Deep Cover (song)

"Deep Cover"
Single by Dr. Dre introducing Snoop Dogg
from the album Deep Cover
Released	April 9, 1992
Format	12" single
Recorded	1991[1]
Genre	West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap, g-funk
Length	4:15
Label	Epic Records
Writer(s)	André Young, Calvin Broadus, Jr., Colin Wolfe
Producer	Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre chronology
"Puffin on Blunts and Drankin Tanqueray" (1991) "Deep Cover" (1992) "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" (1992)
Snoop Doggy Dogg chronology "Deep Cover" (1992) "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" (1992)

"Deep Cover", also known as "187",^[2] is Dr. Dre's debut solo single, his first song since the N.W.A. break up. It was made for the soundtrack from the film Deep Cover (1992). The song features Snoop Dogg making his first appearance on record.

History

The album peaked on the Billboard 200 albums chart at #166 on July 25, 1992. Apart from the soundtrack compilation, it also appeared as a single and on Dr. Dre's First Round Knock Out (1996), which spent 2 weeks on the Billboard 200 starting at #52 and later on several greatest hits albums, including: Doggy Stuff and Doggy Style Hits.

Like the artist indication on the original 12" vinyl says, "Dr. Dre introducing Snoop Doggy Dogg", it is the first time Snoop Dogg was featured on a record. As a single it had no major breakthrough regarding sales, but it launched Snoop Dogg's career. It samples a number of 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s funk acts, such as Undisputed Truth's "(I Know) I'm Losing You" and Sly & the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song" (which provided the drumbeat). The single was set to be released on The Chronic (1992), but fallout from Body Count's banned song, "Cop Killer", prevented it since this song is also about killing police officers.^{[citation needed]}

The film itself did not have much success (it only received 2 nominations on the Independent Spirits Awards in 1993), but the song was well received. The song was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on the radio station Radio Los Santos. During the 2007 VH1 Hip Hop Honors show, T.I. and B.G. performed this song during Snoop's honor ceremony.

Track Listing

• 1. Deep Cover (U-N-C-E-N-S-O-R-E-D)4:27
  2. Deep Cover (Radio Version) 3:48
  3. Deep Cover (Instrumental) 3:54

Music video

The plot of the video resembles that of the same-titled movie starring Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum. An undercover cop goes deep in the hierarchic pyramid of the underground mafia to get the bosses locked up, and "goes deep" also by getting addicted to drugs while trying to not reveal himself. The video begins in the first scene with Snoop (Snoop's first appearance in a music video), Dre and a black kingpin in a smoky office in the middle of an initiation where Snoop has to decide between the pipe and being caught up.

After that introduction the music starts but the rest of the video is rather cut-to-cut and is a mixture of some five seconds long takes in black and white and some pictures from the motion picture. The scenes take place in a filthy concrete bungalow with several crack addicts and a projector flashing the movie itself on the wall. The house is later raided by the drug squad. There's also a scene with Snoop and Dre wearing business suits in a car, but it has no additional meaning to the plot.

Remixes

• There is a previous version of the song entitled One Eight Seven (later known as Deep Cover Remix from the Fuck Wit Dre Day 12-inch EP, the 1995 album One Million Strong and the Death Row compilation Dr. Dre Chronicles: Deathrow Classics) which has a slightly modified sample and alternate lyrics. It is also a minute shorter (3:20). The title, which is also a part of the chorus refers to the police code, which stands for Murder in the US state of California.

• A song by Big Pun, featuring Fat Joe, called "Twinz (Deep Cover '98)", from his album Capital Punishment, featured the same beat and different lyrics. It is featured in the video games Saints Row 2, True Crime: New York City, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, on the rap radio station The Liberty Jam.

• Ghostface Killah from the Wu-Tang Clan and DJ Green Lantern used the instrumental for their 'Internet Invasion' Mixtape's first song.

• The Game used the beat on his song "911 is a joke (Cop Killa)"

• English grime-artist, Giggs, used a similar beat in his song "Monsta Man".

References

1. ^ http://google.com/search?q=cache:Cmq6s3-6wPsJ:www.rapcentral.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D60%26t%3D33219+deep+cover+187+1991&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
2. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuck_Wit_Dre_Day#Track_listing

External links

• Chart Data
• Discogs
• Music Video Database
• Rap Samples FAQ
• Deep Cover Music Video