One of Snoop's early solo freestyles in excess of "Hold On" by En Vogue was on a mixtape that fortuitously wound up with Dr. Dre the influential producer was so amazed by the sample that he referred to as Snoop to audition. With his two cousins, Nate Dogg and Lil' ½ Dead, and friend Warren G, Snoop recorded handmade tapes the 4 referred to as their team 213 soon after the place code of their indigenous Long Beach at that time.