Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told
Studio album by Snoop Dogg
Released	August 4, 1998
Recorded	1998
Genre	Diry South, West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap, g-funk
Length	76:03
Label	No Limit/Priority
Producer	Master P (exec.) Beats By the Pound, DJ Pooh, DJ Darryl, Meech Wells, Soopafly
Snoop Dogg chronology
Tha Doggfather (1996) Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998) No Limit Top Dogg (1999)

Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told is the third studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by No Limit Records on August 4, 1998. It is his first album following his departure from Death Row Records. It was also his first album to be released under a slight name change to Snoop Dogg.

Release and Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
E! Online	(B+) [2]
FFWD	[3]
Iowa State Daily	[4]
Robert Christgau	(C+) [5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
The Source	[7]
Spin	(5/10) [8]
Q	[9]
Los Angeles Times	[10]

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Album charts selling over 520,000 copies in it's first week,^[11] and remained on top for the second week also by selling additional 246,000 units according to Soundscan. It remained in the top ten for five weeks; thus it was quickly certified double platinum later that year.^[12] The album featured mostly No Limit artists and was a departure from Snoop Dogg's first two albums which were strictly West Coast. It is generally considered by critics and fans as one of his worst albums.

Unlike his two previous two studio albums, Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told received generally negative to moderate reviews. Q gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, saying "Dogg's vocals can actually verge on the sublime....in glorious slow motion, and the undercurrent vibe is distinctly soulful."^[9]

The Source gave it 3.5 Mics out of 5, saying "[f]ew MCs from the West have ever gotten as much acceptance and acclaim from outside regions… No Limit's latest soldier isn't trying to rock the boat with his third album… the vibrant vocalist is very happy to be with rap's top squad."^[7]

Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone gave the album 2 out of 5 stars, saying that Snoop's work lacked the confidence and originality displayed on his earlier albums.^[6]

Track listing

#	Title	Producer(s)	Feature guest(s)	Composer(s)	Notes	Length
1	"Snoop World"	KLC	Master P	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Percy Robert Miller Sr., Craig S. Lawson	-	5:20
2	"I Can't Take the Heat"1	O'Dell	Mia X, O'Dell, Anita Thomas	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Mia Young, O'Dell Vickers, Anita Thomas, J. Eugene, C. McIntosh, S. Nichol	Contains interpolation of "Slow Down" by Loose Ends.	4:10
3	"Woof!"	Craig B & Master P	Fiend, Mystikal	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Richard Anthony Jones Jr., Michael Tyler, Craig Bazile, Percy Robert Miller Sr., George Clinton Jr.	Contains interpolation of "Atomic Dog" by G. Clinton[13]	4:22
4	"Gin & Juice II"	Carlos Stephens		Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Carlos Stephens	Tends to be a sequel to Gin and Juice	3:36
5	"Show Me Love"	DJ Pooh	Charlie Wilson	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Charles Kent Wilson, Mark Jordan		3:53
6	"Hustle & Ball"	O'Dell		Cordazar Calvin Broadus, O'Dell Vickers		3:26
7	"Don't Let Go"	DJ Darryl		Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Darryl Anderson		3:47
8	"Tru Tank Doggs"	KLC	Mystikal	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Michael Tyler, Craig S. Lawson		3:55
9	"Whatcha Gon Do?"	Master P	Master P	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Percy Robert Miller Sr.		2:37
10	"Still a G Thang"	Meech Wells		Cordazar Calvin broadus, Meech Wells	Sequel to Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang by Dr. Dre	4:20
11	"20 Dollars to My Name"	Master P	Fiend, Master P Silkk the Shocker, and Soulja Slim	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Richard Anthony Jones, Percy Robert Miller Sr., Vyshonn King Miller, James A'Darryl Tapp		4:09
12	"D.O.G.'s Get Lonely 2"	Meech Wells & Snoop Dogg	Jon B	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Jonathan David Buck, Meech Wells	Samples Jon B.'s "They Don't Know" and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" by The Time	3:15
13	"Ain't Nut'in Personal"	Craig B	C-Murder, Silkk The Shocker,	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Corey Miller, Alfonso Sausa, Vyshonn King Miller, Craig Bazile		3:37
14	"Dogg Pound Gangsta"	Craig B	C-Murder, Eddie Griffin	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Corey Miller, Eddie Griffin, Craig Bazile, Steven Ralph Arrington, Leroy Bonner, Charles C. Carter, Buddy Hank, O'Shea B. Jackson, Ralph Middlebrooks, Walter Morrison, Bruce Napier, Andrew Noland, Roger Parker, Lorenzo Jerald Patterson, Mervin Pierce, Greg Webster, Eric Lynn Wright, Andre Romell Young	Reworks N.W.A.'s "Gangsta, Gangsta". Also appears on NWA's 10th anniversary edition as "Gangsta, Gangsta".	4:53
15	"Game Of Life"	Carlos Stephens	Steady Mobb'n	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Alfonso Sausa, Carlos Stephens	Contains sample of Whodini's "Five Minutes Of Funk" also title track for the movie Game of Life.	3:52
16	"See Ya When I Get There"	Meech Wells	C-Murder & Mystikal	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Corey Miller, Michael Tyler, Meech Wells		3:20
17	"Pay for Pussy"	Snoop Dogg	Big Pimpin' Delemond	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Dwight Delemond Williams		1:43
18	"Picture This"	Craig B	Mia X	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Mia Young, Craig Bazile		2:31
19	"Doggz Gonna Get Ya"	KLC	Mac	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, McKinley Phipps, Craig S. Lawson, A. Colandreo, Lawrence Krisna Parker	Interpolates KRS-One's "Love's Gonna Get Ya"	4:59
20	"Hoes, Money & Clout"	Soopafly		Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Priest Brooks	Scratches by Daz Dillinger. Unofficial video is compiled in the Game of Life movie directed by Michael Martin.	3:21
21	"Get Bout It & Rowdy"	KLC	Master P	Cordazar Calvin Broadus, Percy Robert Miller Sr., Craig S. Lawson		4:22

Chart performance

Singles

Title	Chart positions						Video Director
	US Hot 100	USA Singles Top 40	US R&B/Hip-Hop	US Rap	Radio & Records Airplay - Urban	Radio & Records Airplay - Rhythmic
"Slow Down" (I Can't Take The Heat)[1]	41	-	32	4	-	-	Gerald K. Barclay
"Still a G Thang"	19	35	16	3	15	29	Michael Martin
"Woof!"[2]	62	36	31	3	-	-	No Limit Films (Master P?)

• ^ ="Slow Down" was also released as a Mia X single "I Can't Take The Heat" on the B-side of her 12" EP Whatcha Wanna Do. Chart positions represent the EP's entries.
• ^ ="Woof" was also a part of the Who U Wit compilation by No Limit All Stars in 1999.

Album

	Album Charts
	Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	Billboard Year-end album chart 1998	UK Top 75 Album	Australia Top 100	Canada Top 100	RIAA Certification
Position	1	1	42	28	14	4	2X Platinum
Date	22.08.1998	1998	1998	15.08.1998	22.08.1998	15.08.1998	22.10.1998

See also

• Number-one albums of 1998 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1998 (U.S.)

References

• Chart Data
• Music Video Database
• Top 40 Charts
• Clipland
• Weekly Wire review
• Launch review
• Slumz of Boxden

1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Snoop Dogg: The Game Is to Be Sold Not to Be Told > Review" at Allmusic. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
2. ^ E! Online review^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Litorco, Frank (July 30, 1998). "Snoop Dogg: The Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told". Fast Forward Weekly (Calgary: Great West Newspapers) (Vol. 3 #31). ISSN 1914-3125. http://ffwdweekly.com/Issues/1998/0730/cd1.html. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
4. ^ "Solo-Zombie Screams from the Bowels of Hell". Iowa State Daily (Ames: Iowa State University). September 9, 1998. OCLC 232117907. http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/1998/09/09/316774/Solo-Zombie.Screams.From.The.Bowels.Of.hell-1075017.shtml. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Snoop Dogg". RobertChristgau.com. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3759. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} DeCurtis, Anthony (October 14, 1998). "Snoop Dogg: Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow) (RS 795). ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on February 25, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070225023217/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/masterp/albums/album/224374/review/6212119. 
7. ^ ^{a b} "Review of Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, by Snoop Dogg". The Source (New York): 239. September 1998. ISSN 1063-2085. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1127169&style=music&cart=358537095&BAB=M. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
8. ^ Christgau, Robert (November 1998). "Snoop Dogg: Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told". Spin. ISSN 0886-3032. http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cdrev/snoop-spi.php. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Review of Da Game is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, by Snoop Dogg". Q (Bauer Media Group): 130. December 1999. ISSN 0955-4955. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1127169&style=music&cart=358537095&BAB=M. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
10. ^ Weingarten, Marc (August 1, 1998). "Snoop Dogg Retains His Bite". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/01/entertainment/ca-9019. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
11. ^ Boehlert, Eric (August 12, 1998). "Da Chart Game Is Won". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow). ISSN 0035-791X. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/da-chart-game-is-won-19980812. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
12. ^ Boehlert, Eric (August 20, 1998). "Snoop, Armageddon Dominate Again". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow). ISSN 0035-791X. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/snoop-armageddon-dominate-again-19980820. Retrieved April 24, 2008. 
13. ^ United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee]^{[dead link]}

Preceded by Hello Nasty by Beastie Boys

Billboard 200 number-one album August 22 - September 4, 1998

Succeeded by Follow the Leader by KoЯn