Snoop Dogg

Real Name: Cordozer Calvin Broadus
D.O.B.: October 20th, 1972 Long Beach, California

Label: Doggystyle/Geffen

Born and raised in Long Beach County, California, Snoop is the face of the west coasts’ second generation of Gangsta Rap and the voice behind Dr. Dre’s revolutionary G-Funk patent. Simply the coolest and most famous west coast rap artist to emerge from Los Angeles, Snoop was and always will be known synonymously with his laid back, lyrically lazy slurred drawl with chronic induced delivery over a distinct brand of Long Beach funk that swept the music industry and changed the tempo of and provided the identity for west coast hip-hop. Snoop Dogg is the modern reincarnation of Bob Marley and Miles Davis in the genre of gangsta rap.

Snoop is best known as Dr. Dre’s leading protégé from day one of the birth of G-Funk music. An original artist from the infamous Death Row Records label, he boasts a collection of ten solo album releases all of which hitting multi-platinum success, also one of the most collaborated artists in hip-hop today. Snoop Dogg embodies the essence and reflection of rap music today. With his iconic stature, he has marketed his name into a multi-million dollar industry. Putting his name to his own clothing label, cannabis flavoured candies, Cadillac cars, alcoholic drink, film production companies and record labels. Starring in his own television series, several movie credits, charity events and coaching his son’s junior football team, moving above and beyond the career of music, Snoop Dogg is a worldwide corporation.

Calvin Broadus, whom was nicknamed ‘Snoopy’ by his mother as a child was active in music from a young age singing in his church choir. Growing up in the lower economic areas of Los Angeles, young Calvin often found himself in negative company, doing drugs and selling them in school. Consequently he often fell on the wrong side of the local law enforcement caught selling dope whilst attending Long Beach Polytechnic High School. He discovered his talent while participating in freestyle battles in the school yard. After graduating high school, Snoop still accompanied himself in negative crowds becoming an active member of the Rollin’ 20 Crips gang in L.B.C. landing in and out jail over the following three years. Pushed by older inmates and peers to make something positive of himself, he began making home-made demo tapes with a small crew. His cousin Nathanial Hale, (Nate Dogg) and best friend Warren Griffen III (Warren G) of whom was a step-brother of Dr. Dre, an established member of The Wreckin’ Crew soon to form the world famous N.W.A. group. Originally Snoop and Nate’s cousin Lil’ Half Dead was also part of the group called ‘213’ from the Long Beach area code. (213) Together the trio worked together at parties in Long Beach while still actively leading the gang life and selling drugs for money, Snoop continued his love for music through 213.

Warren G managed to release a demo tape of 213 to his brother, Dre during the time off after he left Ruthless Records. One day in the studio with Dre, Warren tried to convince Dre to hear the tape on the bottom of a large pile of hopefuls. Catching Dre on the telephone, Warren grabbed the tape and played it, blasting the speakers with this unique Long Beach stoned drawl of Snoop Dogg and Warren laced with Nate’s beautiful soulful R&B talents. A connection was established and Dre invited Snoop and Nate to the studio to record a further demo for him. The timing was perfect as Dre had joined forces with local Compton entrepreneur, Suge Knight to form a record label under Interscope Records called Death Row Records. Dre was scouting for new talent to head the new label, 213 stars had filled this position. Using Dick Griffey’s Solar Records studios, Dre collaborated with Snoop Dogg for Death Row’s first commission, the title track on the soundtrack for the film, Deep Cover. The most successful chemistry in hip-hop history of record sales was formulated. Dre and Snoop became Batman and Robin in gangsta rap. Snoop introduced his Long Beach family to Death Row Records for Dr. Dre’s début solo album, The Chronic. Cousins, Nate Dogg, RBX and Delmar Arnaud (Dat Nigga Daz) with recording partner, Ricardo Brown(Kurupt) commonly referred to as Tha Dogg Pound or the LBC Crew. Death Row Records had established themselves on the market with a new distinct Compton meets Long Beach genre. Together with Dre’s revolutionary production creativity Snoop became the voice of the new G-Funk takeover. Snoop appeared on Dre’s The Chronic as much as he did to establish the record as the highest selling hip-hop album ever. Snoop Dogg was made.

After the immediate success of Dre’s solo album, the west coast was paused in anticipation of this new breakthrough sound of G-Funk. Death Row commissioned the release of Snoop’s debut in 1993, Doggystyle. The greatest single-selling album in hip-hop ever surpassing Dre’s unprecedented sales due to the intense exposure of Snoop on The Chronic, Snoop’s album debuted on the charts at number one. (The first time ever an artist’s debut album had debuted number one on the charts) Doggystyle spawned a string of singles booming onto the top ten of the charts, "Who Am I? (What’s My Name)", "Murder Was The Case" and "Gin N Juice" to promote the ascendance of west coast G-Funk rap.

During the production of Doggystle, Snoop and bodyguard McKinley Lee were involved in a murder trial. Arrested in August of ‘93 (month before the release of the album) for fatally shooting local rival L.A. gangbanger and obsessed fan, Philip Woldermarian. Represented by notorious defence lawyer, Johnny Cochran and Death Row attorney, David Kenner, Snoop remained on trial for his life over the next three years. Doggystyle was released in November to unimaginable accomplishment.