The D.O.C. Celebrates The 34th Anniversary Of ‘No One Can Do It Better’
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Ice-T, Ice Cube, and King Tee are often cited as the forefathers of West Coast Hip-Hop, but The D.O.C. is more than deserving of being included within that group of lyrically-inclined emcees.
Hailing from Dallas, Texas, The D.O.C. began his career working alongside N.W.A., penning rhymes for Ruthless Records founder Eazy-E’s 1988 debut album Eazy Duz It and N.W.A.’s seminal Straight Outta Compton. Inking a deal with Ruthless Records, the former Fila Fresh Crew member released his solo debut No One Can Do It Better on August 1, 1989. That album garnered him both commercial success and notoriety as possibly the most skilled wordsmith on the West Coast.
Peaking atop the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks and spawning the chart-topping hits “It’s Funky Enough” and “The D.O.C. & The Doctor,” No One Can Do It Better was certified gold by the following year and was eventually certified platinum. Noted as a pivotal body of work in the pantheon of West Coast rap albums, No One Can Do It Better announced The D.O.C. as a rising star with the chops to become one of the biggest acts in the genre.
Unfortunately, the rapper would suffer injuries in a car accident months after his debut’s release that damaged his vocal chords and altered his trajectory as a recording artist. Since his accident, The D.O.C. has made an immense impact behind the scenes, heavily contributing to landmark rap albums such as The Chronic, Chronic 2001, and numerous other classics.
The D.O.C., who says his voice has fully recovered, recently appeared on his first rap song in over 20 years with his verse on the Codefendants’ “Fast Ones” earlier this year. And with artificial intelligence giving him new hope in retaining the magic he first displayed on his classic debut, The D.O.C. is locked and loaded with big plans for the future.
VIBE spoke with The D.O.C. about the 34th anniversary of No One Can Do It Better, writing some of the greatest rhymes in Hip-Hop history, resuming his career as a recording artist and more.
You’re credited as one of the greatest pens in Hip-Hop history. What would you say are three tracks that you contributed to that have impacted the culture?
Man, it’s a lot of records bro, it’s a lot of ’em. If I had to pick one and say, ‘This one meant something and did something in the culture,’ the first song is “We Want Eazy.” You have to start there. And then you’ve got to go to “Straight Outta Compton” or “Fuck the Police.” You can’t leave out “G Thang.” I mean, I skipped over my record completely. It’s a lot of ’em to name just one.
Speaking of your record, next year marks the 35th anniversary of the release of your debut album No One Does It Better, which is considered a bona fide classic. What about that album do you feel puts it in such a rare class?
I was one of the first, if not the first, that was really lyrically inclined that came from the West Coast and pushed through. It’s a template for a reason, ’cause I was the first. Out there in L.A., it didn’t exist like that at that time, but it’s all a G-O-D thang, bro. Once you see this documentary, you’ll understand who I am, what I am and the path I had to take to get to where I am today and why this journey is so important. But [also] where we going next, ‘cause this sh*t shows you where we’re finna go, not only the 35 years of where we’ve been. And speaking of the 35 years, there’s a rule called “the 35-year reversion”. That means you get to petition the court to get all your sh*t back (laughs).
Yeah, that’s definitely a milestone. The biggest hit from the album was “It’s Funky Enough,” which has been sampled numerous times and still gets burn til this day. What are your memories of making that song?
You know, all of those songs meant something. “The Formula,” “The D.O.C. & The Doctor,” all of them got stories connected to them. Bro, the stories are so meaty and full and shit. Like, I didn’t have a chance to just dive into these little nuggets that we’re talking about. But “It’s Funky Enough,” I had written bits and pieces of it six months prior to finding the beat to go to it. It wasn’t even a full song, it was just a lot of verses that I had pulled from memory because when Dre made the record, I told him I had a song wrote [but I didn’t]. So when I went in there and started rapping, I just said the first thing that came out. Which is why It sounded better doing the patois, because a lot of that stuff ain’t even words. I’m just saying sh*t. But it came out really good.
Another track from No One Can Do It Better that’s historic is “Grand Finale,” with N.W.A. What are your memories of the creation of that song and where does it rank in the pantheon of posse cuts?
It was just us showing out. Everybody wanted to outdo everybody else, that’s how iron sharpens iron, that kind of thing. And having to do battle with Ice Cube is enough to make any motherfucker great for a period of time. And dealing with Ren in that same light. Not to mention having Doc, one of the greatest Hip-Hop producers to ever fucking touch a board making the beats, how can you lose like that?
Sounds like a win to me. Speaking of Dre, he seems like he’s in the zone where he may be putting out new music. Are you involved in that process? Him and Snoop seem to be getting the band back together.
Do you know something I don’t know? ‘Cause you sound like you know something I don’t know? Snoop got a lot going on and Snoop is a smart guy; he reaches back to his roots to make sure that they’re building forward. His new venture is gonna be what it’s supposed to be, so I don’t want to speak too loosely about what he’s got going on. But he’s got some stuff coming up that’s really cool and all of us are engaged in it.
With nearly two decades removed from recording, what emotions were felt after hopping in the booth after all that time?
It’s like riding a bicycle for me, bro. People have never heard it, but I have never stopped making records. I’ve got hundreds of ’em, but I just do ’em for me, just like the same way [Dr.] Dre does. I…it’s just what I do, I write. It’s been a long time since I’ve put a record out that people have been vibing to. So that whole thing is dope.
What’s next for The D.O.C., musically and otherwise?
The Funeral Is Canceled. That’s what’s next. And that’s not just what’s next for me, that’s what’s next for you, too. You just don’t know yet. That’s where we’re finna go. And I say this with full confidence, because I’ve been a part of five of the forks that have happened in Hip-Hop. I’ve witnessed them in purpose and in person. So now I understand this purpose is to create the next fork and it is called The Funeral Is Canceled. And right now you can hear that and take from that so many different things, right. So that’s where we’re going, kinfolk. My mouth to God there.
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