Snoop Dogg (1972-…) is an American rap and reggae artist, actor, and television performer. He is known for his role in popularizing gangsta rap. This type of music emphasizes gunplay and other outlaw aspects of city life. Snoop Dogg’s lyrics also include profanity and references to sexual activities.
Snoop Dogg was born on Oct. 20, 1972, in Long Beach, California. His real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus. He took the stage name Snoop Dogg from the childhood nickname “Snoopy.” His mother gave him the nickname because she thought he resembled the beagle character in the comic strip “Peanuts.” Snoop Dogg sang in his church choir and played piano as a child. He began rapping when he was in the sixth grade. As a youth, he was involved in gang activity. He was arrested, convicted, and jailed for possessing illegal drugs.
Snoop Dogg began his rap career in the early 1990’s with a hip-hop group called 213. That year, Dr. Dre, an influential rap artist and record producer, signed Snoop Dogg to a recording contract. Snoop Dogg made his recording debut on Dr. Dre’s theme song for the motion picture Deep Cover (1992). Snoop Dogg also attracted attention for his contributions to Dr. Dre’s album The Chronic, also released in 1992. Snoop Dogg’s solo debut, Doggystyle, was released under the name Snoop Doggy Dogg in 1993. While recording the album a few months before the release, Snoop Dogg was arrested and charged with murder. He was later found not guilty. Doggystyle featured several hit singles, including “Who Am I (What’s My Name?)” and “Gin and Juice.” The album quickly became a best seller. Snoop Dogg’s second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), was not as popular with the public as his first album had been. His later albums were released under the name Snoop Dogg. In 2004, he had a hit with “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” featuring the American rap artist Pharrell. Snoop Dogg was also featured on the hit song “California Gurls” (2010) by the American pop singer Katy Perry.
Snoop Dogg has appeared in a number of motion pictures, including Bones, Training Day, and The Wash (all 2001); Soul Plane and Starsky & Hutch (both 2004); Hood of Horror (2006); Scary Movie 5 (2013); and The Beach Bum (2019). He also provided the voice of a snail in the animated motion picture Turbo (2013). Snoop Dogg has also appeared on several television series and starred in the comedy show “Doggy Fizzle Televizzle” (2002-2004), the reality series “Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood” (which began in 2007), and the variety show “Dogg After Dark” (which began in 2009). He wrote an autobiography, Tha Doggfather (1999).
In 2012, Snoop Dogg announced that he had converted to the Rastafarian faith, a Jamaican religion. He released a reggae album, Reincarnated, in 2012, under the name Snoop Lion. A documentary motion picture, also called Reincarnated and released in 2012, examined his spiritual and cultural awakening after visiting Jamaica.
