Tag: snoop dogg

Classic Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B Hits Spiked After Yesterday’s Halftime Show

February 14, 2022

The halftime show of the Big Game garners as much excitement and anticipation as the gridiron rivalry itself, and last night was no exception. In Los Angeles, while the players hit the locker rooms, icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, along with surprise guests 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak on drums, pumped up viewers in the stadium and at home with an electrifying set of hip-hop, rap, and R&B hits.

Halftime Hits

Following the 12-minute performance, fans were ready for more. Listeners turned to Spotify to continue streaming their favorites from the show. Last night, Mary J. Blige saw a lot of love with a more than 520% increase in streams of her song“No More Drama.” Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s “The Next Episode” saw more than a 270% increase in streams. The 1999 track “Still D.R.E.” saw an increase of more than 245%, and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” saw more than a 250% increase. In the U.S., overall streams of Dr. Dre saw a nearly 185% increase on Spotify in the hour following the game.

’90s and ’00s Nostalgia

Last night’s performances brought back some of the most iconic hits of the 1990s and early 2000s, but the halftime show isn’t the only place listeners are getting a dose of nostalgia—listening to popular tracks from the past has become a big trend on Spotify.

Eminem is one of Spotify’s top-streamed hip-hop artists of all time, with “Lose Yourself” topping the list as the most-streamed track across classic hip-hop, rap and R&B.* Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg are two of Spotify’s top-streamed classic hip-hop artists, with “Still D.R.E.” being one of the most popular tracks.

Hometown Pride

Spotify also dug into the data for what listeners in Los Angeles and Cincinnati were playing on Sunday to prepare for the game. 

In Cincinnati, listeners showed spirit for their home team by streaming Bengals-themed tracks like “Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, “The Bengals Growl (Fight Song)” by Cincinnati Pep Band and ML Music, “Joe Burrow” by Lil Gav, and “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

Farther west in LA, Spotify listeners prepped for the eventual Rams victory by cranking up tracks by the halftime performers, including “Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang” by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, “California Love – Original Version” by 2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Roger, “Forgot About Dre” by Dr. Dre and Eminem, and “Money Trees” by Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar.

Check out the “I Love My Classics” playlists if you’re craving more of the hits you heard last night. From LA to ATL, Spotify’s regional playlists (West Coast, Down South, Midwest, and East Coast) give fans the best of the genre.

*“Classic hip-hop, rap, and R&B” refers to anything released pre-2005

Un ‘Huracán’ llega a Spotify: Aleman presenta nueva experiencia del álbum con contenido exclusivo

November 23, 2021

Aunque la temporada de huracanes en México está por terminar, el rapero Aleman llega a arrasar los oídos de sus fans con su nuevo álbum Huracán que, después de mucha expectativa, es uno de los lanzamientos más relevantes de hip hop este año. 

Para celebrar este lanzamiento, Spotify anuncia una Experiencia del Album de Huracán, en donde Aleman comparte desde el estudio el paso a paso en la creación del disco, presentando algunas de las canciones y compartiendo contenido inédito.

Huracán viene cargado de colaboraciones nacionales e internacionales, como Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Nicki Nicole, Cartel de Santa y Rels B. “Es un Huracán que nace de mis ganas de romperla, de poner en lo más alto el nombre de México en el mundo del rap, comenta Aleman sobre el álbum. “Nace de las ganas de arrasar con todo, cualquier obstáculo que tengas delante.”

Spotify creó cuatro videos, en los que Aleman relata el paso del huracán por México en relación a cuatro canciones del álbum. “Tocando Tierra” es la introducción del álbum y es muestra de la energía de su show en vivo. Al presentar “Satanás,” cuenta que se trata de una canción dedicada a su carro, un lowrider, y una de sus favoritas. “Grills” es una historia de amor en colaboración con Nicki Nicole. Y sobre “Verde, Blanco, Rojo,” el rapero dice: “Es un track que hice para toda mi raza mexa. Representa el poder que tiene el mexicano para salir adelante siempre, no importando las circunstancias.”

Aleman es una fuerza de la naturaleza, con más de 4.9 millones de oyentes mensuales en Spotify, y con este álbum demuestra que el hip-hop en México se trata de colaborar y hacer crecer la escena.

“El huracán para mí es algo que ha estado en mi vida siempre. Significa luchar y levantarse frente a cualquier fuerza. Este álbum es lo más grande que he hecho en mi carrera, tiene todo lo que soñé en un álbum.”

Escucha la experiencia del álbum Huracán aquí.

Indigenous Australian Rapper Briggs Shares Message of Triumph through Music

August 8, 2019

Photo credit: Cole Bennetts

Koori rapper Briggs of the Yorta Yorta people knows the importance of sharing your voice—even when others initially say they don’t want to hear it. Growing up in the rural town of Shepparton, 120 miles north of Melbourne, Australia, Briggs learned that through music he could tell stories that were uniquely his—including on complex topics of race, identity, and privilege. It’s something that remains an essential aspect of his music, and also that of his side project, A.B. Original, with fellow Indigenous Australian artist Trials.

We spoke with Briggs in honor of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. He explained how his music—shaped by the rap and rock heroes he idolized during his childhood— helped create a platform within his community and blazed a new trail for Indigenous Australian voices. 

What was your earliest exposure to music?

I grew up in a country town, where [I was] surrounded by souped-up Commodores and mullets, and cowboys with their gigantic bullbars and 20-foot antennas. Rap music was a big part of that, and I was pretty heavy into punk rock and metal, too—anything anti-establishment, like Guns N’ Roses, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg, which were always within arm’s reach of a tape deck. Punk rock stuff I liked was Green Day, blink-182, and The Vandals. I really got into Misfits and Motorhead, too. Just ’90s stuff, you know, Wu-Tang—anything cool.

How have the challenges for emerging artists in Shepparton changed since you were growing up?

Being a kid in Shepparton is a challenge because you’re isolated from music and ideas. When you’re in Melbourne, a kid in the city, you can see things happening. In Shepparton, you don’t get to see that, so you have to try and make it—and you have a lot of people telling you that you’re not allowed to make it, you know? I used to put shows on when I was a kid, get local bands to play, and take some money for myself. I started my hustle when I was 15. 

How is it different sharing your culture as an Indigenous person now versus back then? 

Shepparton has the largest Indigenous population in Victoria outside of Melbourne. It also has the largest Indigenous population in Victoria per capita. So there was always a presence, and it was always just a part of us and what we did and still do. We just operated as artists and rappers. You don’t really realize how different you are until it’s presented to you.

If you want to know what it’s like to be an Indigenous person in Australia today, just listen to my music. I’m tired of panels, I’m tired of lectures, I’m tired of keynotes—just listen to the music and go to the shows if you want to find out!

What are some of the misconceptions about your culture locally, and globally, that you’re trying to overcome with your music?

The message that I’m trying to get across with my music is one of triumph. Statistically, I’m not meant to be doing the things I’m doing. When I was a kid, I had Ice-T, Ice Cube, Biggie, Snoop Dogg—but I didn’t have someone from home [to idolize]. I started to figure all this out around [my third record] Sheplife. I realized I had to release legacy records.

A.B. Original was the beginning of that. What was the album I needed when I was a young, 15-year-old kid, when I was being told rap music wasn’t for Australia? It wasn’t like they were just saying rap music wasn’t for Koori kids, they were saying rap music wasn’t for Australia. And I think we nailed it with our album Reclaim Australia, to be honest. When it really made sense for me was when my cousins and nephews were playing our music on Bluetooth speakers at parties. That’s when I knew we’d achieved what we had set out to do.

Tell us about your next body of work and how you’ve approached putting it together.

I really wanted to set Briggs apart from A.B. Original, so with Briggs, it’s me as a person. There are other avenues for me to explore as an artist and as an individual. I want to work with some people I haven’t worked with before, and something that translates to a good, fun, live show as well. And just explore some thoughts and ideas musically that I haven’t yet and aren’t A.B. Original-centric.

Tell us about some great up-and-coming Indigenous voices in music.

Alice Skye is going to be a mega-star. Kobie Dee. Nooky is a dark horse, a quadruple threat. Philly just dropped an incredible track called “Brown Skin.” Everything on our label Bad Apples is really exciting at the moment.

Spotify is proud to be an official partner of the National Indigenous Music Awards 2019 taking place tomorrow in Darwin, Australia. Briggs is nominated for Best Artist and Film Clip of the Year, having previously won Best New Artist and a number of other accolades since 2014. 

For more on how we’re working to amplify Indigenous Australian voices, read about our Sound Up Bootcamp in Sydney last fall.

Soothing Sounds for Spot: How Streaming Can Help Your Dog Relax

April 25, 2019

From $200 webcam treat dispensers to foie gras dog biscuits, there’s no shortage of products created to keep pups well behaved or happy. But dog owners might not know that they already have something to achieve the same effect: music. Streaming a playlist—not adding to the collection of half-eaten squeaky toys—might be all you need to help Fido keep calm.

Even though it might be one of your first thoughts, skip the Snoop Dogg. No Three Dog Night, no Temple of the Dog, and definitely no “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Classical is what works. In fact, there are hundreds of dog-relaxation playlists on Spotify that have been collectively streamed 8.6 million times in the past three months—all of them featuring soothing classical tracks.

“We are unsure why classical music has such a calming effect, but it does appear to be inherently enriching,” says Dr. Deborah Wells. As Reader in the School of Psychology and Director of the Animal Behaviour Centre of the Queen’s University Belfast, she’s published multiple studies on animal welfare and behavior—domestic dogs being her primary focus. She specifically advises: No heavy metal. It only increases anxiety.

Two playlists, Dog Music and Relaxing Sounds for Your Dog, are especially popular. They account for more than 60% of the abovementioned 8.6 million streams. Given the frequency at which they’re played, it’s likely one or the other will lull your dog into a relaxing state as well or better than a new rawhide bone.

Think of playing music for your pooch after you’ve left the house? No problem. It’s easy to stream Spotify from your phone, tablet or desktop while you’re at work, out for dinner, or just running errands. Follow the simple instructions for setting up a Google Home, Alexa, or other speaker.

Once you’re up and running, queue up a playlist. Hopefully, you’ll arrive home to a happy, mellow dog—who has a taste for Claude Debussy in lieu of leather oxfords.

Stream the most popular dog relaxation playlist, Dog Music.