Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told is the third studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; it was released by No Limit Records on August 4, 1998 in the United States. It is his first album following his departure from Death Row Records in early 1998. It was also his first album to be released under a slight change to his stage name “Snoop Dogg” for contractual reasons.In l
In September 1996, shortly before the release of Snoop’s second album Tha Doggfather, his friend and label-mate at Death Row Records, Tupac Shakur, was murdered in a drive-by shooting that many fans and other rappers believed to be a part of rising tensions between the East and West Coast hip hop scenes.
In March 1997, noted East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was popularly known as “Biggie”, was also murdered in a drive-by shooting which was also attributed by fans to the tensions between the coastal hip hop scenes.
Snoop Dogg began to fear for his own safety due to the murders of Tupac and Biggie and also because Death Row Records was acknowledged by its artists in retrospect to be an unprofessional place during this time, with label founder Suge Knight incarcerated and many people with criminal pasts associated with the label.
In March 1997, noted East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was popularly known as “Biggie”, was also murdered in a drive-by shooting which was also attributed by fans to the tensions between the coastal hip hop scenes.
In 1997, No Limit rapper Mystikal invited Snoop to be on his record Unpredictable on a song called “Gangstas” with label head Master P.
Snoop developed a good relationship with the No Limit rappers and after another guest appearance on No Limit artist Silkk the Shocker’s LP, Snoop was reported to have been signed to No Limit by Master P in March 1998. Snoop said at the time that: “Snoop Dogg is universal so he can fit into any camp-especially a camp that knows how to handmake shit[;] [a]nd, No Limit hand makes material. They make material fittin’ to the artist and they know what type of shit Snoop Dogg is supposed to be on. That’s why it’s so tight.” The album featured mostly No Limit artists and was a departure from Snoop Dogg’s first two albums which were strictly West Coast.[specify] 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.”
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.”
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.
