Snoop Dogg: The Life Story Behind Rap's Coolest Star

Long Beach, California: A Boy Who Sang in Church

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born on 20 October 1971 in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons, in a household that was musical, working-class, and shaped by a father’s absence: his father, Vernell Varnado, a Vietnam veteran and a singer, left the family when Calvin was three months old, and his mother, Beverly Tate, raised the children alone, working, and singing in the church choir, where Calvin, who was a boy soprano, also sang, and played piano, and the singing, which began in church, became the foundation of his voice: a voice that is laid-back, melodic, and full of a Long Beach drawl that makes people listen, even when he is rapping about the streets, because the church, which is the root of his music, never leaves it. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he played football, and where he was a member of the choir, and the school, which gave him a discipline and a dream, was the beginning of a career that would take him from Long Beach to the world, and the dream, which was to be a rapper, was not a fantasy, it was a plan, and the plan, which began in a church choir, in Long Beach, took him to a studio, to a record, and to a fame that is still, after thirty years, one of the most recognisable in music.

Long Beach in the 1980s was a city of gangs, of drugs, of police, and of a community that was both close-knit and under siege, and the young Calvin, who sold drugs as a teenager, who was arrested, who spent time in jail, learned the streets the hard way, and the learning, which was painful, became the material of his rhymes, because a rapper who writes about the streets because he lived in them, not because he read about them, will always find an audience willing to listen. He was a member of the Rollin’ 20 Crips, a gang, and the gang, which was a part of his life, is also a part of his story, a reminder that a boy from Long Beach, who sang in church, could also be a boy who sold drugs, who went to jail, and who, in the end, chose music, and the choosing, which is the point of his career, is a testament to a person who understood that a talent, properly used, can carry a person out of a neighbourhood, and into history. He graduated from high school in 1989, and the graduation, which was a milestone, was followed by a period of uncertainty, of odd jobs, of rapping on street corners, and of recording demos, in a home studio, with friends, and the demos, which were passed from hand to hand, eventually reached a man named Dr. Dre, who was looking for a rapper, and who, when he heard Calvin’s voice, knew that he had found one.

The Long Beach he grew up in is present in everything he has made since. It is a place of beaches and streets, of churches and corners, of a Black boy who sang in a choir and dreamed of a bigger world, and the songs he wrote about it, from Gin and Juice to Drop It Like It’s Hot, are portraits of a place and a people, drawn with a writer’s eye for detail and a rapper’s ear for rhythm. He has spoken about the influence of Long Beach, about the church, about the community, and about the way that community gave him a voice, a faith, and a determination, and the determination, which is the mark of a great rapper, is the reason he kept rapping, through the hard years, through the jail, and through the silence, until the world finally heard him, and the hearing, which came through Dr. Dre, is the most important moment in his career, and the moment, which is still, thirty years later, the beginning of his story.

Dr. Dre, The Chronic and the Discovery

In 1992, Dr. Dre, who had left N.W.A and was recording his debut solo album, The Chronic, heard a demo tape of Calvin, who was then calling himself Snoop Doggy Dogg, a name taken from the cartoon character Snoopy, whom his mother had called him as a child, because his face, she said, looked like the dog’s, and Dre, who was impressed by the voice, a laid-back, melodic drawl that was unlike any other rapper’s, invited him to appear on the album, on the single Deep Cover, and on the songs Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang and Fuck wit Dre Day, and the appearances, which were the first time the world heard Snoop, made him a star, overnight, because the voice, which was smooth, cool, and instantly recognisable, was the perfect complement to Dre’s production, which was funky, melodic, and full of a West Coast sunshine that made the songs sound like Long Beach, like California, like a summer that never ends. The Chronic, released in December 1992, became a landmark, selling millions of copies, and Snoop, who appeared on most of its tracks, became the most talked-about new rapper in America, and the talking, which was the beginning of a career, is a testament to a voice that was discovered, not manufactured, and the discovering, which is the point, is the reason Snoop Dogg is still, after thirty years, one of the most recognisable voices in music.

Doggystyle, his debut solo album, was released on 23 November 1993, on Death Row Records, and it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the first debut album by a rapper to do so, and it featured the singles What’s My Name?, Gin and Juice, and Doggy Dogg World, and the album, which was produced by Dr. Dre, was a masterpiece of West Coast hip-hop, a record that mixed funk, soul, and gangsta rap, with a voice that was laid-back, melodic, and full of a Long Beach drawl, and the songs, which were about parties, about women, about the streets, and about a dog’s life, became standards, and the standards, which are still played, still quoted, and still loved, are the reason Doggystyle is regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of all time, and the reason Snoop, who was twenty-two, became a star, and the star, which is the point, was the reason his career began, and the beginning, which is still going, has lasted for more than thirty years.

The album’s success came with a cost, because in 1993, Snoop was charged with murder, after a shooting in Los Angeles, in which his bodyguard, McKinley Lee, shot and killed a man, Philip Woldemariam, and Snoop, who was in the car, was charged as an accomplice, and the trial, which lasted for more than two years, became a national story, with Snoop, who was facing life in prison, appearing in court, in a suit, with his lawyers, and the trial, which ended in February 1996, with an acquittal, on the grounds of self-defence, was a trauma, and a triumph, and the trauma, which is a part of his story, is a reminder that a rapper who writes about the streets can also be caught by them, and that the catching, which is the point of the trial, is also the reason Snoop, who was acquitted, became a different person, a person who understood that a career, a life, and a freedom, are fragile, and that the fragility, which is the point, is worth protecting, and the protecting, which is the point of his later career, is visible in every record he makes, in every film he appears in, and in every business he builds.

Doggystyle, Tha Doggfather and the Death Row Years

Tha Doggfather, his second album, was released in November 1996, after the trial, and after the death of Tupac Shakur, who had been a labelmate on Death Row, and the album, which was a more sombre, more reflective record, featured the singles Vapors and Doggfather, and it debuted at number one, but it did not match the success of Doggystyle, and the album’s reception, which was warm but not ecstatic, reflected the mood of the moment: a rapper who had survived a trial, who had lost a friend, and who was trying to find his way, in a label, Death Row, that was itself falling apart, under the leadership of Suge Knight, who was in prison, and the label, which had been the biggest in rap, became a shadow of itself, and Snoop, who left Death Row in 1998, signed with No Limit Records, Master P’s label, and the move, which was a fresh start, gave him a new audience, a new sound, and a new chance to be heard, on his own terms, without a label that was, in his words, a prison, and the prison, which is the point of the Death Row years, is a reminder that a record label, like a gang, can be a family, and a trap, both at once.

Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, released in August 1998, on No Limit, featured the single Still a G Thang, and the album, which debuted at number one, showed a Snoop who was still a G, still a rapper, and still a star, and No Limit Top Dogg, released in May 1999, featured the single B Please, with Xzibit and Nate Dogg, and the album, which was praised by critics, showed a rapper who was growing, who was experimenting, and who was finding his own sound, apart from Dr. Dre, apart from Death Row, and apart from the expectations of an industry that wanted him to be a gangsta rapper, and nothing else. Tha Last Meal, released in December 2000, on No Limit, featured the single Snoop Dogg (What’s My Name Pt. 2), and the album, which was a success, marked the end of his No Limit years, and the beginning of a new chapter, in which he would sign with other labels, work with other producers, and build a career that was not defined by a single label, a single sound, or a single image, but by a voice, a style, and a personality that could adapt to any era, any genre, and any audience.

The Death Row years are the foundation of his story, and the foundation is solid, because it was built on a voice, a producer, and a friendship, between Snoop and Dre, that has lasted for more than thirty years, and that is still, in 2024, producing records, including Missionary, an album produced by Dre, and released in December 2024, and the album, which is a return to the sound of Doggystyle, is a testament to a partnership that has survived labels, trials, deaths, and decades, and the surviving, which is the point, is the reason Snoop and Dre, who met in 1992, are still, in 2024, making music together, and the music, which is the point, is still, after thirty years, the sound of Long Beach, of California, and of a summer that never ends.

Drop It Like It’s Hot, Beautiful and the Pop Star

In 2004, Snoop released R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, an album that featured the single Drop It Like It’s Hot, produced by The Neptunes, with Pharrell Williams, and the song, which became his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and which won a Grammy nomination, showed a different side of his talent: a pop star, a hitmaker, and a rapper who could work with the hottest producers in music, and make a record that sounded like the future, not the past. The song’s success was built on a simple, infectious beat, a hook that was instantly memorable, and a vocal that was laid-back, cool, and unmistakably Snoop, and the combination, which is the mark of a great pop record, made Drop It Like It’s Hot a global hit, a song that is still played in clubs, on the radio, and in films, twenty years after it was released, and the song, which is a signature, is a testament to a rapper who, at thirty-three, could still make a hit, and who could do it, not by repeating the past, but by embracing the present, and the embracing, which is the point, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point.

Beautiful, a single from the 2002 album Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss, featuring Pharrell Williams, became another hit, a love song, a ballad, that showed a softer side of Snoop, a romantic, a singer, and a rapper who could write about love, about a woman, and about the beauty of a moment, with a tenderness that surprised listeners who knew him only as a gangsta rapper, and the song, which was a hit on R&B radio, and which was praised by critics, proved that Snoop, who had been typecast as a gangster, was also a romantic, and that the romantic, which is the point, is as much a part of his art as the gangster, and the art, which is the whole of him, is the reason his catalogue is so varied, so rich, and so loved, by audiences who have grown up with him, from the teenagers who bought Doggystyle to the adults who stream Beautiful, and who know, when they hear his voice, that they are hearing a person, not a persona, and the person, which is Snoop, is the point.

He has also released albums including Tha Blue Carpet Treatment in 2006, Ego Trippin’ in 2008, Malice n Wonderland in 2009, Doggumentary in 2011, Reincarnated in 2013, under the name Snoop Lion, a reggae album, Bush in 2015, produced by Pharrell, Coolaid in 2016, Neva Left in 2017, Bible of Love in 2018, a gospel album, I Wanna Thank Me in 2019, From tha Streets 2 tha Suites in 2021, BODR in 2022, and Missionary in 2024, and the albums, which span more than thirty years, show a rapper who has never stopped recording, never stopped experimenting, and never stopped growing, and the growing, which is the point, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point, because a rapper who can make a gospel album, a reggae album, and a gangsta album, all in the same decade, is a rapper who understands that music is not a genre, it is a language, and the language, which is Snoop’s, is spoken fluently, in every style, in every era, and in every song he makes.

Films, Television and the Entertainer

Snoop’s film career began in the 1990s, with small roles, and it built steadily, through films that showcased his range, his humour, and his presence. In 2001, he appeared in Training Day, Antoine Fuqua’s crime drama, as Blue, a wheelchair-bound drug dealer, in a small role that was memorable, because Snoop, who can make a minor character feel major, gave Blue a menace, a humour, and a humanity that made the audience remember him, long after the film had ended, and the film, which won Denzel Washington an Academy Award, gave Snoop a place in one of the most acclaimed crime films of the decade, and a chance to work with a director, Fuqua, who recognised his talent, his presence, and his ability to hold a camera’s attention without a microphone. He followed Training Day with roles in Starsky & Hutch in 2004, as Huggy Bear, a role that was funny, flamboyant, and deeply watchable, in Soul Plane in 2004, as Captain Mack, in Baby Boy in 2001, as Rodney, and in many more films, each one a different character, each one played with the same laid-back, cool, and unmistakable Snoop style, and the style, which is the point, is the reason he is always in demand, in Hollywood, as an actor, a comedian, and a presence, and the presence, which is the point, is the reason his films are still watched, still quoted, and still loved.

His television career is as large as his film career, and it is built around a show that made him a household name to a new generation: Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, a VH1 series that ran from 2016 to 2020, in which he co-hosted, with Martha Stewart, a cooking show, a talk show, and a party, all at once, and the show, which paired a rapper from Long Beach with a domestic goddess from Connecticut, became a cultural phenomenon, because the pairing, which was unlikely, worked, and the working, which is the point, is a testament to Snoop’s charm, his humour, and his ability to make anyone, even Martha Stewart, feel comfortable, and the comfort, which is the point of the show, is the reason it was a hit, and the reason Snoop, who was once a gangsta rapper, became a television star, a host, and a personality, who could cook, who could talk, and who could make an audience laugh, all at once. He has also appeared in Dogg After Dark, in Coach Snoop, a Netflix series about his youth football league, and in many other television shows, and the television career, which is still growing, is a testament to an entertainer who can work in any medium, who can play any role, and who can do it, with a laid-back, cool, and unmistakable style, that is entirely his own.

In 2024, he became a correspondent for NBC at the Paris Olympics, a role that made him a global sensation, because his commentary, which was enthusiastic, funny, and deeply knowledgeable about sports, introduced him to an audience that had never heard his music, who knew him only as a television personality, and who loved him, for his joy, his humour, and his love of the Games, and the Olympics, which were watched by millions, gave him a new kind of fame, not as a rapper, but as a fan, a commentator, and a person who loves sports, and the loving, which is the point, is the reason his Olympic coverage was praised, shared, and memed, around the world, and the reason Snoop, who was once a gangsta rapper, is now, in the words of many, America’s favourite uncle, and the uncle, which is a nickname he has earned, is a compliment, because an uncle who is cool, who is funny, and who is wise, is the best kind of family, and the family, which is Snoop’s audience, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point.

Death Row, Business and the Mogul

In 2022, Snoop acquired Death Row Records, the label that had released his debut album, Doggystyle, in 1993, and the acquisition, which was a full circle, a rapper buying the label that made him famous, was a statement: a person who creates value should own it, and the ownership, which is the goal, is worth pursuing, in music, in business, and in life. The label, which he now runs, has released his albums, including BODR in 2022, and Missionary in 2024, and the releases, which are a return to the sound of Doggystyle, show a label owner who understands the past, who respects it, and who is building a future, on the foundation of a catalogue that is one of the most important in rap history. The acquisition was not just a business deal, it was a personal one, because Death Row, which had been a prison, in Snoop’s words, was now his, and the owning, which is the point, is a testament to a rapper who, after thirty years, has come home, to the label that made him, and who is now the boss, and the boss, which is the point, is Snoop, and Snoop, who is the boss, is still, after all these years, the Dogg, and the Dogg, which is the point, is still here.

He has also built a business empire outside music, including a cannabis brand, Leafs by Snoop, a media company, a youth football league, the Snoop Youth Football League, which has produced NFL players, and investments in technology, in food, and in entertainment, and the businesses, which are diverse, show a mogul who thinks like an owner, not like an employee, and who has built a fortune, and a legacy, on the principle that a person who creates value should own it, and the ownership, which is the goal, is worth pursuing, and the pursuing, which is the point, is visible in every venture he undertakes, from a football league to a cannabis brand to a record label, and the ventures, which are the proof, are the reason he is now, in the words of many, not just a rapper, but a businessman, and the businessman, which is the point, is as successful as the rapper, because the same qualities, intelligence, ambition, and a deep understanding of value, make him a great mogul as well as a great rapper.

He has also become a cultural figure beyond music, appearing on television, in the public conversation about cannabis, about criminal justice, and about the Black community, and the speaking, which is direct and often funny, is consistent with the rapper who wrote Gin and Juice: a person who believes that silence is complicity, and that a platform, once earned, should be used, and the using, which is the point, is visible in every interview he gives, in every show he hosts, and in every business he builds, and the building, which is the point, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point, because a rapper who can build a league, a label, and a brand, all at once, is a rapper who understands that music is not just a song, it is a business, and the business, which is the point, is the reason Snoop Dogg is still, after thirty years, one of the most successful entertainers in America.

The Voice, the Style and the Influence

Snoop Dogg’s voice is one of the most recognisable in music, and it is recognisable because it is laid-back, melodic, and full of a Long Beach drawl that makes people listen, even when he is rapping about the streets, because the voice, which was trained in a church choir in Long Beach, carries that training in its melody, its control, and its ability to move from a whisper to a drawl in a single phrase. Songs like Gin and Juice, Drop It Like It’s Hot, Beautiful, and What’s My Name? show the range, from a party anthem to a pop hit to a love song to a signature, and the thread between them is the vocal, which never strains, never oversells, and never asks the listener to admire effort instead of feeling the song. The voice is the instrument, and the instrument is still in perfect working order, at fifty-five, in concerts, on television, and on records, where he raps the songs that made him famous, and the audience, which sings along, knows every word, because the songs are a part of their lives, a part of the culture, and a part of history.

His style is the other half of his art. He is known for his braids, his sunglasses, his laid-back fashion, and his ability to fill a room, a stadium, and a television screen, with a presence that is both cool and warm, and the style, which was created in the Death Row years, when he wore flannel shirts, Chucks, and braids, became a signature, a look that has been copied by generations of rappers, from the West Coast to the world, who learned from Snoop that a rapper is not just a voice, but a look, a presence, and a performance, and the performance, which is the point, is as important as the song, because the song, properly performed, is a show, and the show, properly done, is unforgettable. The style is not a costume, it is a statement, and the statement, which is that a person from Long Beach can be cool, can be stylish, and can be himself, is the reason his influence is still felt, in fashion, in music, and in culture, thirty years after Doggystyle.

His influence on the rappers who came after him is enormous. The laid-back, melodic flow that dominates West Coast rap, the G-funk sound that Dr. Dre invented and Snoop perfected, the idea that a rapper can be a pop star, a television star, and a businessman, all at once, is now standard, but it was radical when he did it, and the radical, which is the point, is a testament to a rapper who did not just follow a trend, he created one, and the creating, which is the point, is the reason his name is still, after thirty years, one of the most respected in hip-hop, and the respect, which is the point, is earned, not given, and the earning, which is the point, is visible in every record he makes, in every show he hosts, and in every business he builds.

Where He Stands Now

As of 2026, Snoop Dogg is one of the most successful and most beloved entertainers in America, with a career that spans rap, film, television, sports, and business, from a boy who sang in a church choir in Long Beach to a mogul who owns Death Row Records, a youth football league, and a cannabis brand, and who is married to Shante Broadus since 1997, with three children, Cordé, Cordell, and Cori, and grandchildren, and the family, which is the centre of his life, is the reason he works as hard as he does, and the working, which is the craft, is the reason he is loved. He has sold tens of millions of records, he has starred in dozens of films, he has hosted television shows, he has commentated on the Olympics, and he has become, in the words of many, America’s favourite uncle, a rapper who is also a grandfather, a businessman, and a legend, and the legend, which is the point, is still, after thirty years, making music, making television, and making history, one song, one show, and one game at a time.

He continues to record, to perform, to host, and to run Death Row Records, and the next chapter of his career will be watched by an audience that has grown up with him, from the teenagers who bought Doggystyle to the adults who watch the Olympics, and who know that a Snoop Dogg performance, whatever the medium, will be worth watching, because the voice, the style, and the songs are still there, still powerful, and still, after thirty years, the sound of Long Beach, of California, and of a summer that never ends. Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., the boy from Long Beach, is still here, still rapping, still hosting, and still the Dogg, in name and in fact.

My Take:

Snoop Dogg is the rapper I admire most for his longevity, and the reason is the voice. It is laid-back, melodic, and full of a Long Beach drawl that makes people listen, even when he is rapping about the streets, because the voice, which was trained in a church choir, carries that training in its melody, its control, and its ability to move from a whisper to a drawl in a single phrase. I have listened to his records for years, and I still hear new things in them, a line I missed, a melody I had not noticed, a moment of cool that still surprises me, and that is the test of a great voice: it rewards the listener who pays attention, and the attention is repaid, line by line, song by song.

Doggystyle is the debut album that I return to most, because it is perfect. A record produced by Dr. Dre, that debuted at number one, the first debut album by a rapper to do so, featuring What’s My Name?, Gin and Juice, and Doggy Dogg World, and the album, which was a masterpiece of West Coast hip-hop, mixed funk, soul, and gangsta rap, with a voice that was laid-back, melodic, and full of a Long Beach drawl, and the songs, which were about parties, about women, about the streets, and about a dog’s life, became standards, and the standards, which are still played, still quoted, and still loved, are the reason Doggystyle is regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of all time. I love Doggystyle because it is joyful, and joy, in a catalogue full of gangsta rap, is precious, and the joy is earned, because a debut album that is also a party is a debut album that never gets old.

Gin and Juice is the song that will define his career for many listeners, and I understand why, because it is perfect. A party anthem, a song about a Long Beach afternoon, with a beat by Dr. Dre, a hook that is instantly memorable, and a vocal that is laid-back, cool, and unmistakably Snoop, the song is still played in clubs, on the radio, and in films, thirty years after it was released, and the playing, which is the point, is a testament to a song that is simple, and simplicity in rap is the hardest thing to achieve, and the achieving, which is the mark of a great song, is audible in every note, in every word, and in every beat that Dre produced, and that Snoop rode, like a wave, all the way to the top of the charts, and to the top of the culture.

Drop It Like It’s Hot is the song that proved he could still make a hit, twenty years into his career, and I love it for its confidence. Produced by The Neptunes, with Pharrell Williams, the song became his first number-one single, and it showed a different side of his talent: a pop star, a hitmaker, and a rapper who could work with the hottest producers in music, and make a record that sounded like the future, not the past. I love the song because it is cool, and cool, in rap music, is the best kind, because it does not ask for permission, it takes the stage, and the stage, in this case, is a club, a radio, and a chart, all at once, and the taking, which is the point, is done by Snoop, who raps it like he means it, because he does, and the meaning, which is the point, is audible in every line.

The Chronic is the album that introduced him to the world, and I think it deserves to be spoken about as one of the great debuts in hip-hop, even though it is Dr. Dre’s album, not Snoop’s. Snoop appears on most of its tracks, on Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang, on Fuck wit Dre Day, on Deep Cover, and the appearances, which were the first time the world heard him, made him a star, overnight, because the voice, which was smooth, cool, and instantly recognisable, was the perfect complement to Dre’s production, which was funky, melodic, and full of a West Coast sunshine. I love The Chronic because it is a partnership, and a partnership, properly done, is the best kind of music, and the partnership, between Dre and Snoop, which began in 1992, is still going, in 2024, with Missionary, and the going, which is the point, is a testament to a friendship, a collaboration, and a sound, that has lasted for more than thirty years.

The murder trial is the chapter that I find most sobering, because it shows how fragile a career can be. In 1993, he was charged with murder, after a shooting in Los Angeles, and the trial, which lasted for more than two years, ended in February 1996, with an acquittal, on the grounds of self-defence, and the trial, which was a trauma, and a triumph, is a reminder that a rapper who writes about the streets can also be caught by them, and that the catching, which is the point of the trial, is also the reason Snoop, who was acquitted, became a different person, a person who understood that a career, a life, and a freedom, are fragile, and that the fragility, which is the point, is worth protecting, and the protecting, which is the point of his later career, is visible in every record he makes, in every film he appears in, and in every business he builds, and the building, which is the point, is the reason he is still here, still free, and still making music.

Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party is the show that made him a household name to a new generation, and I love it for its unlikely pairing. A rapper from Long Beach and a domestic goddess from Connecticut, cooking together, talking together, and throwing a party, all at once, and the show, which ran from 2016 to 2020, became a cultural phenomenon, because the pairing, which was unlikely, worked, and the working, which is the point, is a testament to Snoop’s charm, his humour, and his ability to make anyone, even Martha Stewart, feel comfortable, and the comfort, which is the point of the show, is the reason it was a hit, and the reason Snoop, who was once a gangsta rapper, became a television star, a host, and a personality, who could cook, who could talk, and who could make an audience laugh, all at once, and the laughing, which is the point, is the reason the show is still watched, still quoted, and still loved.

The Paris Olympics in 2024 is the moment that made him a global sensation in a new way, because his commentary, which was enthusiastic, funny, and deeply knowledgeable about sports, introduced him to an audience that had never heard his music, who knew him only as a television personality, and who loved him, for his joy, his humour, and his love of the Games. I watched his Olympic coverage, and I was struck by the joy: a man who loves sports, who loves the athletes, and who is having the time of his life, and the joy, which is infectious, is the reason his coverage was praised, shared, and memed, around the world, and the reason Snoop, who was once a gangsta rapper, is now, in the words of many, America’s favourite uncle, and the uncle, which is a nickname he has earned, is a compliment, because an uncle who is cool, who is funny, and who is wise, is the best kind of family, and the family, which is Snoop’s audience, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point.

Buying Death Row Records is the business move that I admire most, because it is a full circle. In 2022, he acquired the label that had released his debut album, Doggystyle, in 1993, and the acquisition, which was a rapper buying the label that made him famous, was a statement: a person who creates value should own it, and the ownership, which is the goal, is worth pursuing, in music, in business, and in life. I love the move because it is personal, and personal business, properly done, is the best kind, because the label, which had been a prison, in Snoop’s words, was now his, and the owning, which is the point, is a testament to a rapper who, after thirty years, has come home, to the label that made him, and who is now the boss, and the boss, which is the point, is Snoop, and Snoop, who is the boss, is still, after all these years, the Dogg, and the Dogg, which is the point, is still here, still making music, and still making history.

Missionary, the 2024 album produced by Dr. Dre, is the record that shows the partnership is still alive, and I love it for that reason. Thirty-two years after The Chronic, Dre and Snoop, who met in 1992, made another album together, a return to the sound of Doggystyle, and the album, which was praised by critics, is a testament to a friendship, a collaboration, and a sound, that has survived labels, trials, deaths, and decades, and the surviving, which is the point, is the reason Snoop and Dre, who are now in their fifties, are still making music together, and the music, which is the point, is still, after thirty years, the sound of Long Beach, of California, and of a summer that never ends, and the summer, which is the point, is the reason their partnership matters, and the mattering, which is the point, is visible in every track on Missionary, in every beat Dre produced, and in every verse Snoop rapped.

His youth football league is the part of his career that I admire most, because it is not a business, it is a gift. The Snoop Youth Football League, which he founded, has given thousands of children in Long Beach a chance to play, to learn, and to grow, and the league, which has produced NFL players, is a testament to a man who understands that a community, properly supported, can produce greatness, and that the greatness, which is the point, is worth investing in, and the investing, which is the point of the league, is the reason Snoop, who was once a boy in Long Beach, is now a coach, a mentor, and a father figure, to a generation of children, who look up to him, not as a rapper, but as a coach, and the coach, which is the point, is the best role he has ever played, because a coach who cares is a coach who changes lives, and the changing, which is the point, is visible in every child who plays in his league, and in every NFL player who came from it.

If I were introducing someone to Snoop Dogg, I would start with Doggystyle, then The Chronic, then Drop It Like It’s Hot, then Missionary, because that sequence shows the arc: the debut, the discovery, the pop hit, the return. And I would tell them to watch Martha & Snoop, because the television is the art, and to watch his Olympic coverage, because the joy is the art, and to listen to Gin and Juice with headphones, because the flow is the art, and the art, which is Snoop’s, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point, and the point, in this case, is a rapper, a host, a coach, and a mogul, all at once, and the all-at-once, which is the point, is the reason Snoop Dogg is still, after thirty years, one of the most beloved entertainers in America.

There is a final thing I want to say, and it is about the name. Snoop Doggy Dogg, a name taken from Snoopy, the cartoon dog, whom his mother called him as a child, because his face looked like the dog’s, became Snoop Dogg, and the name, which is playful, is also a statement: a rapper who is named for a cartoon dog is a rapper who does not take himself too seriously, and the not-taking-seriously, which is the point, is the reason his career has lasted, because a rapper who can laugh at himself, who can cook with Martha Stewart, who can commentate on the Olympics, and who can still rap, is a rapper who understands that a career is not just about being tough, it is about being human, and the human, which is Snoop, is the point, and the point, in this case, is a dog, a Dogg, and a legend, all at once.

The church choir is the thread I keep coming back to, because it explains the voice in a way that nothing else does. A boy soprano, singing in a church in Long Beach, playing piano, learning melody, learning harmony, and the learning, which was done in a choir, became the foundation of his rapping, which is melodic, laid-back, and full of a musicality that few rappers possess, and the musicality, which is the point, is the reason his flow is still, after thirty years, one of the most imitated in hip-hop, and the imitating, which is the point, is a testament to a voice that was trained in church, and that never left it, even when the songs became about the streets, about parties, and about a dog’s life, because the church, which is the root, is still there, in every note he sings, in every verse he raps, and in every song he makes.

And one more thought, about the future. Snoop Dogg is fifty-five, he has a career that spans thirty years, a label, a football league, a television career, an Olympic moment, and a catalogue that runs from Doggystyle to Missionary, and he is still recording, still performing, still hosting, and still, in every appearance, giving the audience a performance they will never forget, because he has never given a bad one, and he has never played a character he did not understand, and the understanding, which is the point, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point, and the point, in this case, is Snoop Dogg, still here, still rapping, and still the Dogg, in name and in fact.

One last thing, and it is about the family. He is married to Shante Broadus since 1997, and they have three children, Cordé, Cordell, and Cori, and grandchildren, and the family, which is the centre of his life, is the reason he works as hard as he does, and the working, which is the craft, is the reason he is loved. I think about the husband, the father, and the grandfather, and about the balance between them, and I am grateful, because a career that is built on a family, on a home, on a love, is a career that lasts, and the lasting is the point, and the point, in this case, is Snoop Dogg, still here, still rapping, still hosting, and still, after thirty years, America’s favourite uncle, and the uncle, which is a nickname he has earned, is a compliment, because an uncle who is cool, who is funny, and who is wise, is the best kind of family, and the family, which is Snoop’s audience, is the reason his career has lasted, and the lasting is the point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Snoop Dogg from and what is his real name?

Snoop Dogg’s real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. He was born on 20 October 1971 in Long Beach, California, where he grew up singing in the church choir and playing piano. His mother called him Snoopy as a child because his face resembled the cartoon dog, which became his stage name.

How was Snoop Dogg discovered?

He was discovered by Dr. Dre in 1992, who heard his demo tape and invited him to appear on the single Deep Cover and on Dre’s debut album The Chronic (1992), including Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang. His own debut album Doggystyle followed in November 1993 and debuted at number one.

What was Snoop Dogg’s murder trial?

In 1993 he was charged with murder after his bodyguard shot and killed a man in Los Angeles. The trial lasted more than two years and ended in February 1996 with an acquittal on the grounds of self-defence. The trial was a defining trauma of his early career.

What is Snoop Dogg’s biggest hit?

His first number-one single was Drop It Like It’s Hot, featuring Pharrell Williams, from the 2004 album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta). His best-known songs also include Gin and Juice, What’s My Name?, Beautiful and Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang with Dr. Dre.

What is Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party?

It is a VH1 series that ran from 2016 to 2020 in which Snoop Dogg co-hosted a cooking and talk show with Martha Stewart. The unlikely pairing became a cultural phenomenon, and Snoop later became an NBC correspondent at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Did Snoop Dogg buy Death Row Records?

Yes. In 2022 he acquired Death Row Records, the label that released his debut album Doggystyle in 1993. He has since released albums on the label, including BODR (2022) and Missionary (2024), the latter produced by Dr. Dre.

What is Snoop Dogg’s youth football league?

He founded the Snoop Youth Football League, which gives children in Long Beach a chance to play American football. The league has produced NFL players and is one of his most important community projects, alongside his music, television and business ventures.