Willie Nelson performs at "A Salute to the Troops: In Performance at the White House" on the South Lawn on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014, in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS)
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg? It definitely isn’t their musical styles or the ages of their fans. In fact, musically the two have nothing in common. Nelson, born and raised in Texas, plays the acoustic guitar with simple country lyrics. He was a vital part in popularizing country music. Meanwhile, Dogg, a Dr. Dre discovery, uses smooth funk rhythms with more complex lyrics. He is most notable for his albums, “Doggystyle," “Doggfather” and “Doggumentary." The two artists find common ground in their love of a certain herb. Nelson and Dogg are both extremely iconic for their love of smoking marijuana.
Nelson took an unexpected dip into reggae in 2005. His album, "Countryman," clashed his deep country roots with Jamaican rhythms. The result of this unusual experiment was surprisingly enjoyable. It takes the brain a while to adjust, but songs like, “The Harder They Come” and the Johnny Cash cover, “I’m A Worried Man,” successfully converge unlikely genres.
Recording artist Snoop Dogg performs onstage during Day 3 of the DirecTV Super Fan Festival at Pendergast Family Farm on January 30, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images for DirecTV)The two artists joined forces in 2011 with “Superman," which turned out to be unintentional comic relief. Nelson starts the song by talking about the carpal tunnel operation he had, while referring to Snoop as “Snoopy." Imagine a grandpa rambling to his grandson after one too many eggnogs on Christmas. Their second collaboration “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” is a musical jambalaya. Listening to Snoop Dogg’s country style voice is a little cringe worthy, but the brain won’t tell the ears to stop listening. It's similar to when “Hotel California” comes on the radio. You know you will regret listening to its mind-consuming lyrics, yet it still has some sort of grasp of you.
Snoop and Nelson's age difference is evident in the first few moments of hearing their music. Nelson has a classic, rough country voice, and Dogg has a smooth, laid back style. Nevertheless, the age gap does not affect Nelson’s ability to keep up with Dogg’s smoking. Dogg said Nelson is one of the only people that can out smoke him. In fact, Nelson lets nothing about his age get in the way of his music. The 81 year old is still touring, making good music and keeping his fans happy.
Some people are meant to be doctors and lawyers. They spend years putting blood, sweat and tears into getting an education that allows them to practice this profession. People like Nelson and Dogg have it so much easier. Their calling in life is to smoke weed and make music.
Tell the author your favorite unlikely duo at randrew3@asu.edu.
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