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Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg in June 2008
Background information
Birth name	Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr.1
Also known as	Snoop Doggy Dogg
Born	October 20, 1972 (1972-10-20) (age 36)1
Origin	Long Beach, California, United States
Occupation(s)	Rapper, actor, producer
Years active	1992 - present
Label(s)	Death Row, Interscope, Atlantic, Doggystyle, No Limit, Priority, EMI, Geffen, TVT
Associated acts	Tupac, 213, Warren G, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, RBX, Soopafly, The Lady of Rage, Goldie Loc, Charlie Wilson, Pharrell, The Game, JT The Bigga Figga, (Lil') Bow Wow, Willie Nelson
Website	www.snoopdogg.com

Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1972), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. He popularized the catch phrase suffix "-izzle," a slang term developed by Oakland, California rap group 3X Krazy in the mid-1990s and used by Bay Area rapper E-40.²

His mother nicknamed him "Snoopy" as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of the cartoon Peanuts. When he began recording, he took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg. He shortened his name to Snoop Dogg in 1998 when he left his original record label Death Row Records and signed with No Limit Records.¹

Biography

Death Row Records years (1992-98)

Image of 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, and Suge Knight during Snoop's tenure at Death Row Records (1996)

Dr. Dre began working with Snoop Dogg, first on the theme song of the feature film Deep Cover, and then on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic with the other members of his former starting group, Tha Dogg Pound. Snoop Dogg's contribution to The Chronic was considerable; the rapper's rhymes were as present as Dr. Dre's. The huge success of Snoop Dogg's debut Doggystyle was partially due to this intense exposure.¹

While recording Doggystyle with Dr. Dre in August 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested in connection with the death of Phillip Woldermarian, a member of a rival gang who was shot and killed in a gang fight. Dubbed The Snoop Doggy Dogg Trial at the time. Snoop Dogg was defended by David Kenner, with his bodyguard McKinley Lee, while Sean Abrams (accompanying member in the jeep) was defended by Johnnie Cochran.³ Both Snoop Dogg and McKinley Lee were acquitted; Lee was acquitted on grounds of self-defense, but Snoop Dogg remained entangled in the legal battles around the case for three years.⁴ His video "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" with Tupac Shakur chronicled the difficulties each rapper was dealing with as a result of their unrelated but concurrent criminal prosecutions.

The Doggystyle album was released in November 1993 on Death Row Records and became the first debut album ever to enter the charts at #1, helping to fuel the ascendance of West Coast "g-funk" rap. The singles "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" and "Gin and Juice" reached the top ten most-played songs in the United States, and the album stayed on the Billboard charts for several months.¹ Gangsta rap became the center of arguments for censorship and labeling, with Snoop Dogg often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians.⁵ Doggystyle, much like The Chronic, featured a host of rappers signed to or affiliated with the Death Row label including Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and others.

A short film about Snoop Dogg's murder trial called Murder Was the Case, was released in 1994, along with an accompanying soundtrack. However, by the time Snoop Dogg's second album, Tha Doggfather, was released in November 1996, the price of living (or sometimes just imitating) the "gangsta" life had become very evident. Among the many notable rap industry deaths and convictions were the death of Snoop Dogg's friend and label-mate Tupac Shakur and the racketeering indictment of Death Row co-founder Suge Knight. Dr. Dre had left Death Row earlier in 1996 due to a contract dispute, so Snoop Dogg co-produced Tha Doggfather with Daz Dillinger and DJ Pooh.

Snoop Dogg performing in 2006.

This album featured a distinct change of style as compared to Doggystyle. While the album sold reasonably well, it was not as successful, and it was widely believed that its quality suffered from Dr. Dre's lack of involvement. However, Tha Doggfather had a somewhat softer approach to the G-funk style, and Snoop Dogg used a less energetic and more charismatic type of rhyming style, which would be more widely incorporated and exercised later on in his career.

In the immediate aftermath of Dr. Dre's withdrawal from Death Row Records, realizing that he was subject to an iron clad time-based contract (i.e., that Death Row practically owned anything he produced for a number of years), Snoop Dogg refused to produce any more tracks for Suge Knight, other than the insulting "Fuck Death Row", until his contract expired.

No Limit (1998-2003)

Upon leaving Death Row Records Snoop was approached by a number of record labels. He eventually signed a contract with Master P's No Limit Records. No Limit was quite popular at the time, as Southern Hip Hop was going through a revival and beginning to dominate the charts in a way which had not been seen since Florida rap dominated the charts in the early 1990s, thanks to 2 Live Crew and Luke. Snoop shortened his name from Snoop Doggy Dogg to Snoop Dogg, and received a great deal of criticism for signing to the label.

Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told was the first album Snoop Dogg released at No Limit released in 1998. It received negative reviews, yet still sold well. Snoop put his stamp of the now ubiquitous "Dirty South" sound on this album. Similar to the group focus of Death Row Records, many other No Limit Records artists appeared on the album, and it was produced mostly in-house by Beats By The Pound. Snoop's next effort, No Limit Top Dogg, released in 1999, would re-unite Snoop with his mentor Dr. Dre for some highlight tracks and see a return to the G-funk style of his Death Row days; it proved to be a success in both ratings and sales, as the album embraced both old and new styles of West Coast hip hop along with assorted guests from the No Limit roster.

Snoop Dogg followed this up with his last album on No Limit Records 2000's Tha Last Meal, which built upon the mixture of styles on No Limit. He also collaborated again with his old friends Nate Dogg and Warren G as part of 213. They released an album The Hard Way in 2004, which featured the single "Groupie Luv", and reached #4 in the U.S. Billboard 200 album charts.⁶

Snoop Dogg released an autobiography in 2001 titled Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg, co-written with Davin Seay.. In 2002, Snoop announced that he was giving up women and drugs.⁷ Later that year he released the album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$, on Capitol Records which featured the hit singles and videos "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful" featuring guest vocals by Pharrell.

On May 21, 2004, Snoop Dogg filed for divorce from his wife Shante Broadus, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking joint custody of their three children, Corde, Cordell, and Cori; they have since reconciled.⁸ At the age of 30, Snoop claimed that he gave up smoking marijuana, although many of his run-ins with the law since have found him in possession of the drug.

Geffen Years (2004-present)

Snoop Dogg performing in Hawaii for U.S. Military personnel in 2005.

In 2004, Snoop signed to Geffen Records/Star Trak Entertainment both of which are distributed through Interscope Records; Star Trak is headed by the Neptunes, who produced several tracks for Snoop's 2004 release R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), the first single released from the album, was a hit and became Snoop Dogg's first single to reach number one. His third release was "Signs", featuring Justin Timberlake & Charlie Wilson, which entered the UK chart at #2. This was his highest entry ever in the UK chart. The album sold very well, and most of its singles were heavily played on radio and television.

Snoop Dogg's latest music is being featured on West Coast rap albums such as Laugh Now, Cry Later by Ice Cube and Cali Iz Active by Tha Dogg Pound. He is featured on 2 tracks from Cube's album including the single "Go to Church", and several tracks on Cali Iz Active. Also, his latest song, "Real Talk", was leaked over the Internet in the summer of 2006 and a video was later released on the Internet. "Real Talk" is a dedication to Tookie Williams and a diss to Arnold Schwarzenegger. His two other new songs are "Keep Bouncing" by Too $hort, Snoop Dogg & will.i.am; and "Gangsta Walk" by Coolio & Snoop Dogg.

Snoop Dogg's 2006 release, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, did well on its first week, debuting at #5, which has been his highest since 2000's The Last Meal. The album, and the second single "That's That Shit" featuring R. Kelly were well-received by critics. In the album, he collaborated in a video with E-40 and other West Coast rappers for his single "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)", the first Snoop Dogg song to contain elements of the hyphy sound from E-40.

In July 2007, Snoop Dogg also made history by becoming the first artist to release a track as a ringtone prior to its release as a single, "It's the D.O.G.". On July 7 2007 Snoop Dogg performed at the German leg of Live Earth in Hamburg⁹

Snoop Dogg had renewed his vows with his longtime wife Shante Broadus.¹⁰

Snoop Dogg has announced that he plans to release a "bluegrass" album which will be a tribute to the late Johnny Cash. Several radio hosts, the first to know of the announcement, instantly thought of it as a hoax pulled by him to gain attention.

Snoop Dogg has recently ventured into singing for Bollywood with his first ever rap for an Indian movie Singh Is Kinng; the title of the song is also Singh is Kinng. The album featuring the song was released on June 8, 2008 on Junglee Music Records.¹¹

On screen

In 1993, Snoop appeared as a guest on The Arsenio Hall Show.

In 2000, Snoop (as "Michael J. Corleone") directed Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, a pornographic film produced by Hustler. This film, combining hip-hop with X-rated material, was a huge success and won "Top Selling Release of the Year" at the 2002 AVN Awards.¹² Driven by this success, Snoop directed Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp in 2002 (this time using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").

In 2001, Snoop lent his voice to the animated show "King of the Hill". his charecter was a white pimp named Alabaster Jones

In 2002, Snoop hosted, starred in, and produced his own MTV sketch comedy show entitled Doggy Fizzle Televizzle.

Perhaps in conjunction with his entry into the x-rated world, Snoop claimed in a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone magazine that unlike other hip hop artists who've superficially adopted the pimp persona, he was an actual professional pimp in 2003 and 2004, saying "That shit was my natural calling and once I got involved with it, it became fun. It was like shootin' layups for me. I was makin' 'em every time." He goes on to say that upon the advice on some of the other pimps he knew, he eventually gave up pimping to spend more time with his family.¹³

Snoop founded his own production company, Snoopadelic Films, in 2005. Their debut film was Boss'n Up, a film inspired by R&G starring Lil Jon and Trina.¹⁴

On November 8th, 2004, Snoop Dogg was seen starring in the episode Two of a kind of NBC's series Las Vegas.

In 2004, Snoop appeared on the Showtime series The L Word as the character "Slim Daddy", a combination of Slim Shady and Puff Daddy. He also notably played the drug dealer-turned-informant character of Huggy Bear, in the 2004 remake film of the 1970s TV-series of the same name, Starsky & Hutch. He appeared as himself in an episode of the Showtime series "The Weeds," and made an appearance on the hit TV shows Entourage and Monk, for which he recorded a version of the theme, in July 2007. In 1998 Snoop had a cameo appearance in the film Half Baked as the "Scavenger Smoker." In 2003, Snoop had a cameo appearance in the film Old School as himself. Snoop also performed Sad But True at MTV Icon 2003, where Metallica was chosen as the band to be tributed.

In December 2007, his reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood premiered on the E! channel.¹⁵ Snoop Dogg joined the NBA's Entertainment League.¹⁶

On March 30, 2008 he appeared at WrestleMania XXIV as a Master of Ceremonies for a tag team match between Maria and Ashley Massaro as they took on Beth Phoenix and Melina.¹⁷

On May 8 and May 9, 2008, Snoop appeared as himself on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, with a new opening theme recorded by the artist presented for both episodes. In the episodes, Snoop performs at the bachelorette party for character Adriana Cramer, and credits Bo Buchanan with helping him get his start in show business.

In 2008, Snoop made his Bollywood 'debut' by singing and featuring in a video for the movie Singh Is Kinng. Wearing a maroon Indian kurta, beige pants and diamond studded turban, the music video shows Snoop Dogg relaxing on a large armchair draped in pink and blue silk. The song reportedly became immediately popular in India and Snoop Dogg has vowed to follow up the success with a tour of the country.

Legal issues

It has been suggested that some of the information in this article's Criticism or Controversy section(s) be merged into other sections to achieve a more neutral presentation. ()

• On April 26, 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of his entourage were arrested after being turned away from British Airways' first class lounge at Heathrow Airport. Snoop and his party were not allowed to enter the lounge because some of the entourage were flying first class, other members in economy class. After the group was escorted outside, they vandalized a duty-free shop by throwing whiskey bottles. Seven police officers were injured in the midst of the disturbance. After a night in prison, Snoop Dogg and the other men were released on bail on April 27, but he was unable to perform at the Premier Foods People's Concert in Johannesburg on the same day. As part of his bail conditions, he had to return to the police station in May. The group has been banned by British Airways for "the foreseeable future."¹⁸¹⁹

• On May 11, when Snoop Dogg appeared at a London police station, he was cautioned for affray under Section 4 of the Public Order Act for use of threatening words or behavior ²⁰. On May 15, the Home Office decided that Snoop Dogg should be denied entry to the UK for the foreseeable future due to the incident at Heathrow as well as his previous convictions in the United States for drugs and firearms offenses.²¹²²

• Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and The Game have been sued for assaulting a fan on stage at a May 2005 Auburn concert at the White River Amphitheatre. The accuser claims he was beaten by the artists' entourage while he was running up to touch Snoop. He alleges that he reacted to an "open invite" to come on stage. Before he could, Snoop’s bodyguards grabbed him and he was beaten unconscious by crew people, including the rapper and producer Soopafly. Snoop and The Game were included in the suit for not intervening to hold the fight. The lawsuit focuses on a pecuniary claim of $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.²³

• On September 27, 2006, Snoop Dogg was detained at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California by airport security, after airport screeners found a collapsible police baton in Snoop's carry-on bag. The baton was confiscated but Snoop was allowed to board the flight. He has been charged with various weapons violations stemming from this incident. When arrested, he told deputies the baton was a prop for a movie. Bail was set at $150,000, which Snoop has paid.

• Snoop Dogg was arrested again on October 26, 2006 at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California while parked in a passenger loading zone. Approached by airport security for a traffic infraction, he was found in possession of marijuana and a firearm, according to a police statement. He was transported to Burbank Police Department Jail, booked, and released on $35,000 bond. He faced firearm and drug possession charges on December 12 at Burbank Superior Court.²⁴

• He was again arrested on November 29, 2006, after performing on The Tonight Show, for possession of marijuana and a firearm.²⁵

• Snoop Dogg was arrested again on March 12, 2007 at 1:25 a.m CET after performing in a concert with P.Diddy in Stockholm's Globe Arena, Sweden. Snoop Dogg was arrested along with a woman after the pair reportedly "reeked" of marijuana. They were arrested and released 4 hours later after providing a urine sample. Pending results on urine will determine whether charges will be pressed. However the rapper denied all charges.²⁶²⁷²⁸

• Snoop Dogg's visa request to enter the United Kingdom was rejected by local authorities because of the Heathrow incident on March 24, 2007. A concert at London's Wembley Arena on March 27 went ahead with Diddy (with whom he toured Europe) and the rest of the show. However the decision affected four more British performances in Cardiff, Manchester, Nottingham and Glasgow²⁹ and Budapest (due to rescheduling).³⁰

• On April 12, 2007, Snoop Dogg was sentenced to five years of probation for gun and drug charges. He is expected to continue touring with supporting act Sam "OG" Biglari through the rest of 2008.

• On April 26, 2007, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship banned him from entering the country on character grounds, citing his prior criminal convictions. He had been scheduled to appear at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards on April 29, 2007.³¹ The ban was not lifted and Snoop Dogg was not able to attend. MTV Australia currently has a petition going to get him Australian citizenship.³²

• On September 12, 2008, Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship lifted the ban and had granted him visa to tour Australia. DIAC said "In making this decision, the department weighed his criminal convictions against his previous behaviour while in Australia, recent conduct – including charity work – and any likely risk to the Australian community ... We took into account all relevant factors and, on balance, the department decided to grant the visa."³³

• Snoop Dogg's many legal issues forced San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to withdraw his plan to issue a proclamation to the rapper.³⁴

• Controversy arose when Snoop Dogg was seen accepting a blunt during the finale of TRL.

Discography

Main article: Snoop Dogg discography

Filmography

Main article: Snoop Dogg filmography

• 1994: Murder Was the Case (Platinum)
• 1998: Half Baked (cameo appearance)
• 1998: Hot Boyz
• 1998: Ride
• 1999: Whiteboyz
• 1999: Urban Menace
• 2000: Up in Smoke Tour
• 2001: Baby Boy (Gold)³⁵
• 2001: Training Day
• 2001: King of the Hill (voice)
• 2001: Bones
• 2001: The Wash
• 2003: Malibu's Most Wanted
• 2003: Old School
• 2004: Starsky & Hutch
• 2004: Soul Plane
• 2004: Volcano High
• 2005: Boss'n Up
• 2005: Racing Stripes
• 2006: The Tenants
• 2006: Weeds: Himself
• 2007: Arthur and the Minimoys (voice)
• 2007: Monk
  • During the opening credits, he covered the title song by Randy Newman It's a Jungle out There.
• 2007: The Boondocks
• 2008: Singh Is Kinng (as Himself)
• 2009: Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (voice)
• 2009: Notorious

Awards

Main article: List of Snoop Dogg awards

Personal

Broadus's father left the family when Broadus was 3 months old. He married his high school sweetheart, Shante Taylor Broadus, on June 12, 1997. They have three children,^{citation needed} Corde (b. 1994), Cordell (b. 1997), and Cori (b. 2000). On May 21, 2004, he filed for divorce from Shante, citing irreconcilable differences. However, they later^when? reconciled and he withdrew the papers. The couple recently^when? renewed their wedding vows.

Snoop is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan³⁶, and is often seen wearing Pittsburgh Steelers apparel in his music videos. Snoop has mentioned that his love for the Steelers began in the 1970s during the team's dynasty years while watching the team with his grandfather growing up in L.A. In the 2005 offseason, Snoop mentioned that he wanted to be an NFL head coach, "probably for the Steelers".³⁷ The following year, he was in attendance for the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XL. He was also somewhat of a fan of the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, often wearing a #5 jersey, and has been seen in Raiders training camps.³⁸. He did his own free style rap based on his similarities with Tony Romo.³⁹.⁴⁰. Snoop is also a fan of the Anaheim Ducks NHL hockey team, where he is frequently seen at games.^{citation needed}

Snoop Dogg is a certified football coach and has been head coach for his son's youth football teams.⁴¹ Snoop can be spotted at John A. Rowland High School in Rowland Heights coaching the football team.⁴²

In August 2008, Snoop Dogg announced the launch of a new streetwear line called Rich & Infamous, via a partnership with Robert Thorne Co. to launch the line, a Beverly Hills-based brand management firm that built a billion-dollar business out of creating clothing and other licensed merchandise around Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The line, which is aimed toward males aged 18 and 35, was unveiled during the Magic tradeshow in Las Vegas.⁴³

Endorsements

• St. Ides
• Snoop Dogg 40 Oz Malt liquor
• Boost Mobile cell phone
• Orbit Gum
• Cal Worthington's Ford dealership in Long Beach, California
• "Snoop Doggs" - foot-long hot dogs manufactured in Massachusetts a joint venture with Platinum One Media ⁴⁴
• "Snoop Dogg Board Company (SDBC)" - skateboards and Luggage fabrication company (with Pentagon Distribution)
• "Snooperbowl" and "Snoop Youth Football league" ⁴⁵
• "Chronic Candy" - candy that tastes like marijuana (from Switzerland and is currently banned in some cities of US)
• Love Don't Live Here No More, Doggy Tales Vol.1 - love novel (co-written by David E. Talbert, published by Atria and Snoopadelic Films) ISBN 0-7432-7363-X ⁴⁶
• Tha Doggfather : The Times, Trials, And Hardcore Truths Of Snoop Dogg - autobiography (published by William Morrow) Hardcover ISBN 0-688-17158-3, Paperback ISBN 0-06-107607-4 ⁴⁷
• Fear & Respect (project cancelled as of March 1, 2006) - PlayStation 2 video game (developed by Midway Games)
• "Doggy Biscuitz" - shoe brand (in partnership with Pony International) ⁴⁸
• "Snoop Dogg Clothing" - streetwear (distributed at Macy's)
• "WRFF" - unique design scooters (in cooperation with Salton, Inc.) ⁴⁹
• "Hip Hop Gaming League" - a celebrity online gaming competition (hosted by Global Gaming League) ⁵⁰
• "Snoop Dogg figures" (Vital Toys, Sota Toys) ⁵¹
• "Snoop Dogg Boxing" - mobile phone game (Sony Pictures Mobile)
• "Snoop Dogg Pet Accessory Line" (in conjunction with Jakks Pacific)⁵²

Music samples

"Back To The Hood Of Things" (sample) Short sample of "Back To The Hood Of Things", performed by R. Kelly from his 1993 album 12 Play. Written by Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg, this sample represents a west-coast hip-hip sound. Problems listening to the file? See media help.	"Buttons," by The Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg Released in early 2006, "Buttons" illustrates Snoop Dogg's cross-style contributions, in this case with entertainer group The Pussycat Dolls. Problems listening to the file? See media help.	"Say Somethin'," by Mariah Carey feat. Snoop Dogg Released in early 2006, "Say Somethin'" is one of the several Snoop-Carey duets, where Broadus turns his voice into a smoother tone played along with Mariah's vocal arrangement. Problems listening to the file? See media help.
"Who Am I (What's My Name)?" (sample) Short sample of "Who Am I (What's My Name)?", performed by Snoop Dogg from his 1993 album Doggystyle. This shows Broadus' original rhyming style and flow. It also displays his early work with Dr. Dre and his technique on G-Funk production. Problems listening to the file? See media help.	"Drop It Like It's Hot" (sample) 30 second sample of "Drop It Like It's Hot", performed by Snoop Dogg from his 2004 album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. This was Broadus' first number one single on the U.S. Billboard 100. Featuring production from The Neptunes, the song gained critical attention for its sparse beat. Problems listening to the file? See media help.

References

See also

• Izzle
• West Coast rap
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Tupac Shakur
• Dr. Dre
• Death Row Records
• Gangsta Rap

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Snoop Dogg

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Snoop Dogg

• Official website
• Snoop Dogg at Allmusic
• Snoop Dogg at Geffen Records
• Snoop Dogg at the Internet Movie Database
• Snoop Dogg at MySpace
• BBC Article
• Video of Larry King interview
• Family tree

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• This page was last modified on 22 November 2008, at 00:55.

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