This will also be the first time we get to see Snoop behind the boards as a producer, using the alias “Niggeraci”. “Until I did this record, none of these guys had nothing ready to come out,” Snoop says. “Nobody was knocking on their doors saying, ‘Hey, man, when’s your album coming out? I want to give you this opportunity.’ So, this is me just bum-rushing the game, squeezing the game right now, saying, ‘Forget that. Ya’ll going to listen to this right now.”

He has brokered a deal with Koch Records, whom Snoop says realized his “clout” within the music business (as he’s sold over 17 million records), and were anxious to get into a situation with him. “It’s still a star business, and he’s one of the top three or four guys,” says Alan Grunblatt, general manager of Koch Records. “He did have big records with Tha Eastsidaz, so it’s not like he hasn’t been successful in the past and he can’t be successful again.”

With a steady filling of appearances by Westurn Union and Warzone, “The Big Squeeze” is described as an “enjoyable, funk-inspired album”. Snoop also plans to release full length albums for both groups on Koch later this year. Westurn Union, whose lineup includes Snoop, Soopafly, Damani, and newcomer Bad Lucc, is a bright spot, as Soopafly explains their status, saying: “We had to mess with Snoop,”“He’s the only one looking back and really reaching out to those that don’t have it. He understands West Coast music the best, more so than any label.”

Warzone, which is comprised of WC Legend Mc Eiht, and Goldie Loc (formerly of tha Eastsidaz) feel that they have what it takes to make it as a group, due to them already knowing the game, and making good street music. “Being from the streets, everybody had their own circles that they ran in,” says MC Eiht. “I don’t know if they were afraid that the person was going to get bigger than them. This is sort of like a competition.”

Snoop is just relishing in this chance to give artists the ability to be heard however, explaining:”It was just a matter of time before these record labels would give me a scenario like a Jay-Z or a Jermaine Dupri,” “All these labels call me when they get ready to put an artist out and they need a hot single or Snoop on a verse, but they won’t give me that look for my people, so I had to really just be effective and efficient and say, ‘You know what, I’m not going to wait on nothing because it’s the same game every time.” I just decided to produce this record, put it out and shoot dice like I always do. If it crap out, we’ll shoot again. If it hit, we’ll still shoot again. That’s what we do.”