Snoop Dogg, one of the most recognizable and successful hip-hop artists in history, was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. in Long Beach, California on October 20th 1971 – though you might not recognize his name if it weren’t for the inspiration behind a beloved childhood nickname! His mother thought he looked like Charles Schulz’s iconic cartoon character “Snoopy” from Peanuts – so she soon began calling him by that familiar moniker which would ultimately follow him onto musical success.
As an aspiring musician since grade school days when he sang at church choir practice and played piano with friends – as well as having lived amongst gang activity during his youth years—his pathway to stardom certainly wasn’t easy. He became part of group ‘213’ alongside Nate Dogg and Warren G before going solo; becoming one of rap music’s best selling performers along the way.
Snoop Meets Dr. Dre
When Dr. Dre heard one of Snoop’s tracks, he was so impressed that he invited him to audition – and the rest is history! Through their collaboration on ‘Deep Cover’, they kicked off an iconic partnership which would see them reach unprecedented heights in hip-hop together. The Chronic (1992) gave birth to G-Funk, a new sound for rap fans worldwide; then came Doggystyle(1993), where singles like “Who Am I (What’s My Name?)” & “Gin and Juice” shot straight No 1s both on Billboard Hip Hop Charts & 200 charts alike.
In 1994, Snoop Dogg’s career reached new heights with the successful release of Murder Was the Case. The accompanying soundtrack went double platinum and set a promising stage for what was to come next – Tha Doggfather (1996). Despite being without Dr Dre due to contractual disagreements, this album still raced up charts propelling Snoop into superstar status as an artist in his own right.
The Post-Death Row Days
After falling out with label mogul Suge Knight, Snoop swapped Death Row Records for Master P’s No Limit Records. Under the new imprint he dominated the hip-hop charts with 1998’s ‘Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not To Be Told’, 1999’s ‘No Limit Top Dogg’ and 2000’s ‘The Last Meal’; shifting his sound away from “gangsta rap” towards a smoother vibe. The biggest success of that era came in 2004 when teaming up with Pharrell Williams on single “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” which was followed by reunion album ‘The Hard Way’ alongside Warren G and Nate Dogg as 213.
The Evolution of Snoop Dog
During the same period of time as his musical success, Snoop diversified into acting with cameos in Starsky & Hutch, The Wash and Training Day. His popularity extended to television shows such as The L Word and Weeds where he was a regular guest star. In 2007, E! debuted the reality show ‘Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood’, which featured him alongside wife Shante and their three children – Corde, Cordell and Cori. He also starred in his own sketch comedy series titled ‘Doggy Fizzle Televizzle’and appeared on Comedy Central for Donald Trump’s Roast back in 2011: an event that certainly couldn’t be repeated today!
Snoop’s entrepreneurial spirit has extended beyond the world of hip-hop, as he ventured into cannabis business. Showing no signs of slowing down his ambitions in 2015, he became one of the first A-list celebrities to launch Leafs By Snoop – a premium line for marijuana lovers across America – and quickly followed up with Merry Jane; an innovative digital platform dedicated entirely to news and updates about all things weed related.
