Murder Was the Case

Murder Was the Case is a 1994 short film and soundtrack album starring and performed by Snoop Doggy Dogg. The 18 minute film was directed by Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy
and chronicles the fictional death of Snoop Dogg and his resurrection after making a deal with the Devil. The film's title comes from Snoop's song of the same name from his
debut album, Doggystyle, 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 three music videos on July 11, 2006.

Tupac Shakur was paid $200,000 by Death Row Records owner Suge Knight 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.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone (12/29/94-1/12/95, p. 178) - "...[It] isn'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 (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 (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..."[3]
Commercial performance Murder Was the Case

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 was certified platinum on
December 6, 1994 and it was certified 2× platinum with 2,030,000 copies sold on April 5, 1995.

Soundtrack album by various artists

Released October 18, 1994

Recorded 1994

Studio Can-Am Studios

(Tarzana, Los
Angeles)

Genre West Coast hip hop ·

gangsta rap · g-funk ·
horrorcore · R&B

Length 68:30

Label Death Row ·

Interscope · Atlantic

Producer Suge Knight (exec.) ·

Dr. Dre (exec.) · Dat
 Nigga Daz · Soopafly
Track listing · DJ Quik · DeVante
Swing · Sam Sneed ·

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length Big Wy · George "G-

One" Archie · Kevin
1. "Murder Was the Case (remix)" (Snoop C. Broadus Dr. Dre 4:20
Lewis · Lil' Stretch ·
Doggy Dogg)
Marc McWilliams ·
2. "Natural Born Killaz" (Dr. Dre & Ice Cube) J. Anderson · O. Jackson Dr. Dre · Sam Sneed (co.) 4:51 San Man
3. "What Would U Do?" (Tha Dogg Pound C. Broadus · D. Arnaud · R. Dat Nigga Daz 5:08
featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg) Brown · J. Caples Death Row Records chronology
4. "21 Jumpstreet" (Snoop Doggy Dogg & C. Broadus · T. Davis Dat Nigga Daz 5:26
Tray Deee) Above the Rim Murder Was Death Row
5. "One More Day" (Nate Dogg) N. Hale Dat Nigga Daz 5:18 (1994) the Case Greatest Hits
(1994) (1996)
6. "Harvest for the World" (Jewell) E. Isley · M. Isley · K. Isley · R. Dr. Dre 3:52
Isley · R. Isley · C. Jasper
Singles from Murder Was the Case
7. "Who Got Some Gangsta Shit?" (Snoop C. Broadus · D. Arnaud · R. Soopafly 5:28
Doggy Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Lil' C-Style Brown · R. Gillion 1. "Murder Was the Case"
& Young Swoop G) Released: October 15, 1994

8. "Come When I Call" (Danny Boy) D. Blake DJ Quik · George "G-One" Archie 4:55 2. "One More Day" / "What Would You Do?"
9. "U Better Recognize" (Sam Sneed featuring S. Anderson Sam Sneed · Dr. Dre (co.) 3:54 Released: 1994
Dr. Dre) 3. "Natural Born Killaz"
10. "Come Up to My Room" (Jodeci & Tha D. Arnaud · R. Brown · C. Hailey · Dat Nigga Daz · DeVante Swing 4:37 Released: November 27, 1994
Dogg Pound) J. Hailey · D. DeGrate · D. (co.)
4. "Woman to Woman"
DeGrate Released: December 18, 1994[1]
11. "Woman to Woman" (Jewell) J. Banks · C. Marion · K. Thigpen DJ Quik · George "G-One" Archie 5:18
5. "U Better Recognize"
· Jewell
Released: March 13, 1995
12. "Dollaz + Sense" (DJ Quik) D. Blake · G. Archie DJ Quik 5:53
13. "The Eulogy" (Slip Capone & CPO) V. Edwards · Christen Kelley San Man 4:48
 14. "Horny" (B-Rezell) M. McWilliams · T. Wrice Kevin Lewis · Marc McWilliams 4:41
Professional ratings
15. "Eastside-Westside" (Young Soldierz) W. Dillon · S. Doby Big Wy · Lil' Stretch 4:45
Review scores
Total length: 1:13:14
Source Rating
Cassette release exclusive Allmusic [2]

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length

16. "Hot Ones" (O.F.T.B.) Flipside · Low M. B. · Bus Stop Brian G 4:46
Total length: 1:18:00

Samples

"21 Jumpstreet"

"Nobody Can Be You (But You)" by Steve Arrington

"Who Got Some Gangsta Shit?"

"P.S.K. (What Does It Mean?)" by Schoolly D

"6 in the Mornin'" 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

Peak Chart (1994) Position

Chart (1994–1995)
position US Billboard 200[6] 79
[4]
US Billboard 200 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] 14
[5]
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 1
Chart (1995) Position

US Billboard 200[8] 58

US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] 14

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales

Canada (Music Canada)[10] Gold 50,000^

United States (RIAA)[11] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^
Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

List of number-one albums of 1994 (U.S.)

List of number-one R&B albums of 1994 (U.S.)

References

1. Chuck Philips (November 3, 1994). "Snoop Doggy Dogg's 5. "Soundtrack Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" (ht 9. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995" (https://ww
Still Tops With Album Buyers : Pop music: His 'Murder tps://www.billboard.com/artist/Soundtrack/chart-history/ w.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-r-and-b-hip-ho
Was the Case,' the soundtrack to a short film that BLP) . Billboard. p-albums) . Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
premieres tonight, remains atop the charts" (https://www.l
6. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994" (https://ww 10. "Canadian album certifications – Various artists – Murder
atimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-03-ca-58255-story.
w.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/top-billboard-200- Was The Case - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (http
html) . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 24,
albums) . Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2021. s://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Murde
2019.
r+Was+The+Case+-+Original+Motion+Picture+Soundtrac
7. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994" (https://ww
2. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r206681 k%20Various+artists) . Music Canada.
w.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/top-r-and-b-hip-ho
3. "Murder Was the Case Soundtrack CD Album" (http://ww p-albums) . Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2021. 11. "American album certifications – Soundtrack – Murder
w.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7215659) . Was the Case" (https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab
8. "Billboard 200 albums year end 1994" (http://www.billboar
_active=default-award&ar=Soundtrack&ti=Murder+Was+th
4. "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)" (https://www.bi d.com/charts/year-end/1995/the-billboard-200) .
e+Case&format=Album&type=#search_section) .
llboard.com/artist/Soundtrack/chart-history/TLP) . Billboard.
Recording Industry Association of America.
Billboard.

External links

Murder Was the Case (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166278/) at IMDb