"Bitches Ain't Shit" is the final song of Dr. Dre's debut solo rap album, The Chronic, which was released in December 1992 as Death Row Records' first album. Though never a single, "Bitches Ain't Shit" was a huge underground hit. The song's popularity was a major contribution to the success of The Chronic's sales. The song proved controversial, due to prevalent themes of misogyny. Record production Death Row In 1986, Ice T's song "6 in the Mornin'," diverting from electro rap and "funk hop" some fanfare in the Los Angeles area's rap scene, was gangsta rap's inaugural anthem, reaching gold sales. Forming in early 1987, the group N.W.A recast gangsta rap into a grim, menacing presentation. Despite scarce radio play outside the County of Los Angeles, and despite two, early departures over money—secondary record producer Arabian Prince in 1988, then primary rapper and ghostwriter Ice Cube in late 1989—N.W.A advanced gangsta rap to platinum sales, but disbanded in 1991 once primary record producer Dr. Dre left. Freed from N.W.A's brash persona, Dre held creative control and preeminent industry cachet. Dre wanted to only produce, but his N.W.A. ghostwriter the D.O.C. convinced him to still rap, too. Starting Death Row Records with their manager Suge Knight, they drew Dick Griffey, whose SOLAR Records had the office space, recording studio, and major distributor Sony Music. In April 1992, SOLAR issued their first rap song, "Deep Cover," which hit drew Sony's interest in Death Row. But soon, outrage at "Cop Killer," heavy metal, by Ice T's band Body Count, repelled Sony, as "Deep Cover" had similar theme. Death Row gained Warner Music distribution via Interscope Records. Knight excluded Griffey, and reportedly "Deep Cover" as album track was replaced by a newer song, "Bitches Ain't Shit." The Chronic Assisted by Daz and by Warren G on drum programming and sampling soul and funk classics, Dre shaped a new sound, and new aura: gangsta funk, G-funk. In late 1993, Death Row Records' second album—Snoop Doggy Dogg's debut solo album Doggystyle—secured gangsta rap in mainstream, popular music. Yet in late 1992, there was Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic. With key visual motifs in music videos, its sonic motifs, eerie yet elegant—with grooving bass lines and bassy thumps under catchy, melodic hooks and Snoop's relaxed, melodic raps—debuted gangsta rap on popular radio. "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" pervaded it, and was a 1994 Grammy nominee,