Snoop Dogg
Photo: MTV News

The first album spawned by Snoop Dogg's Doggy Style Records partnership venture with MCA is about to hit. Welcome to Tha House Volume 1, featuring Bigg Snoop Dogg, Soopafly, LaToiya Williams, Mr. Kane and E-White (collectively known as the Doggy Style All-stars), will be released on July 30, according to a source close to the project.

The first official single will be Williams' R&B tune "Fallen Star." That video is set to start filming May 1 in Los Angeles. "Locs at Night," by Mr. Kane, and the camp posse cut

"Doh'Doh'," produced by Hi-Tek, will also be released to mixtape and mix show DJs in the next few weeks. Around the same time the album drops, a documentary will be released — also titled "Welcome to Tha House" — on VHS and DVD. 

On the solo tip, Snoop is working on his next LP, Bigg Snoop Dogg Has Paid Tha Cost to Be Tha Boss, which is set to drop in late September. Hi-Tek, Just Blaze, Fredwreck, Battle Cat, the Neptunes, DJ Scratch and new Dogg House in-house producer Quazedelic have all supplied beats.

As he's doing with the label compilation, Snoop is also going to put out a film to accompany his album. He's starring in "Boss'n Up" as a hustler from Long Beach, California, named Corde, who moves to Miami. While in the M.I.A, Corde learns the ins and outs of pimping and builds a dynasty with the help of hordes of ladies of the evening. 

Interestingly enough, Snoop's fans will have a chance to own his real-life big pimpin' mobile, the Snoop Deville. He's going to be giving the vehicle away as part of a contest that promotes his album.

Snoop's other acts, Tha Eastsidaz and Doggy's Angels, whose albums are put out by TVT Records, are both in the lab working on LPs as well.

• Snoop Dogg
• Tha Eastsidaz
• Doggy's Angels

Snoop Dogg
Photo: MTV

Snoop Dogg is all about sharing on his Puff, Puff Pass tour, which kicked off September 14 in Phoenix and was recently extended through October 20 in Chicago.

The laid-back rapper is donating $2 from each concert ticket sold at most of the stops on the outing to the American Red Cross, his spokesperson said Friday (September 21).

Snoop will share the stage with Tha Liks, Kurupt, Doggy's Angels, the Eastsidaz, Bad Azz and, on a few dates, Warren G.

Tha Liks and Kurupt were out with Snoop on a summer tour that came to an end August 26 in Detroit (see "Snoop Dogg, Tha Liks, Kurupt To Fire Up Tour"). The Dogg has been promoting last year's Tha Last Meal. He has since been featured on the Eastsidaz's Duces 'N Trayz: The Old Fashioned Way and Tha Dogg Pound 2002.

"Bones," which marks the rapper's first starring role in a movie, opens October 24.

Tha Liks are supporting their recently released fourth LP, X.O. Experience, which includes the singles "Best U Can" and "Run Wild," produced by the Neptunes and Rockwilder, respectively. Xzibit and Busta Rhymes guest on the album.

Puff, Puff Pass tour dates, according to Snoop Dogg's spokesperson:

• 9/21 - Valley Center, KS @ Kansas Coliseum
• 9/22 - Houston, TX @ Aerial Theatre at Bayou Palace
• 9/23 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheatre
• 9/24 - McAllen, TX @ Villa Real Convention Center
• 9/25 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Centre
• 9/26 - Tulsa, OK @ Tulsa Convention Center
• 9/27 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
• 9/28 - Orlando, FL @ UCF Arena
• 9/29 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
• 9/30 - Tampa, FL @ USF Sun Dome
• 10/2 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 10/3 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
• 10/4 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
• 10/5 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Arena
• 10/6 - New Haven, CT @ New Haven Coliseum
• 10/7 - Albany, NY @ Pepsi Arena
• 10/8 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
• 10/10 - Toronto, ON @ Sears Theatre
• 10/11 - Montreal, QC @ Molson Centre
• 10/12 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
• 10/13 - Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena
• 10/14 - Cleveland, OH @ CSU Convocation Center
• 10/17 - Detroit, MI @ Cobo Arena
• 10/18 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
• 10/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
• 10/20 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom

• Snoop Dogg
• Tha Eastsidaz
• Doggy's Angels
• Kurupt
• Bad Azz

TVT Records is fighting a copyright-infringement lawsuit by saying the cover of Doggy's Angels' "Baby If You're Ready" single is a parody of the "Charlie's Angels" movie and television show, and thus exempt from such attacks.

The "Baby If You're Ready" cover features a silhouette of the group's three members — Big Chan, Coniyac and Kona — in a pose similar to poses on "Charlie's Angels" movie posters.

"We feel the name and imagery of Doggy's Angels clearly pokes fun at a classic of American pop culture, but does not confuse the public with the real thing," the label said in a statement Thursday.

Columbia Pictures filed the suit December 1 in United States District Court, Central District of California. A spokesperson for Columbia had no comment on the suit.

"The girls in the group are as far away from Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith as can be," read the TVT statement, referring to two of the stars of the 1970s "Charlie's Angels" series.

Doggy's Angels' debut album, Pleezbaleevit, came out November 21 on Snoop Dogg's Doggy Style imprint, which is distributed by TVT.

• Doggy's Angels