Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg
Bruce Baker from Sydney, Australia · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Calvin Broadus Jr.
Birth name	Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.
Birth date	October 20, 1971
Birth place	Long Beach, California
Occupation	Rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, entrepreneur
Years active	1992–present
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Death Row Records, No Limit Records, Priority Records, Capitol Records, Roc Nation
Associated acts	Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, Tupac Shakur, Eminem

Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur who rose to prominence in the early 1990s as a defining figure of West Coast hip hop. First gaining widespread attention through collaborations with Dr. Dre and appearances on the landmark album The Chronic, he developed a laid-back vocal delivery and culturally influential persona that crossed music, film, television, sports, and business. Over a decades-spanning career he has worked with artists from Tupac Shakur to Pharrell Williams and moved between major labels such as Death Row Records and Roc Nation while expanding into mainstream media with roles on Saturday Night Live and in films like Training Day.

Early life and education

Born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. in Long Beach, California, he was raised in a neighborhood shaped by the socioeconomic conditions of Los Angeles County, California and attended schools in the Long Beach Unified School District. He is the son of Vernell Varnado and Beverly Broadus and grew up alongside contemporaries who later became part of the West Coast hip hop scene, including Warren G and members of Tha Dogg Pound. During his youth he developed an interest in paranormal phenomenon through family influences and adopted the nickname that references Willie Nelson-era cultural motifs. His formative years included participation in local music collectives and encounters with law enforcement that paralleled the upbringing of peers like Eazy-E and Ice Cube.

Musical career

His professional breakthrough came when producer Dr. Dre featured him on the seminal The Chronic (1992), a release that helped define the G-funk sound alongside contemporaries such as Nate Dogg and Warren G. His debut solo album, Doggystyle, released on Death Row Records and produced by Dr. Dre and Daz Dillinger, spawned singles that charted on the Billboard 200 and altered radio programming in markets from Compton, California to New York City. Across subsequent albums he collaborated with artists including Tupac Shakur, Snoop Lion-era producers, Pharrell Williams, Eminem, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé. He has recorded under multiple labels—Death Row Records, No Limit Records, Priority Records, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation—and explored genres from gangsta rap to reggae and gospel, collaborating with figures like Sly and Robbie and appearing on soundtrack albums for films including Deep Cover and Training Day.

Acting and media appearances

Transitioning into film and television, he has appeared in feature films such as Training Day, Half Baked, and Starsky & Hutch, and made guest appearances on television series including The Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants. He hosted and produced television projects across networks like VH1, MTV, and Fox, participated in reality programming with personalities from Martha Stewart to Miley Cyrus, and served as a recurring presence on award shows including the MTV Video Music Awards and the BET Awards. His persona has been utilized in commercials and video games, and he has collaborated with directors such as F. Gary Gray and Antoine Fuqua.

Business ventures and endorsements

Beyond entertainment, he has launched ventures spanning the cannabis industry, culinary collaborations, and branded merchandise. He partnered with companies like Martha Stewart on consumer products, launched cannabis brands and dispensary lines in jurisdictions such as California and Nevada, and endorsed lifestyle products alongside corporations including Adidas and PepsiCo-linked entities. He founded record imprints and production companies, engaged in digital media projects with platforms like YouTube and Apple Music, and entered sports-related investments and partnerships connected to organizations such as Major League Soccer and celebrity sports events featuring figures like LeBron James.

Personal life and legal issues

He married and had children, including a high-profile familial relationship with entertainers and athletes within networks such as The Game and Pharrell Williams’s circles; family members have appeared on televised specials and joint ventures with brands like Martha Stewart and Fox Sports. His legal history includes arrests and court proceedings related to weapon possession and narcotics investigations in jurisdictions like Los Angeles County, California and Diamond Bar, California; these matters involved interactions with law enforcement agencies and criminal courts in the United States District Court system. He has publicly addressed issues involving public safety, celebrity privacy, and entertainment law in interviews with outlets connected to Rolling Stone and Billboard.

Legacy and influence

Culturally, his influence touches generations of performers across hip hop, pop, and film, informing the styles of artists such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Tyler, The Creator, and J. Cole. Music critics and institutions including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame commentary, Rolling Stone rankings, and academic studies of West Coast hip hop cite his contributions to the proliferation of G-funk, the mainstreaming of regional rap, and cross-media branding exemplified by entertainers like Jay-Z and Madonna. Festivals, inducted halls, and retrospectives at museums in Los Angeles and New York City continue to document his recordings, collaborations, and entrepreneurial model that parallels those of Dr. Dre and Diddy.

Category:American rappers Category:1971 births Category:Living people