Stop Sleeping: The D.O.C.

Hip Hop, shit most genres, are built on the backs of the artists that are legends to diehard fans and artists, but hardly known to the tourists. The D.O.C. is a one of these artists. He is legend and I am guessing that the vast majority of people barely know of him or his importance to the genre.

Even then most that do know him, know him as the raspy voice from the $20 Sack Pyramid skit on The Chronic by Dr. Dre. Unfortunately a near fatal car accident and a crushed larynx robbed him of his voice and us of his potential output.

I still vividly remember sitting in my parent’s living room, maybe 15 or 16 and seeing that black Los Angeles Kings hat with the silver cursive writing for the first time. It was oh so similar to the Los Angeles Raiders hats that NWA was wearing at the time but oh so different and exciting. I was watching YO! MTV Raps and they throw to the video for Funky Enough by The D.O.C., this was the first time I was hearing of The D.O.C. but the appearance of Eazy-E at the start of the video was a huge co-sign and by the time he dropped his first few bars over Dre’s menacing beat I was sold.

There was something different about Funky Enough, it was kind of east coast, with a hit of Caribbean cadence and a little sing songy all mashed up in a gravely steady flow that showcased his lyrics and style perfectly.

Funky Enough was the lead single from his debut album (and really the only album people think about when they think about The D.O.C.) No One Can Do It Better which was a stellar example of the potential for Los Angeles Gangster rap. It also gave Dr. Dre an added wrinkle to his production style, expanding upon the already remarkable work with Eazy Duz It and Straight Outta Compton. Tracks like Funky Enough, Let The Bass Go, The D.O.C. and the Doctor, No One Can Do It Better, The Grand Finale (which is essentially an NWA song featuring The D.O.C.) and The Formula, which is absolutely glorious; showcase the unique and eloquent stylings of the The D.O.C. Sure it suffers from many of the trappings of the day, like sped up disco-ish tracks, the obligatory guitar heavy song about bitches, and a few boring skits, but the foundation for a truly interesting and exceptionally skilled artist was set.

Unfortunately the aforementioned car crash destroyed his voice, but that was not the end of his contributions. He turned more to writing, continuing in the vein of his work with NWA and Eazy E, he wrote on the Death Row classics The Chronic and Doggy Style. Continuing to have his hands in some of the genre's most important releases.

It is easy to wonder what could have been, would we have seen a break out star like Ice Cube or Snoop? Or perhaps might he have fallen back into the shadows like MC Ren?

I guess we will never know, I am just happy that we got No One Can Do It Better, it has been bringing me joy for over twenty years.

Thank you for that DOC.