Who Am I (What's My Name)?

Harmonically, the track is intentionally minimal. Its G-Funk production is built around a repeating loop from George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog', creating a near-static tonal center that keeps focus on Snoop's delivery and the rhythmic groove. The song's power is rooted entirely in texture, cadence, and momentum rather than chord movement — a defining characteristic of Dr. Dre's production philosophy in this era.

The track was crafted by Dr. Dre alongside Chris 'The Glove' Taylor and Emanuel Dean during the Doggystyle sessions in 1993. Built around a prominent sample from George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog', it required songwriting credits for the full Parliament-Funkadelic creative team — George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Garry Shider, Jerome 'Bigfoot' Brailey, Mose Davis, and David Spradley — alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg himself. The track was designed as a self-introduction anthem for Snoop's debut, combining the call-and-response tradition of P-Funk with Dr. Dre's G-Funk production aesthetic.

Released October 30, 1993 as the lead single from Doggystyle, 'What's My Name?' announced Snoop Dogg as one of hip-hop's most distinctive voices. Produced by Dr. Dre with Chris 'The Glove' Taylor and Emanuel Dean, and built around a sample from George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog', it became a defining anthem of the West Coast G-Funk movement. Its boastful hook and rolling synth bass made it an instant classic of the early-90s rap era.