Snoop Dogg’s 25 most essential tracks, ranked

It’s been quite a journey for Snoop Dogg, one that began 30 years ago with the November 23, 1993 release of his debut album Doggystyle. No longer public enemy number one, as he was for a period of time in the 1990s, Snoop is now a beloved part of American life, one of a handful of stars whose face and name is instantly recognizable to people of all ages.

Indeed, Snoop recently put his Teflon status to the test by sparking headlines with a social media post where he claimed he was “giving up smoke,” then revealing a week later that he wasn’t actually giving up weed, he’d just been hired as a spokesman for a line of “smokeless stoves.” Only a celeb with Snoop’s versatile, likable vibe—he’s equally comfortable alongside Dr. Dre, Martha Stewart, or Willie Nelson—could pull off a stunt like that and suffer minimal blowback. But enough of the side hustle stuff. Let’s bring this back to where it all started for Snoop: the music. What follows are the 25 essential songs that explain Snoop’s journey from gangsta rap outsider to a family-friendly legend.

1. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (2004)

A decade removed from the glory days of G Funk, Snoop Dogg teamed with the Neptunes and delivered this masterwork: an elastic dance tune as futuristic as Death Row was retro. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” slithers and slinks, the rhythms have enough space for the synths to slide in between the gaps—the accentuated keyboard stabs and samples function as their own hooks. It’s spare enough to allow Snoop and Pharrell Williams to stretch their phrasing, twisting their words as if they were rubber, their playfulness being essential to the track’s success as the nimble beat.