In 2024, Snoop Dogg has captured the spotlight, showcasing his influence from the Paris Summer Olympics to his role as a coach on Season 26 of The Voice. His latest project involves a memorable appearance in Focus Features’ animated biopic, Piece By Piece, which chronicles the life of artist Pharrell Williams, another former coach on The Voice.
Director Morgan Neville recently discussed a particularly humorous scene from the film, which depicts the iconic moment when Snoop and his entourage arrived at Pharrell’s studio to collaborate. The creative team had a unique challenge in adapting the adult themes associated with Snoop’s persona into a family-friendly format.
In this clip, set in 2004, Snoop Dogg reached out to Pharrell and his collaborator Chad Hugo—known as the Neptunes—to expand his musical style. Together, they created the distinctive percussion loop and co-wrote Snoop’s major hit, “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
To adapt this scene while preserving its essence, Neville employed a comedic visual gag. As smoke fills the studio, LEGO versions of Pharrell and Chad spray the environment with a fictional “PG spray” to ensure it remains suitable for all audiences.
Neville explained that animation allowed for creative storytelling, enabling a sense of time travel for viewers. He noted, “With animation, you can time travel in a way… it was really fun to be there at the moment of creation.” He also addressed the challenge of incorporating the smoke element, emphasizing that they wanted to avoid an R rating. Ultimately, the idea of the “PG spray” emerged as a solution that became a beloved comedic element in the film.
Piece By Piece is currently showing in theaters.