Southern Tenant Farmers Union

The Southern Tenant Farmers' Union (STFU) was founded in 1934 as a civil farmer's union to further organize the tenant farmers in the Southern United States.

Originally set up during the Great Depression in the United States, the reasons for the establishment of the STFU are numerous, although they are all largely centered upon money and working conditions. Predominantly, the STFU was established as a response to policies of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA). The AAA itself was designed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help revive the United States' agricultural industry and to recharge the depressed economy.

The AAA called for a reduction in food production, which would, through a controlled shortage of food, raise the price for any given food item through supply and demand. The desired effect was that the agricultural industry would once again prosper due to the increased value and produce more income for farmers. In order to decrease food production, the AAA would pay farmers not to farm and the money would go to the landowners. The landowners were expected to share this money with the tenant farmers. While a small percentage of the landowners did share the income, the majority did not. This led to the formation of the STFU, whose existence serves historically as evidence that such a problem existed.

Doggystyle

Doggystyle is the debut studio album from American West Coast hip hop artist Snoop Dogg, then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg, released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic (1992), to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. The style he developed for Dre's album was continued on Doggystyle. Critics have praised Snoop Dogg for the lyrical "realism" he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow.

Despite some mixed criticism of the album initially upon its release, Doggystyle has earned recognition from many music critics as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the most important hip hop albums ever released. Much like The Chronic, the distinctive sounds of Doggystyle helped introduce the hip hop style of G-funk to a mainstream audience, bringing forward West Coast hip hop as a dominant force in the early 1990s. As of 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has certified Doggystyle quadruple platinum in sales, and it serves as Snoop Dogg's highest-selling album.