Birth name
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. Also known as
Snoop Doggy Dogg
The D O Double G
Bigg Snoop Dogg Born
October 20, 1971 Origin
Los Angeles, California, USA Genre(s)
Hip hop Occupation(s)
Rapper, actor, producer Years active
1992 to present Website www.snoopdogg.com
Calvin Cordozar Broadus,
Jr. , better known as Snoop Dogg and previously Snoop Doggy
Dogg, is an 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 is also known for working with Tupac, Notorious B.I.G. and,
Mac Dre before they died.
His mother nicknamed him "Snoopy" as
a child because of the way he dressed and because 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
1996, when he left his original record label Death Row Records
and signed with No Limit Records.
Snoop Dogg has sold over 18.5 million albums
in the United States.
Early life
Calvin Broadus was born in Long Beach, California.
As a child he received the nickname Snoopy from his mother due
to his love of the television show Peanuts. Snoop Dogg attended
Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and was later convicted for
cocaine trafficking. He was a member of a local Crips gang in
Long Beach, the Rollin' 20's Crips. Snoop Dogg's conviction caused
him to be in and out of prison for the first three years after
he graduated from high school. Older Crips members and prison
inmates affiliated with the Crips gang had a long-standing pattern
of recognizing talent among their membership, and Snoop Dogg
was pushed to make something of himself as a rapper rather than
as a street hustler. Snoop thus followed up on the homemade rap
tapes that he had made with his cousin Nate Dogg and best friend
Warren G .Originally, 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.
Most Snoop’s cousins also became hip hop
artists and Aftermath collaborators, including RBX, Nate Dogg,
Daz Dillinger, and Joe Cool. R&B singers Ray J and Brandy
are also his cousins 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.
Career
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 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. 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 Dog and the Dog Pound were featured on the Los
Angeles Based hip-hop show "Street Vibe '95, produced and
directed by Edmund Darris. This show a spin off of the St. Louis
Based show "Eddie D Live" that promoted heavily rap
and hip-hop artist on midwestern television. Snopp Dogg was reported
as being a king among men, according to Edmund Darris, who interveiwed
him and the Dogg Pound exclusively. Darris reported that despite
what the media portrays Snoop Dogg, he is a talented genius and
has the power of words...he is our modern day Shakespere with
raging skills and charisma.
Realizing 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. After Suge Knight
was released from jail Snoop Dogg doubled his bodyguards because
Suge wanted to kill him.
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 imitating (or sometimes just living) 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.
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 recent years, Snoop Dogg's artistic style
has moved away from hardcore gangsta rap; he performed on the
alternative rock Lollapalooza tour in 1997, and he has made several
film appearances, in addition to producing and directing music
videos both for himself and other artists. He released an autobiography
in 2001.
In 2000 he joined Dr. Dre, Ice Cube & Eminem
on the Up In Smoke Tour
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 soon. 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. 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 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
titled Tha Last Meal, which built upon the mixture of styles
on No Limit Top Dogg.
In 2000, Snoop (with nickname "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. Driven by this success,
Snoop directed Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp in 2002
(this time using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").
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.
In 2002, Snoop announced that he was giving
up women and drugs. 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 Da Chuuuch to Da Palace" and "Beautiful," featuring
guest vocals by Pharrell Williams.
In 2004 Snoop appeared on the Showtime series
The L Word as the character "Slim Daddy", a portmanteau
of Slim Shady and Puff Daddy.
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. Later that year, he collaborated
again with his old friends Nate Dogg and Warren G as part of
213. They released an album The Hard Way, which featured the
single "Groupie Luv", and reached #4 in the U.S. Billboard
200 album charts.
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. Rhythm & Gangsta wasn't too well
received by fans, some saying that it wasn't "gangster" enough.
The album sold very well and most singles got a lot of airtime.
He also notably played the drug dealer-turned-informant
character of Huggy Bear, in the 2004 remake film of the 70's
TV-series of the same name, Starsky & Hutch.
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.
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.
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.
Snoop Dogg recently collaborated in a video
with E-40 and other westcoast rappers for his single Candy which
is Snoop Dogg getting a taste of the hyphy sound from E-40.
Problems with the law
Snoop Dogg experienced legal problems when he
used a message left on his answering machine on a track of Paid
tha Cost to Be da Bo$$. The person who left the message had not
allowed his voice to be sampled on the outro song. He later filed
a civil suit against Doggystyle Records.
Snoop and his associates were the center of
a controversial civil rape case stemming from a January, 2003
guest-hosting appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The plaintiff
was a 36-year-old makeup artist named Kylie Bell, who had previously
won an Emmy Award for her work on the HBO series Six Feet Under.
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.
Kylie 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.
On April 26, 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of
his entourage were arrested at Heathrow Airport for "violent
disorder and affray" after being turned away from British
Airways' first class lounge. 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 fracas. 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."
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.
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.
He was again arrested on November 29, 2006,
after performing on The Tonight Show, for possession of marijuana
and a firearm.
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.
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 planned concert at London's Wembley
Arena on 27th will go ahead with Diddy (with whom he toured Europe)
and the rest of the show. However the decision affects four more
British performances in Cardiff, Manchester, Nottingham and Glasgow
and Budapest (due to rescheduling).
On April 12, 2007 Snoop Dogg was sentenced to
five years of probation for gun and drug charges. He is expected
to continue touring.
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 Australian Video Music
Awards on April 29, 2007.
Awards
2007 MTV Australia Video Music
Awards
Best hip hop video ("That's
That")
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
Best Dance Video ("Buttons" with
The Pussycat Dolls}
2006 Los Angeles Chapter Recording
Academy Honors
Recipient (Snoop Dogg)
2006 MTV Australia Video Music
Awards
Best hip hop video ("Drop
it Like It's Hot")
2005 The Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop
Conference Awards
Hot Rap Track ("Drop it
Like It's Hot")
2005 MTV European Music Awards
Best Hip-Hop Artist
2005 MOBO Awards
Best video ("Drop it Like
It's Hot")
2004 Adult Video News awards
Top Selling Tape of 2003 ("Snoop
Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp")
2003 BET Awards
Best Collaboration (with Pharrell)
2002 MTV Movie Awards
Best Cameo ("Training Day" -
2001)
2002 Urban Fashion Awards
Best Celebrity Clothing Line
("Snoop Dogg Clothing")
2002 Adult Video News awards
Best Music soundtrack ("Snoop
Dogg's Doggystyle")
Top Selling Tape of 2001 ("Snoop
Dogg's Doggystyle")
2002 Stony Awards
Stoner of the Year
2000 Source Awards
New Artist of the Year, Group
(with Tha Eastsidaz)
1995 American Music Awards
Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
1995 Source Awards
Artist of the Year, Solo
Video of the Year ("Murder
Was The Case")
1994 Billboard Year-End Charts
Top Billboard 200 Album Artist
- Male
Top R&B Album Artist
Top R&B Album Artist - Male
1994 Rolling Stone's annual critics
poll
Best Rapper
1994 MTV Video Music Award
Best Rap Video. ("Doggy
Dogg World")
1994 Source Awards
New Artist of the Year (Solo)
Lyricist of the Year
Video Games
True Crime: Streets of LA
Def Jam Fight For NY
Fear & Respect
Discography
1993: Doggystyle
1996: Tha Doggfather
1998: Da Game Is to Be Sold Not to Be Told
1999: No Limit Top Dogg
2000: Tha Last Meal
2002: Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$
2004: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece
2005: Bigg Snoop Dogg presents...Welcome to
tha Chuuch: Da Album
2006: Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
2007: The Big Squeeze
2007/08: Ego Trippin'
Filmography
1994: Murder Was the Case (Platinum)
1998: Half Baked (cameo appearance)
1999: Hot Boyz
2000: Up In Smoke Tour
2000: The Eastsidaz (also executive producer)
(2x platinum)
