In 2024, Snoop Dogg has emerged as a dominant figure, from becoming a source of global memes during the Paris Summer Olympics to taking a seat as a coach on Season 26 of The Voice. His latest spotlight comes as he stars in a humorous sequence in Focus Features’ animated biopic, Piece By Piece, which chronicles the life of artist Pharrell Williams, another former coach on The Voice.
Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville recently discussed this amusing and cleverly crafted scene with NBC Insider, which depicts the legendary moment when Snoop and his entourage arrived at Pharrell’s studio to create music history.
The Neptunes, consisting of Williams and his collaborator Chad Hugo, built their reputation producing songs for major artists, including Gwen Stefani and Jay-Z. As highlighted in the animated clip, it was in 2004 when Snoop Dogg sought the Neptunes’ assistance to diversify his musical style. The collaboration led to the iconic “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” featuring a distinctive mouth click percussion loop that became one of Snoop’s most significant hits.
This memorable event from Pharrell’s career is a focal point in Piece By Piece. Neville and his team artfully addressed the more adult themes associated with Snoop’s lifestyle during that era through a clever visual joke that generates laughter in the film. As “smoke” envelops Snoop and his crew in the Neptunes’ studio, LEGO representations of Pharrell and Chad intervene with a humorous PG spray that transforms the scene into a family-friendly environment.
Neville explained how this creative approach allowed them to navigate various challenges while making Piece By Piece. He elaborated that animation offers a unique opportunity to “time travel” and fully immerse the audience in the moment of creation. He described how he utilized audio elements from “Drop It Like It’s Hot” to help recreate the essence of the recording session.
He continued, laughing about the anecdotes shared by Pharrell and Snoop regarding the atmosphere filled with marijuana smoke. Neville emphasized that a crucial goal early in production was to keep the film suitable for a PG rating, which led to discussions on how to address the smoke issue. Ultimately, the idea of using “PG spray” emerged as a solution, transforming a potential hurdle into one of his favorite jokes in the film.
Piece By Piece is currently showing in theaters. Tickets are available now.