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Snoop Dogg

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Snoop Dogg

Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr.[1] (born October 20 1972), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, singer, 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. His catch phrase is "-izzle," a slang term developed by Oakland, California rap group 3X Krazy in the mid-1990s and popularized primarily by fellow 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; he took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg when he began recording. He changed his name to Snoop Dogg in 1998, when he left his original record label Death Row Records and signed with No Limit Records.[3]

Biography

Early life

Snoop Dogg was born in Long Beach, California, the son of Beverly Tate and Vernell Varnado, who was a singer and postal worker.[4][5][6] Snoop Dogg began performing at an early age in Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church church and began rapping in sixth grade[7]. He was playing piano at age five and doing plays. He credits this experience with helping him be comfortable performing in front of people and losing stage fright.[8] Snoop Dogg attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School,[9] then changed to Lindhberg High School [10] and was later convicted for cocaine trafficking and served six month at the Wayside County Jail,[11](Snoop mentioned in his reality show, "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood", that his uncle was influential in his family moving to Los Angeles from Southern Mississippi, proving the rarely mentioned rumor that he was originally from there). Snoop Dogg was a member of a local Crips gang in Long Beach[12]. Snoop Dogg's conviction caused him to be in and out of prison for the first three years after he graduated from high school. Snoop thus followed up on the homemade rap tapes that he had made with his cousin Nate Dogg and best friend Warren G (stepbrother of Dr. Dre of N.W.A). Originally, Snoop's and Nate's cousin Lil' 1/2 Dead was also part of the group, called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. This was largely in homage to Richie Rich's group 415, which was named for the (then) area code of Oakland, California (now the area code of San Francisco and its northern neighbor Marin County). One of his early solo freestyle over En Vogue's "Hold on" had made it to a mixtape, which was heard by Dr. Dre, who phoned to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A member The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks and chorus [13]. Several of his cousins also became hip hop artists and Aftermath collaborators, including RBX, Joe Cool, and his cousins, Nate Dogg and Daz Dillinger. He's also the nephew of Soul/Gospel singer Willie Norwood and cousin of his R&B singing children Ray J and Brandy and he recently released "Smokin Trees" with Ray J and a duet with Brandy was pre-recorded for Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, but was not part of the album.[14]

Death Row Records years (1992-98)

Dr. Dre began collaborating 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.

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 fired at and killed in a gang fight. 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.[15] 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. 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. Gangsta rap became the center of arguments for censorship and labeling, with Snoop Dogg often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians.

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. In 1995 Snoop Dogg and the Dogg Pound were featured on the Los Angeles Based hip-hop show "Street Vibe '95".

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 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.[16]

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.[17] 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 Williams.

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.[18] At the age of 30, Snoop claimed that he gave up smoking weed, although many of his run-ins with the law since have found him in possession of marijuana.

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 was 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 have been received good critical response so far. 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.". Currently Snoop Dogg is working with producer JT the Bigga Figga on a documentary DVD entitled Mandatory Business, which will feature the likes of Russell Simmons, Spike Lee, Xzibit, Young Buck and 50 Cent. There will also be a soundtrack released for the documentary. On 7 July 2007 Snoop Dogg performed at the German leg of Live Earth in Hamburg[19]

Snoop Dogg had renewed his vows with his longtime wife Shante Broadus.[20]

On screen

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.[21] Driven by this success, Snoop directed Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp in 2002 (this time using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").

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.[22]

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.[23]

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 "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 December 2007, his reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood premiered on the E! channel.[24] Snoop Dogg joined the NBA's Entertainment League.[25]

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.[26]

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.

  • On August 25, 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested on suspicion of being an accomplice in the killing of reputed gang member Philip Woldemariam in Woodbine Park in the Palms district of West Los Angeles. Broadus' bodyguard actually pulled the trigger and claimed self-defense at the trial. Both were acquitted.
  • A woman named Kylie Bell claimed that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Broadus and four others. In December 2004, one month before Bell filed her suit against him, Snoop sued her, accusing her of extortion. Bell eventually dropped her lawsuit, and Snoop dropped his US$5 million countersuit against her. Snoop's publicist said "absolutely no money" was paid by the rapper in reaching a settlement.[27]
  • On April 26 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of his entourage were arrested 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 of the party were flying 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."[28][29]
  • 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 [30]. 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.[31][32]
  • 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 12 December at Burbank Superior Court.[34]
  • 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.[36][37][38]
  • 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 Glasgow[39] and Budapest (due to rescheduling).[40]
  • On April 12 2007, Snoop Dogg was sentenced to five years of probation for gun and drug charges. He is expected to continue touring.

Discography

Main article: Snoop Dogg discography

Filmography

Main article: Snoop Dogg filmography

Awards

Main article: List of Snoop Dogg awards

Personal

Snoop married his high school sweetheart, Shante Taylor Broadus, on June 12, 1997, and have two sons and a daughter. His youngest son is eleven. On May 21st, 2004, he filed for divorce from Shante, citing irreconcilable differences. However, they later reconciled and he withdrew the papers. He also recently renewed his wedding vows with Shante.

Endorsements

Music samples

"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 playing this file? See media help.

References

  1. ^ "Snoop Dogg will pick up trash as part of sentence". October 11, 2007. USA Today.
  2. ^ ON LANGUAGE: Izzle
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Snoop Dogg biography. All Music Guide: 2006
  4. ^ Snoop Dogg Biography (1972?-)
  5. ^ Ancestry of Snoop Dogg
  6. ^ A Look at Papa Snoop
  7. ^ Toure (November 21, 1993). "Snoop Dogg's Gentle Hip-Hop Grow" (html). POP MUSIC. The New York Times, Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company. Retrieved Thursday, April 24, 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ Snoop unveils church going past
  9. ^ Snoop Dogg
  10. ^ Chad Kiser (June 2008). "Interview with Tha Chill" (html). Duncan Rutherford, dubcc.com and dubcnn.com incorporating wescoast2k.net. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
  11. ^ Toure (November 21, 1993). "Snoop Dogg's Gentle Hip-Hop Grow" (html). POP MUSIC. The New York Times, Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company. Retrieved Thursday, April 24, 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ Snoop Dogg: America's Most Lovable Pimp : Rolling Stone
  13. ^ According to Snoop Doggs memoirs told by himself in VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2007
  14. ^ Snoop Reunites With Dre, Improves Macking Mojo On Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
  15. ^ "Los Angeles Times excerpt on the [[The Tech]]". News Briefs 1, Volume 115, Number 52. MIT. October 27, 1995. p. 2. With O.J. Over, Dogg Trial Begins {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Whitmire, Margo. "Now 16" is No. 1 Again. Billboard.com: August 25, 2004.
  17. ^ Touré (2006-12-14). "The Way of the Pimp". Rolling Stone. Wenner Publishing. p. 138. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Snoop Dogg cancels divorce
  19. ^ Live Earth on MSN: The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis
  20. ^ HHWorlds.com - Snoop Dogg Renews Wedding Vows With Wife Shante (January 21, 2008)
  21. ^ AVN Awards Past Winners
  22. ^ Snoop Dogg: America's Most Lovable Pimp : Rolling Stone
  23. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1514482/20051123/50_cent.jhtml?headlines=true Quick News On 50 Cent, Kanye West, Irv Gotti, Beyonce, Zack De La Rocha, Alice In Chains & More
  24. ^ Sur E!
  25. ^ NBA.com - That’s Entertainment
  26. ^ WWE: TV Shows > WrestleMania XXIV > Exclusives > WrestleMania XXIV Dogg Days
  27. ^ Snoop Dogg Has Sexual Assault Lawsuit Dropped
  28. ^ Rapper Snoop Dogg freed on bail
  29. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Rap star to leave UK after arrest
  30. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Rap star is cautioned over brawl
  31. ^ Soundslam News
  32. ^ Music News - The latest music news and gossip from Yahoo! Music UK & Ireland
  33. ^ http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=1172 XXL Magazine Snoop Dogg, Dogg Pound and The Game Sued for Concert Assault
  34. ^ CNN Law Center retrieved on 27 October, 2006
  35. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061129/ap_en_mu/people_snoop_Dogg
  36. ^ EURweb.com - Black Entertainment | Black News | Urban News | Hip Hop News
  37. ^ Snoop Arrested | MTV UK
  38. ^ Snoop Dogg arrested in Sweden for suspected drug use | U.S. | Reuters
  39. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/24/snoop.london.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
  40. ^ www.hiphop.hu | 2008
  41. ^ Look who put the Dogg out - Sydney Morning Herald, 26 April 2007
  42. ^ Welcome Snoop
  43. ^ Knight, Heather (2007-10-25). "Proclamations spark controversy again". San Francisco Chronicle. pp. B1, B8. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  44. ^ Snoop Dogg Shoots Video With Willie Nelson, Describes Upcoming Album | Hip Hop News > HipHopDX.com
  45. ^ Sales Awards by the Entertainment Merchants Association
  46. ^ http://www.allhiphop.com/Hiphopnews/?ID=5039
  47. ^ Snoop Youth Football League
  48. ^ System Timed Out (Library of Congress Online Catalog)
  49. ^ Amazon.com: Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, And Hardcore Truths Of Snoop Dogg: Snoop Dogg,Davin Seay: Books
  50. ^ http://www.pony.com/Doggybiscuitz
  51. ^ Get your WRFF on
  52. ^ http://www.hhgl.com/index.php
  53. ^ http://launch.yahoo.com/read/story/12033467
  54. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=3740 SFGate
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