See It First: Snoop Dogg, William Bell Go Behind-the-Scenes for Soul Classic

Snoop Dogg joins soul legend William Bell for a millennial cover of Bell's classic "I Forgot to Be Your Lover."

The song, originally released in 1968  Snoop was born in 1971  appears on the soundtrack for the motion picture Take Me to the River, a film about Memphis and Mississippi Delta icons Bell, Mavis Staples, Booker T., and Bobby 'Blue' Bland.

William Bell, Snoop Dogg
William Bell, Snoop Dogg

The music video for the song that premieres exclusively on Yahoo Music documents the studio recording sessions with Snoop, Bell, and the students from the Stax Music Academy. Aside from the "Drop It Like It's Hot" rapper's bonus verse, the new rendition is close to its original version.

Bell, who signed with Stax Records in 1961, wrote or co-wrote songs that were later covered by the likes of Otis Redding and Albert King. In 1986, rock singer Billy Idol reinterpreted "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" as "To Be a Lover" and scored a Top 10 pop hit. Ludacris and Jaheim have also sampled Bell's music.

The 12-song Take Me to the River soundtrack also pairs other hip-hop artists with legendary R&B singers. Bobby 'Blue' Bland features Yo Gotti on "Ain't No Sunshine." Bar Kays teams with 8Ball and MJG on "Be Like Me." Booker T. with North Mississippi All-Stars collaborates with Al Kapone on "Supposed to Be." Otis Clay enlists P-Nut for "Trying to Live My Life Without You." Bobby Rush and Frayser Boy offer "Henpecked" and "Push and Pull."

Take Me to the River, narrated by Terrence Howard, makes its theatrical debut in select markets on Sept.12. The album will be released on September 9 and is available for pre-order.

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