Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedNuthin' but a 'G' Thang
Hip-Hop1990s95BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
A confirmed songwriter of record (Snoop) and a properly-credited, cleared sample of Leon Haywood's 1975 recording. No dispute found.
Used by independents?
Unconfirmed — the page doesn't yet document enough sampler detail to tell.
Quick Facts
Released1992
AlbumThe Chronic
GenreHip-Hop, G-Funk
LabelDeath Row / Interscope
ProducerDr. Dre
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriter of record — Snoop Doggy Dogg
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The sampled writer — Leon Haywood — properly credited for the sampled 1975 recording
Discogs → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Death Row/Interscope; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — built on a properly-credited, cleared sample of Leon Haywood; peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 and was named by XXL the top hip-hop song of its decade.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found, but the song itself is a model of a properly-cleared, credited sample.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The 1975 recording sampled for the song's core — properly credited
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Snoop Doggy Dogg
A properly-credited sampleLeon Haywood’s “I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You” is properly credited on official releases (published via Jim-Edd Music, BMI) alongside Snoop/Dre’s publishing — a properly-cleared and credited sample, not a contested or unlicensed use, based on what was found in this pass.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
Written and recorded from a prison payphone
Snoop wrote and recorded the original vocals while incarcerated (sources vary on the charge — presented honestly as a discrepancy), calling from a prison payphone; Dr. Dre reportedly held the receiver to a studio mic, with audible background jail sounds in the original recording.
Wikipedia · read it →
An independent corroborating account
Producer Colin Wolfe said (2012) he was the first person to hear the lyrics — a phone call from Snoop, still incarcerated, rapping the verse to him for feedback before Dr. Dre ever heard it.
American Songwriter · read it →
A biopic got the origin wrong
The 2015 film “Straight Outta Compton” depicts the song being spontaneously improvised in Dre’s home studio — explicitly not how it happened, given the real prison-phone origin.
American Songwriter · read it →
A knowing anachronism in a video game
Featured on a fictional radio station in 2004’s “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” — an acknowledged anachronism, since the game is set in 1992, before the single’s actual release.
Wikipedia · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
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Times sampled
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Covers
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First flip
Who to Contact
SD
Snoop Doggy Dogg (songwriter) / Leon Haywood (sampled)
Confirmed songwriter of record and the properly-credited sampled writer
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Deep Batch 3)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass