Snoop Dogg says Tupac influenced him to change his style to resemble the players from the Bay Area after joining Death Row

Snoop Dogg has often expressed his admiration for Tupac and shared instances from their time together. In an appearance on the R&B Money Podcast dated January 25, 2025, Snoop discussed the late Tupac Shakur and his influence on himself and the culture at Death Row Records.

He mentioned that Tupac encouraged him to enhance his style and match the fashion of Bay Area players after joining Death Row Records. Snoop recalled Tupac saying:

“When 2Pac come to Death Row [Records], he like, ‘N***a, you gotta step your fly up. N***a, you gotta get your hair done, your nails did, n***a, like the players in the Bay, n***a.’”

The rapper continued:

"When we did the ‘[2 Of] Amerikaz Most Wanted’ video, he specifically said, ‘N***a, lay your shit down … I ain't got no hair, n***a.’”

Both Tupac and Snoop Dogg were signed to Death Row Records in the 1990s. However, Snoop left the label in 1998 due to disputes over his contracts. The rapper subsequently gained popularity through his music and media appearances, while Death Row Records experienced a decline following Tupac's death and Suge Knight's imprisonment.

Death Row Records faced controversies in the early 2000s and filed for bankruptcy in 2006. The label was auctioned to WIDEawake Entertainment for $18 million in 2009. Later, it was sold to Entertainment One and was eventually acquired by Snoop Dogg in 2022.

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"He gave us a different spirit on working"— Snoop Dogg comments on Tupac's influence on Death Row Records

On the R&B Money Podcast, Snoop Dogg talked about Tupac's influence on Death Row Records and other virtues of the late rapper. Snopp stated that Tupac was "way ahead" of them, adding that while they were just artists, he was a superstar. Snoop noted that Tupac was a superstar in the sense of understanding and knowing "what it takes to be a star."

The rapper mentioned that Tupac had experience in movies and on sets, which helped him recognize the significance of Death Row Records and how their actions contributed to its growth. Snoop said that the late rapper taught them how to make music spontaneously and put it out.

Talking about one of the ways Pac influenced the working of Death Row Records, Snoop Dogg said:

“He gave us a different spirit on working. Like, studio time became valuable when he was there. Before it was just like n****s in there nine hours. Now it's like, ‘That n***a ‘Pac coming up here looking to work. Whoever in their bullshit gotta get out. Or either he got a studio locked up for 12 hours and Snoop got one locked up for 12 hours. So it's gotta be, ‘What y'all making while y'all in here?’”

Snoop added that Tupac pushed Death Row Records to focus on constantly creating new music. He recalled that the late rapper would leave the final touches of a song to the engineers while getting to the next track.