* En anglais uniquement
Being the son of Motown legend
Mary Wells may have helped jumpstart
Meech Wells' career, but the West Coast rap producer quickly proved his talent and eventually aligned himself with
Snoop Dogg, another relationship that definitely didn't hurt his career. Before being
Snoop's producer of choice during the late '90s and early 2000s,
Wells began his career as part of a funk band called
Trey Lewd that also featured
Tracey Lewis,
George Clinton's son; this provided him with the opportunity to work with
Clinton himself. By 1993,
Wells found himself working alongside producer/rapper
Def Jef; the two's production on Shaquille O'Neil's "I Got Skillz" (a surprise hit single) won them instant credentials. Throughout the mid-'90s, he continued to hone his craft, working on a number of remix projects before eventually being introduced to
Snoop through a friend. Before long, the two were working together as a potent duo, beginning with "Still a G Thang," one of the better songs on
Snoop's Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told.
Wells produced a few No Limit songs featuring
Snoop -- Tru's "It's a Beautiful Thang,"
Silkk the Shocker's "Get It Up" -- before playing a major role in bringing a West Coast sound to
Snoop's Top Dogg album in 1999: "In Love With a Thug," "Better Days," "Gangsta Ride," among others. In 2000 he reprised his role as one of
Snoop's producers of choice, producing tracks for
Tha Eastsidaz' self-titled debut and Doggy's Angels' Pleezbalevit, as well as
Snoop's own Tha Last Meal ("Go Away," "Issues"). ~ Jason Birchmeier