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Pharrell Williams · S4 E6
Beautiful
Snoop Dogg goes smooth — and Pharrell's melody does the work
2003. Snoop Dogg, the most recognizable voice in gangsta rap, calls Pharrell and asks for something no one expects: a love song.
Beautiful (2003). Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, and Uncle Charlie Wilson. The Neptunes take the most recognizable voice in gangsta rap and build him a love song that hits number six on the Hot 100.
The Unexpected Request
Snoop Dogg does not need The Neptunes. He is already one of the most famous rappers alive, with a catalog stretching back to Dr. Dre and Death Row. But after a decade of hard West Coast rap, he wants to prove he can do more, and Pharrell is the only producer bold enough to build him a love song.
Beautiful -- Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson (2003)
The beat opens with a soft, looping keyboard melody and a gentle kick drum that immediately signals this is not a typical Snoop Dogg record. Pharrell's verse arrives with a sweetness that sets the tone before Snoop even enters. When Snoop does come in, his delivery is deliberately relaxed, letting the words sit inside the groove. Then Uncle Charlie Wilson arrives on the hook with a falsetto that lifts the entire track.
TAP TO REVEAL: Who is the secret weapon on "Beautiful"?
“Pharrell heard something in my voice that I didn't even know was there. He said, "Snoop, you can sing this." And I was like, for real? But he was right.”
— Snoop Dogg, in interviews about recording Beautiful (paraphrased)
From tha Chuuuch to da Palace -- Snoop Dogg
The other side of Snoop's Neptunes partnership. While "Beautiful" is smooth and romantic, this track from Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ is all bounce and bravado. Proof that Pharrell and Chad did not just hand Snoop a love song, they handed him an entire new range.
Beautiful: The File
Uncle Charlie Wilson, who sings the hook on "Beautiful," was the lead singer of which legendary funk group?
The Neptunes have now built hits for street rappers, pop stars, party MCs, and a gangsta rap legend singing love songs. By the end of 2003, the staggering truth will become clear: The Neptunes produced 43 percent of all songs played on American radio.
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