Calvin Broadus, better known by his stage name 'Snoop Dogg,' is an American rapper and media personality who exploded onto the scene as one of the most well-known names in gangster rap in the 1990s. Despite his fame as a musician, Snoop has also starred in a number of films and television shows during his career.
Born in the United States, he began singing and rapping at a young age. Still, he was arrested several times as a teenager for drug possession before deciding to pursue a serious career in hip-hop. Snoop's talent was eventually recognized by the legendary producer-rapper Dr. Dre, and his debut album 'Doggystyle' was released, introducing him to the world of music.
With singles like "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" and "Gin and Juice," he became well-known for his laid-back rapping style, and his name became synonymous with 1990s gangster rap. Over the years, he has continued his success with numerous hit albums such as 'The Doggyfather', 'No Limit Top Dogg', 'R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece' and 'Doggumentary'.
Snoop has appeared in numerous movies and has been a frequent guest on television shows throughout his illustrious career. Throughout his life, he has been accused of multiple criminal offenses but acquitted of all charges. An excellent musician, and his music and legal troubles have kept him in the news from the beginning of his career.
Childhood & Early Life :
Snoop Dogg was born on October 20, 1971, in Long Beach, California, to Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier Vernall Varnado and his wife, Beverly Broadus. Calvin was named after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Sr., because Vernall left the family soon after Calvin was born.
He was always interested in singing, rapping, and playing the piano. He graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1989.
He was arrested shortly after graduating from high school after being found in possession of drugs, and he spent the next three years in and out of prison.
During this time, he and his cousins made homemade tapes under the name '213'. Dr. Dre, the influential producer, heard one of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue's "Hold On," and invited him to an audition.
Career :
- Broadus adopted the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg and began working with Dr. Dre on Dre's debut solo album, 'The Chronic,' which was well-earned. Later that year, in 1993, Snoop Dogg released his debut album, 'Doggystyle,' which was a commercial success.
- His second album, 'Tha Doggfather,' was released in 1996, and while it received positive reviews, it was less successful than its predecessor.
- In 1998, he joined Master P's No Limit Records and released his debut single, 'Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told,' on the label. His additional albums, named 'No Limit Top Dogg' (1999) and 'Tha Last Meal' (2000), were released in the years that followed.
- In 2002, he launched the album 'Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$' which featured the hit singles "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful".
- His album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, which included the single "Drop It Like It's Hot," was released in 2004. The next year, another album, 'The Hard Way,' with the hit "Groupie Luv," was published.
- His 2006 album 'Tha Blue Carpet Treatment,' as well as its second single "That's That Shit," received positive reviews from critics. In the years that followed, he released several albums, including 'Ego Trippin' (2008), 'Malice n Wonderland' (2009), and 'Doggumentary' (2011).
- Snoop Lion became his new stage name in 2012. In March 2013, his documentary titled 'Reincarnated' was released, followed by his latest studio album of the same name the following month.
- Other albums by Snoop Dogg include 'Coolaid' (2016), 'Neva Left' (2017), 'Bible of Love' (2018), and 'I Wanna Thank Me' (2018). (2019).
- He has starred in films such as 'The Wash' (2001), 'Bones' (2001), and 'Mac and Devin Go to High School' (2012). He also appeared in several films as a supporting or cameo actor, including 'Half Baked' (1998), 'Training Day' (2001), 'Starsky & Hutch' (2004), and 'Brüno' (2009).
- He has indeed appeared in several television shows, including the sketch comedy show 'Doggy Fizzle Televizzle' and the reality show 'Snoop Dogg's Father Hood.
- Snoop Dogg appeared in Lil Dicky's April 2019 single "Earth," portraying a marijuana plant in both the song's lyrics and the animated video. Snoop Dogg was one of hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the Universal Studios fire in 2008.
- Snoop Dogg released the title single off his upcoming 17th studio album, I Wanna Thank Me, on July 3, 2019. On August 16, 2019, the album was released. Snoop Dogg collaborated with Vietnamese artist Son Tung M-TP on the song "Hy trao cho anh," which was released on July 1, 2019. The song video had over 158 million views on YouTube as of October 3, 2019.
- Snoop stated early in 2020 that he has postponed his tour in support of his I Wanna Thank You album and documentary of the same name.
- The tour has been rescheduled for February 2021. Snoop released "Que Maldicion," a duet with Banda Sinaloense de Sergio Lizarraga, in May 2020, and it peaked at number one on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.
- Snoop Dogg's eighteenth studio album, From tha Streets 2 tha Suites, was released on April 20, 2021. It was disclosed on Instagram on April 7, 2021. Critics gave the album generally positive reviews.
- Snoop Dogg unveiled Algorithm during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 27. The album will be out on November 19, 2021.
- Snoop Dogg performed at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show together with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.
- Snoop Dogg announced in January 2022 that his 19th studio album, BODR, would be released on the same day as his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. However, the album's release date was pushed up two days, to February 11, 2022.
- Snoop Dogg and Eminem collaborated on the tune "From the D 2 the LBC" on June 24, 2022, with a live-action/animated music video released the same day.
- Later that year, Snoop Dogg announced the release of Missionary, a new album wholly produced by Dr. Dre. Death Row/Aftermath will release the record.
Awards & Achievements :
In 1994, he earned the Billboard Music Award in three categories; 'Top Billboard 200 Album Artist - Male', 'Top R&B Album Artist', and 'Top R&B Album Artist - Male'.
For the song 'Doggy Dogg World,' he won the MTV Video Music Awards in the category of 'Best Rap Video' in 1994.
He earned the American Music Award for 'Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist' in 1995.
For his song 'Drop It Like It's Hot,' he received an 'International Dance Music Award' in the category of 'Best Rap/Hip-Hop Dance Track' in 2005.
He has also received the 'MOBO Award,' 'Source Award,' 'Stony Award,' and 'Urban Fashion Award,' among others.
Personal Life & Legacy :
Snoop Dogg married his high school love, Shante Taylor, in 1997. The couple has three kids: two sons, Cordé and Cordell, and a girl, Cori.
Dogg filed for divorce from Shante in 2004, alleging irreconcilable differences. In January 2008, the pair repeated their wedding vows after four years.
