Doggy Dogg

Near the end of "The Show," an up-close look inside the world of hip-hop, a group of old-school rappers sharing war stories at a coffee shop are asked to discuss the meaning of hip-hop.Their answers center on expression -- the craft of creating new rhymes, capturing all kinds of situations, performing. Somebody gets up and imitates a gangsta rapper by moving from side to side, implying that the new stars don't work very hard to entertain. "You come to see us, you see a show," says one veteran.

In the wee hours of March 9, 1997, Christopher Wallace -- a man known to millions of rap fans as Biggie Smalls or Notorious B.I.G. -- was shot to death while sitting in a black Chevy Suburban outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles.Coming barely six months after the similarly violent demise of fellow rap star Tupac Shakur, Biggie's death left the rap world reeling. There was an immediate outpouring of grief -- and a flood of rumors. Many wondered if the two deaths weren't an outgrowth of the much-hyped gangsta rap "war" between the West Coast crew of Death Row Records (of which Tupac was a part)

A Frederick man was found guilty of assault yesterday for posing as an enforcer to collect $10,400 in sports gambling debts from two University of Maryland Baltimore County students last October.But a jury in Baltimore County Circuit Court took less than an hour to reject more serious armed robbery and handgun charges against Chih Yang "Kenny" Lin, 24, who then also was a UMBC student but has graduated with a degree in biochemistry.Judge J. William Hinkel scheduled sentencing on the two assault convictions for April 12. Lin and his family, all natives of Taiwan who moved to Maryland in 1966, expressed relief at the verdict.

Things ought to look pretty good for Death Row Records right now. This week finds the Death Row soundtrack to "Gridlock'd" -- which features the late Tupac Shakur both as co-star and musician -- atop both the Billboard Hot 200 and R&B Albums charts.Moreover, the "Gridlock'd" album kicks off with a duet between 2Pac and the label's other big name, Snoop Doggy Dogg. Add in a new, MTV-friendly single from Snoop himself (a cover of the Biz Markie oldie "Vapors") plus continuing strong sales for Makaveli's "The Don Killuminati" album (another 2Pac project)

Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg were among the big winners when the Source Awards -- the world's first rap-oriented awards show -- were handed out in New York's Paramount theater Monday night.Dre, easily the evening's biggest winner, took home trophies for Artist of the Year (Solo), Album of the Year and Producer of the Year. Among those productions was Snoop Doggy Dogg's debut, "Doggy Style," a title that helped Snoop win the New Artist of the Year (Solo) and Lyricist of the Year awards.Staten Island's Wu-Tang Clan were named New Artist of the Year (Group)

Issues involving teens and sex occupy two programs, including an NBC TV movie about a school official sexually harassing students and a PBS special making a serious examination of pregnancy and sex education in schools.* "The Nanny" (8 p.m.-8:30 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- The old mistaken-sexual-identity plot gets a twist. Catherine Oxenberg guest- stars as a publicist hired by Maxwell (Charles Shaughnessy). He's interested in her, but she's eyeing someone else. CBS.* "Murphy Brown" (9 p.m.-9:30 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13)

THE LINE between fantasy and reality is becoming dangerously blurred in the rap music world.In the past few months, several rappers whose songs have offered a glimpse into the crime, despair and violence of inner-city life have themselves been labeled criminals. Many of them are perpetrators of the hard core "gangsta rap" that glorifies murder, mayhem, misogyny and drug abuse.Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg is riding a wave of crossover success unprecedented for hip-hop performers.His rise to fame as co-rapper of the movie soundtrack "Deep Cover" featured him menacingly chanting "It's 1-8-7 [the police terminology for murder]

One night last month two incidents -- a music award and a killing -- pointed up the relationship between artistry and violence that defines Death Row Records, the nation's hottest producer of "gangsta rap" music:The debut album of Snoop Doggy Dogg, Death Row's charismatic superstar, took top honors at the Soul Train Music Awards. A few hours after the show, a 28-year-old fan was fatally stomped at a party the company threw for its out-of-town retailers and promoters.The slaying was the latest example of how Death Row's meteoric rise has been marked by violence and legal problems involving its key figures.

In the wee hours of March 9, 1997, Christopher Wallace -- a man known to millions of rap fans as Biggie Smalls or Notorious B.I.G. -- was shot to death while sitting in a black Chevy Suburban outside the Petersen Automotive Museum in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles.Coming barely six months after the similarly violent demise of fellow rap star Tupac Shakur, Biggie's death left the rap world reeling. There was an immediate outpouring of grief -- and a flood of rumors. Many wondered if the two deaths weren't an outgrowth of the much-hyped gangsta rap "war" between the West Coast crew of Death Row Records (of which Tupac was a part)

The gloomy countenance of rap artist Snoop Doggy Dogg recently graced the cover of Newsweek magazine. The caption noted that his most recent album hit number one on the charts at about the same time he was indicted for murder.Beads of sweat were noticeable on the rapper's face, which evoked defiance touched with a -- of bewilderment -- as if he were wondering whether his next album would be cut from the pernicious digs of San Quentin or Soledad.Snoop Doggy Dogg, born Calvin Broadus, is in the eye of the storm of controversy that surrounds ''gangsta'' rap. Some radio stations have refused to play it. Ministers and women's groups have condemned the genre for its glorification of violence and its misogynistic lyrics.

If the summer of '96 left pop fans with a profound sense of deja vu, as such reconstituted rock bands as KISS and the Sex Pistols toured the country, the fall ought to provide welcome relief -- at least to an extent.With new albums on the way from Dr. Dre, Sheryl Crow, Crash Test Dummies, Counting Crows, Phil Collins, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Babyface, Alan Jackson, Snoop Doggy Dogg and the "Evita" soundtrack (featuring Madonna), there will be no shortage of fresh sounds for the pre-Christmas season.

IF SOMEONE mentions the names of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, most folks would readily identify them as the two people who were killed by either O. J. Simpson or some as yet unidentified party in July 1994.Now here's a question: Who's Philip Woldemariam?Don't be embarrassed if you don't know. You really have to search to find out anything about the guy.Mr. Woldemariam was only 20 years old when a man pumped two bullets into him in Los Angeles' Woodbine Park on the evening of Aug. 25, 1993.

Civilization as we know it will not be ending today.Not that many people were expecting its imminent demise, particularly at the hands of something as trivial as "Dogg Food" (Death Row/Interscope 50546), the debut album by Tha Dogg Pound. But as those have followed the fight over hangsta rap -- specifically, the war against Interscope Records launched by William Bennett and C. Delores Tucker earlier this year -- are aware, Tha Dogg Pound album was what ultimately precipitated Time Warner's break with Interscope.

Issues involving teens and sex occupy two programs, including an NBC TV movie about a school official sexually harassing students and a PBS special making a serious examination of pregnancy and sex education in schools.* "The Nanny" (8 p.m.-8:30 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- The old mistaken-sexual-identity plot gets a twist. Catherine Oxenberg guest- stars as a publicist hired by Maxwell (Charles Shaughnessy). He's interested in her, but she's eyeing someone else. CBS.* "Murphy Brown" (9 p.m.-9:30 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13)

Near the end of "The Show," an up-close look inside the world of hip-hop, a group of old-school rappers sharing war stories at a coffee shop are asked to discuss the meaning of hip-hop.Their answers center on expression -- the craft of creating new rhymes, capturing all kinds of situations, performing. Somebody gets up and imitates a gangsta rapper by moving from side to side, implying that the new stars don't work very hard to entertain. "You come to see us, you see a show," says one veteran.

One night last month two incidents -- a music award and a killing -- pointed up the relationship between artistry and violence that defines Death Row Records, the nation's hottest producer of "gangsta rap" music:The debut album of Snoop Doggy Dogg, Death Row's charismatic superstar, took top honors at the Soul Train Music Awards. A few hours after the show, a 28-year-old fan was fatally stomped at a party the company threw for its out-of-town retailers and promoters.The slaying was the latest example of how Death Row's meteoric rise has been marked by violence and legal problems involving its key figures.

Warren G's approach to making records is fairly straightforward. "I try to do stuff different from everybody else," says the soft-voiced 23-year-old over the phone from a tour stop in Miami. "I put lyrics, rap lyrics, to music that people wouldn't usually put lyrics to, you know what I'm saying? That's basically it."Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But there must be more to it than that, because G Funk -- Warren G's term for the supple, bass-heavy hip-hop style he specializes in -- has clearly struck a chord with rap fans around the country.

Things ought to look pretty good for Death Row Records right now. This week finds the Death Row soundtrack to "Gridlock'd" -- which features the late Tupac Shakur both as co-star and musician -- atop both the Billboard Hot 200 and R&B Albums charts.Moreover, the "Gridlock'd" album kicks off with a duet between 2Pac and the label's other big name, Snoop Doggy Dogg. Add in a new, MTV-friendly single from Snoop himself (a cover of the Biz Markie oldie "Vapors") plus continuing strong sales for Makaveli's "The Don Killuminati" album (another 2Pac project)

A Frederick man was found guilty of assault yesterday for posing as an enforcer to collect $10,400 in sports gambling debts from two University of Maryland Baltimore County students last October.But a jury in Baltimore County Circuit Court took less than an hour to reject more serious armed robbery and handgun charges against Chih Yang "Kenny" Lin, 24, who then also was a UMBC student but has graduated with a degree in biochemistry.Judge J. William Hinkel scheduled sentencing on the two assault convictions for April 12. Lin and his family, all natives of Taiwan who moved to Maryland in 1966, expressed relief at the verdict.

Warren G's approach to making records is fairly straightforward. "I try to do stuff different from everybody else," says the soft-voiced 23-year-old over the phone from a tour stop in Miami. "I put lyrics, rap lyrics, to music that people wouldn't usually put lyrics to, you know what I'm saying? That's basically it."Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But there must be more to it than that, because G Funk -- Warren G's term for the supple, bass-heavy hip-hop style he specializes in -- has clearly struck a chord with rap fans around the country.