Snoop Dogg Says 2Pac's 'Spirit Is All in Me' and Credits Him for Elevating His Style and Work Ethic

Snoop Dogg says 2Pac’s spirit lives in him.

In a new interview with the R&B Money Podcast, the iconic West Coast rapper talked about how the late 2Pac influenced him and the culture at Death Row Records.

Around the one hour and 56 minute mark in the video linked above, Snoop says Pac encouraged him to elevate his style and get a more polished look.

“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,’” Snoop recalled. “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.’”

He also described the late rapper, who was killed at age 25 in 1996 in a drive-by shooting, as someone who had a deep understanding of stardom and professionalism that quickly transformed how Death Row operated.

“He was way ahead of us. We was just artists, he was a superstar, you see what I'm saying? That's just the truth. He probably wasn't a big ass superstar, but he was a superstar as far as knowing and understanding what it takes to be a star,” said Snoop.

“He had been in movies. He had been on sets and he knew that Death Row was big, but it was certain things that we was doing that he helped us get great at. Like spontaneous, making music and putting shit out and just—he taught us that.”

One of the immediate ways Pac influenced Death Row was how they managed their productivity, specifically studio time, Snoop claims.

“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,’” he said. “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?’”

However, Snoop believes he’s carrying the spirit of productivity the “California Love” rapper left behind.

“As I move with Death Row now, his spirit is all in me. Like that's how I move. I don't wait. I used to wait,” claimed Snoop, who acquired the iconic record label in 2022.

Instead of lingering on one song, Snoop says Pac pushed the label to stay focused on continuously creating new music and leaving the final touches to the engineers.

“With Tupac, n***a, we on song 16 right now. For real,” Snoop said. “While you n****s is listening to songs, he said the engineer's job is to listen to it, ‘That ain't my job.’ Makes sense, right? [The] Engineer’s job is to straighten all this shit out, like, we falling in love with the record. ‘What we doing? Get to the next one.’ The next may be better than that one.”