Christmas on Death Row

Since its inception, Death Row Records has been synonymous with "gangsta." The naughty, but mesmerizing lyrics of Snoop Doggy Dogg, combined with the producing talents of Dr. Dre, have fascinated a generation of both suburban and inner-city teens. Since the release of Dre's "The Chronic" in 1993, countless articles have appeared in national news publications to analyze the cultural significance and the streetwise immorality of Snoop and Dre's violent and sexist rhymes. Regardless of their elders' critiques, young people embraced the gritty urban "reality" expressed by Snoop, Dre, 2Pac, Tha Dogg Pound and their Death Row "inmates," and gangsta rap albums became the best-selling rap albums ever, representing the only awareness of hip-hop music and culture for many suburban young people.

The past year, however, has spelled certain doom for gangsta rap, at least in terms of sales and media attention. The assassination of Tupac Shakur, the legal difficulties of Death Row executive Suge Knight, the departure of Dr. Dre from the label and constant media scrutiny of Death Row's business practices, have produced a negative public reaction toward the entire concept of gangsta rap. In an October 1996 interview in "Vibe" magazine, Dre summed up the public's new negativity towards the gangsta business: "I just want to be positive...I want nothing that has to do with Dr. Dre. I ain't no gangster." Left without the profits of their trademark gangsta genre, Death Row has struggled recently to find new directions for the label, hiring a new crop of R&B and soul artists in an attempt to appeal to a wider range of African-American musical styles.

"Christmas on Death Row" reflects the confusion of a label struggling to woo new markets, while still holding desperately to the gangsta tradition which once proved so lucrative. Shrewdly realizing that the largest audience for any Death Row album is still a mix of African-American teens and suburban white wannabes, executive producer Suge Knight places tracks by Snoop Doggy Dogg ("Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto") and Tha Dogg Pound ("I Wish") in prominent positions as tracks one and three on the disc. Thus, anyone who listens to a demo version at a record store will be treated immediately to the music that will sell the record. The remainder of the disc is a hodgepodge of classic Christmas carols and songs, with scattered original soul numbers, all performed by the unknown talents of Guess, Danny Boy, Six Feet Deep and others. Clearly, Knight relies on two songs by his established gangsta talents to draw people into a discovery and appreciation of the sensitive and soulful singing in which the future of the label is based.

If you approach this album with an open mind, you'll probably be impressed by much of what you hear. This is not a typical Death Row album--in fact, the vulgarity and obscenity you might expect from Snoop is completely absent. This is a family Christmas album, not a gangsta interpretation of the holidays. Expectations aside, the disc showcases some obscure, but outstanding talent. Standouts include an incredibly powerful rendition of "Silver Bells" sung by Michel'le and an infectiously funky original composition, "Be Thankful," by crooner cult-hero Nate Dogg.

In fact Snoop's contribution, while necessary to sell the album, is among the least satisfying pieces on the album. Rapping about Santa Claus sightings or Christmas with his family, Snoop seems out of his element when he forsakes his smooth-talking gangsta demeanor. On the other hand, Tha Dogg Pound present a refreshing and sincere departure from their "thug-life" attitudes in the form of a Christmas prayer:

Please help me out, cuz this is my last days
And if I die today, I'm goin to hell and that ain't the way
That I wanna live my life, see
I'm havin' a few simple problems and you're the One who can help me.
I read my Bible to keep in tune with what You say
But this is the first time in nineteen years that I ever prayed
to be straight up and be serious...

The chorus of "I Wish" begs "I wish I had love...", and the song concludes with shouts-out and wishes for all their homies to find love, too. Coming from guys named Kurupt and Bad Ass, the sentiments seem even more heart-warming.

Most of the remaining tracks are covers of well-known Christmas tunes, including "Silent Night", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Frosty the Snowman" and "O Holy Night". "On this Glorious Day" is a lyrically superb, but musically forgettable Christmas love song a la "Boyz II Men" performed by 816. Unfortunately, with the exception of Nate Dogg's "Be Thankful" and Tha Dogg Pound's "I Wish," most of the original tunes are unmemorable. In fact, "Christmas in the Ghetto," by Operation from the Bottom, and "Party 4 da Homies" by Sean Barney Thomas are so idiotic that they deserve the skip button every time. Really folks, I had a hard time getting through these two.

Overall, it's safe to say that Death Row has put together a nice stable of talented R&B/soul singers that could easily hit it big in the future. "Christmas on Death Row" is an okay Christmas album--a good collection of holiday favorites, and a few original gems. If you appreciate the emotion and rhythm of soul music, or if you're just looking for a new interpretation of precious Christmas favorites, "Christmas on Death Row" might be worth checking out. If you can get past the title, and your impressions of what the company stands for, you'll find an album that preserves the spirit of love and joy that Christmas is all about.