After being one of the cornerstones of Death Row Records, Snoop Dogg became hip-hop’s most prized free agent in 1997. Eventually, Snoop signed with Master P’s No Limit Records in 1998 in a move that gave him protection against those who allegedly sought to threaten his life, such as Death Row CEO Suge Knight; he released his Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told as his first album with the fledgling label. When The Doggfather (1996) was released and received a lukewarm reception, many wondered if Snoop could regain his status as one of hip-hop’s elite MCs because he was not working with Dr. Dre’s production.

While the Da Game… was a solid offering and sold more than two million copies,  it did not make the kind of noise that would leave an imprint as the rap music landscape continued to evolve. For his second No Limit project, Snoop proved that his best days were still in front of him with the release of his No Limit Top Dogg,

Released on May 11, 1999, just 8 months after the release of Da Game…, Snoop concocted a similar formula that brought him success in the past, such as enlisting the services of Dr. Dre, marking the first time they worked together on record since their departures from Death Row. No Limit Top Dogg was a return to the G-Funk motif, with Dre producing three songs that catapulted Snoop into a megastar.

The album also features Nate Dogg and Warren G., who were absent from his previous album. Other West Coast contributions come from Jewell, DJ Quik, and Raphael Saadiq. Noticeably missing was the presence of Beats By The Pound, the in-house production team of No Limit that crafted the sound of Da Game…On No Limit Top Dogg, Beats By The Pound only contributed two cuts.

In an interview with MTV News, Snoop explained the album's creative process.

"Master P signed me, so he had the right to dictate and direct me on the first album because he was bringing me out as a No Limit soldier. To let me have creative control from the beginning wouldn't have been the smartest thing to do,” Snoop explained.

For the first single, Snoop dropped "G Bedtime Stories," produced by Meech Wells. This uptempo track perfectly complements Snoop’s smooth, rapid-fire delivery.

On this track,  Snoop details a story about how he shot and killed someone, which was reminiscent of Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story” and  Ice Cube’s  “A Gangsta’s Fairytale.” In Snoop’s enormous music canon, “G Bedtime Stories” is one of his strongest story songs.

“B*tch Please,” featuring Xzibit and Nate Dogg, was the album’s second and most successful single. The song reunited Snoop and Dre, whose organic chemistry is undeniable. It was like riding a bike.  

Without question, Xzibit steals the show with a classic verse, he rapped, “You ain't trying to hot box with me, I swing hard liquor/Going down by the second round, all hail the underground/How that sound? Xzibit backing down from a conflict/F**k the nonsense! Terrorist, hidden bomb sh*t/Glass and metal in every direction/Innocent bystanders taught a very hard lesson.” 

“Uncle Snoop” followed up with his signature melodic flow.

Snoop rapped, “Oh no, big Snoop Dogg. Back up in the heezee bay-bay.You jockin' my style? "You so cra-zy"/Dre say, ain't "No Limit" to this/As long as we drop gangsta shit/Look here bitch, you fine and I dig your style/Come f**k with a ni**a and do it "Doggystyle"/I'll be gentle, sentimental.”

His highest charting single from the project, “B*tch Please,” peaked at number 77 on the Billboard 100.

“Down 4 My N's,” the album's last single, became an immediate street anthem that resonated across the country. Featuring C-Murder and Magic and produced by KLC, the song was a club banger that got crowds rowdy as they packed the dancefloor, capturing No Limit's energy at its peak.

Other standout tracks from the album include the guitar-laden “Buck Em” featuring Sticky Fingaz, the 80’s synth-funk of “My Heart Goes Boom,” the laid-back funk of “Doin’ Too Much” produced by Dj Quik all give the project a rich tapestry that brought out the best in Snoop Continuing his tradition, Snoop also covered another classic rap song with the song "Snoopafella" which was reimagining of Dana Dane’s "Cinderfella” produced by Ant Banks.

A commercial success, No Limit Top Dogg debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 187,000 copies in its first week. The album would go on to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Besides being Snoop’s best album on No Limit, No Limit Top Dogg was one of the best projects of the entire year, proving that Snoop could still curate a compelling body of work.

Instead of creating another assembly-line No Limit album, Snoop rediscovered the essence of what made him such a great MC and infectious personality. The result was Snoop’s best work since Doggystyle.

This album was the launching pad to the pop success that Snoop would receive just a few years after its release. No Limit Top Dogg showed that Snoop was not just a performer but matured into a viable artist who could reinvent his sound and style to remain at the top of the game.