Claim: Snoop Dogg has worked with Death Row Records.

Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg . It was released on November 12 , 1996 , by Death Row Records and Interscope Records . After the success of his debut album Doggystyle -LRB- 1993 -RRB- , Snoop was charged with murder and in 1995 , spent time preparing for the case that went to trial . In February 1996 , he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album without Dr. Dre providing work as a record producer . This was Snoop 's final album on Death Row Records under his name of Snoop Doggy Dogg . Recording sessions took place from February 1996 to October 1996 , with Suge Knight filling in as the executive producer on the album , alongside the additional production from several record producers such as DJ Pooh , Daz Dillinger , Soopafly and L.T. Hutton ; as well as guest appearances from Charlie Wilson , Kurupt tha Kingpin , Tray Dee and Warren G , among others .   The album debuted at number one during the week of November 12 , 1996 , selling 479,000 copies , but it failed to match the commercial success of Doggystyle and 2Pac 's album The Don Killuminati : The 7 Day Theory -LRB- 1996 -RRB- . In 1996 , 2Pac became friends with Snoop , and then died weeks before the release of Tha Doggfather . Dr. Dre left Death Row to his partner Suge Knight , who was indicted for racketeering by the end of 1996 . Consequently , Snoop 's second album stalled at sales of two million copies . It was released only one week , after another Death Row release , the first posthumous album by slain Makaveli , The Don Killuminati : The 7 Day Theory , which debuted at number one . The illustration on the back cover of the CD was done by Joe Cool , the same artist , who did the front cover of Snoop 's previous album Doggystyle .