Vato (song)

"Vato" is the first single by Snoop Dogg from his album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. The song features B-Real and was produced by The Neptunes. The word "vato" is Chicano slang for "homie".

"Vato"
Single by Snoop Dogg featuring B-Real
from the album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Released	August 15, 2006 (2006-08-15)
Recorded	2005
Genre	West Coast hip hop gangsta rap latin hip hop
Length	4:45
Label	Geffen Doggystyle Star Trak
Songwriter(s)	Calvin Broadus Pharrell Williams Chad Hugo
Producer(s)	The Neptunes
Snoop Dogg singles chronology
"Hollywood Divorce" (2006) "Vato" (2006) "That's That" (2006)
B-Real singles chronology
""Get U Down"" (2006) "Vato" (2006)
Music video
"Vato" on YouTube

Background

The album version of "Vato" contains an introduction with Snoop Dogg saying "Man, don't you know that I'm loco?" and also some shout-outs from Julio G. Shortly after the release of the song, Snoop Dogg and B-Real would receive disses and responses by numerous Mexican rappers who mistakenly took the song as a slander towards the Chicano culture. The song was performed live in the Life & Rhymes of with B-Real, and in solo on the day of the release in the MSN live session concert.

Music video

The music video, directed by Phillip G. Atwell for Vato premiered on BET on August 30, 2006 Video on YouTube. Pharrell Williams said the rapper's newest music video 'Vato' would not only feature his gangsta side, but would also tackle the issue of racial conflict in Los Angeles between African Americans and Hispanics and call for racial unity.^[1] It features cameos by Chicano rapper Frost as well as Oscar-Nominee Edward James Olmos. An animated video also premiered on snoopdogg.com in September.

Remixes

Official^[2]

• "Vato (DJ Jam Remix)" (featuring Malverde)
• "Vato (Remix)" (featuring Lil Uno & B-Real)

Track listing

A-side

1. "Vato" (Radio edit)
2. "Vato" (Radio edit #2 (extra clean))
3. "Vato" (LP)
4. "Vato" (Instrumental)

B-side

1. "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)" (LP)
2. "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)" (Radio)
3. "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)" (Instrumental)
4. "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)" (A cappella)

Personnel

• Written by C. Broadus, P. Williams, C. Hugo
• Produced by The Neptunes
• Publishers: My Own Chit Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music (BMI); Waters of Nazareth Publishing/ EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)/
• Recorded by Andrew Coleman at Chalice Studios, Los Angeles, California, Chris Jackson at The Cathedral, Hollywood, California
• Mixed by Phil Tan in the Tanning Booth at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California and Soapbox Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
• Assisted by Josh Houghkirk Heavy Harmony Music Publishing; WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) and EMI April Music (ASCAP)

Charts

Chart performance for "Vato"

Chart (2004–2005)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[3]	55
Australian Urban (ARIA)[4]	10
Finnish Singles Chart[5]	3
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[6]	85
US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[7]	31