Snoop Dogg mourns the death of “Doggystyle” cover artist Darryl Daniel
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On Monday, Snoop Dogg shared on Instagram the sad news of the death of his older cousin, illustrator Darryl “Joe Cool” Daniel, the artist behind his From behind Album cover.
The post simply reads, “RIP my big cousin Joe, cool,” and includes a video Daniel shot hanging out in the studio with Snoop’s 2017 song “Promise You This” playing in the background.
Joe Cool, as his cousins Snoop and Daz Dillinger called him, was instrumental in building Snoop’s brand, signing his work under the name Joe Cizzool and illustrating the iconic artwork for the Long Beach rapper’s groundbreaking debut album. From behindDaniel was also responsible for the Gin and juice individual artwork as well as the back of The Dog Father CD and the cover for The last meal.
Daz also paid tribute to his late cousin with a photo of him, Snoop, and Joe Cool hanging out, as well as a few photos of Daniel showcasing his art.
The caption reads: “REST IN PEACE DARYL JOE COOL DANIEL MY BIG CUZZN THIS REALLY HURTS WE GREW UP TOGETHER YOU WERE THERE FROM DAY ONE I’M GONE I REALLY MISS YOU VERY BIG CUZZ.”
According to an interview with HipHopDX In 2013, Daniel said he was in prison and on drugs when his younger cousin asked him to design his album cover, but he didn’t initially believe Snoop rapped with Dr. Dre. While in California state prison, he sent his sister a drawing of Snoop, and when his younger cousin visited Daniel’s sister, Snoop called him.
“He told me he raps with Dr. Dre,” said Joe Cool HipHopDX. “I told him, ‘That’s a f***ing lie. Set up a trap for somebody else. Get my sister back on the phone, you lying motherfucker.’ He said, ‘I’m serious, man. I rap with Dr. Dre.’ I said, ‘OK. All right.’ I said to my sister, ‘Is he rapping with NWA Dr. Dre?’ She said, ‘Yeah, he come out and get ’em.’ I said, ‘No shit. Get him back on the phone.’ I said, ‘Give me $25.’ He said, ‘All right. I don’t have any money right now, but I’ll send it to you… Joe, I’ll be the shit, man.'”
Daniel began to believe his cousin when he played him an early version of “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” on the phone; then he kept his word and sent the money. “Then he sent me the $25, and I believed him.”
He said Snoop begged him to quit drugs. “‘Stop that shit,'” Snoop told Joe Cool. “‘I want you to do my album cover, man. I’m doing Dre’s album. Then my album is coming out.’ He said, ‘Get a grip, Joe Cool.'”
This conversation changed both of their lives. “I never thought it would become a cult classic, man,” Daniel said about From behind. “And then when it started selling so many times and I saw my shit up there, it just… damn. I can’t believe it. My artwork is out there because Snoop made it happen. He gave me the chance, man. He gave me a little 15 minutes of fame in the world. That was 20 years ago, man. He gave me that chance. Man, I love him for that.”
Rest in peace, Joe Cizzool.
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