What's The Real Meaning Of The Next Episode By Dr. Dre And Snoop Dogg? Here's What We Think
This year's Super Bowl halftime show is bound to go down in history. As the first big game to hit Los Angeles in nearly 30 years, it makes all the more sense that California native Dr. Dre will be leading the charge. He'll be accompanied by other singers and rappers, from Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar to Eminem and Mary J. Blige. Fans are on the edge of their seats waiting to hear what bangers the artists will belt out at halftime. From "Still D.R.E." to "Drop It Like It's Hot," the highly-anticipated performance will air live on NBC.
One song that fans are itching to hear is "The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and our guess is that it's likely to be performed during Sunday's show. Billboard describes the song as a "timeless party starter" that was released by Dr. Dre in 2000 — what better party to get started than the halftime show at the Super Bowl? According to Genius, the song was intended to be included on Snoop's 1993 album, "Doggystyle," but was removed. When the song was eventually released, it was a fast hit, and when fans learn our thoughts on some of the lyrics, they'll be all the more excited to hear it during Sunday's game.
The title harkens back to a hit song
"The Next Episode" is a reference — perhaps even a sequel — to the Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg classic song, "Nuthin' But a G Thang" from Dre's 1992 solo, "The Chronic." At the end of "Nuthin' But a G Thang," Snoop raps, "just chill, 'til the next episode." Just like in "Nuthin' But a G Thang," Snoop introduces himself by spelling out his name, rapping, "It's the mother*****n' D-O-double-G," per Genius.
In the song, Snoop raps, "Top dogg, bite 'em all, n**** burn the s*** up." While this is a clear reference to Snoop's stage name, it also zeroes in on the idea of a "top dog," or person successful or dominant in their line of work. The song also refers to "livin' it up" and "dancin' in the party fo' sho.'" Nate Dogg raps, "We gon' rock it 'til the wheels fall off," which is clear in the music video, where all the rappers involved in the song party it up in a club. Clearly, "The Next Episode" is a song about celebrating success.
As Tupac fans may have already noticed, "The Next Episode" references the late rapper's '90s hit, "California Love." The lyrics read, "It's California Love, this California bud got a n**** gang o' pub ..." Tupac and Dr. Dre worked on "California Love" together while at Death Row Records, which, coincidentally, Snoop Dogg recently acquired.
The song peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100
If Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg perform "The Next Episode" at the Super Bowl, the crowd will more than likely join them "dancin' in the party fo' sho.'" The song was quite popular upon its release in 2000, peaking at No. 23 on Billboard's Hot 100, per Genius. The track was a labor of love for many of the artists involved. Dr. Dre produced the song, which also featured Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg, and included lyrics by Hittman, The D.O.C. and Ms. Roq, per Discogs. In the end, the song was an anthem that marked Dr. Dre's return to the scene.
So, will "The Next Episode" make it into the halftime show? It's definitely possible — in our opinion, it's likely. What better way is there for these iconic rappers to celebrate their success than by performing their hit song about it? Either way, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg are bound to shake things up when they hit the stage during Sunday's halftime show.