with DJ Code Money in the mid-1980s. His ...

* "

6 in the Mornin' "6 in the Mornin' is a song by American rapper Ice-T. Released in 1986 as the B-side of "Dog 'n the Wax (Ya Don't Quit-Part II)", the song is considered to be one of the defining tracks of the gangsta rap genre. It also appeared on Ice T's debu ...

" by Ice-T "Come When I Call" * "Let Me Love You" by Michael Henderson "Woman to Woman" * "Woman to Woman" by Shirley Brown "Dollaz & Sense" * "I Like (What You're Doing to Me)" by Young & Company '"Eastside-Westside" * "Dazz" by Brick

Personnel

*Executive Producer: Suge Knight *Soundtrack director: Dr. Dre *Overseer: Dat Nigga Daz *Recorded at Can-Am Studios *Mixed at Dr. Dre's Crib *Death Row Engineers: Kesden Wright, Tommy D. Daugherty & Danny Alonso *Photographers: Yoko Sato, Simone Green *Background Vocals: Nanci Fletcher, Barbara Wilson, Danette Williams

Cover versions

* Jeremy Messersmith with Andy Thompson performed a cover of "Murder Was the Case" at The Cake Shop in Minneapolis, MN for a 'Murder and Death' concept show on 1/10/2010. * South Park Mexican's song "Woodson N' Worthin" is a cover of "Murder Was the Case". * Don Vito and Mad DPS covered the song on the 2008 compilation album ''The Triple-Six Mixtape''.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murder Was The Case 1994 soundtrack albums Film soundtracks Horrorcore albums Snoop Dogg albums Hip hop soundtracks Gangsta rap soundtracks Albums produced by G-One Albums produced by Dr. Dre Albums produced by DJ Quik Albums produced by Soopafly Albums produced by Sam Sneed Albums produced by Daz Dillinger Death Row Records soundtracks West Coast hip hop soundtracks