The reunion of the group first appeared as 213 in Warren G's The Return of the Regulator in the track "Yo' Sassy Ways". In 2003, Snoop Dogg, released his series of mixtapes, from which the second compilation Welcome to tha chuuch, Vol. 2 included the first version of "So Fly", which is a parody of the then chart-running hit single by Monica, So Gone. Missy Elliott, a co-producer of the song, got to hear the tape and was very impressed by it. She agreed with Snoop to cede the right of the sample for the upcoming 213 project in exchange for their rapping on Tamia's "Can't Go for That" remix. In the end it came out to be the first unofficial radio single of The Hard Way.
Reception
The Hard Way received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic especially praised Warren G for "rapping tougher and more gangsta than usual." For HipHopDX, K.B. Tindal described the album as containing "risp beats, sharp hooks, and straight lyrics." Rating the album three out of four stars, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called 213 an "excellent G-funk-era-revival supergroup." Grading the album with a C-plus, Michael Endelman of Entertainment Weekly compared the group to the 2003–04 Los Angeles Lakers, because the album "boasts marquee talent but doesn’t quite deliver the championship trophy." Matt Barone of RapReviews scored the album 5.5 out of 10 points for "overly generic left coast production and uninspired verses." Scott McKeating of Stylus rated the album six points out of 10, in part due to lackluster lyrics: "Snoop and Nate seem to have a problem going longer than a few bars without dropping some lines about 'dirty ass hoes.'" Rondell Conway of Vibe rated the album with 2.5 out of five due to 213 offering what he called "obsolete subject matter" despite "nostalgically offer its signature G-funk sound."
Commercial performance
The Hard Way debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, selling 95,000 copies in its first week. The album debuted at top on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. "So Fly" was released on July 6, 2004 at first single from the album. The song reached at number 2 on US BillboardBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. The official debut retail single was "Groupie Luv", which was also accompanied by a promo video. It was directed by Chris Robinson and was filmed in Snoop Dogg's own house. It is also the video debut for dancer . "Groupie Luv" topped at number 26 on Billboard Hot 100 Airplay.
Track listing
Notes
"Twist Yo' Body" features backing vocals performed by Dion.
"Rick James" features vocals performed by Dave Chappelle.
Sample credits
"Keep It Gangsta" contains an interpolation of "Black Cow" performed by Steely Dan.
