Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg (previously known as Snoop Dogg, born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., 20.10.1972)

Snoop Dogg is an American, Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, record producer and actor.

Snoop Dogg: Childhood

Snoop Dogg was born to Beverly Tate and Vernell Varnado and raised Long Beach, California, though it has been reported that he was originally from Mississippi.

His performing life began at Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church and he started rapping when he was in sixth grade.

As a teen, Snoop Dogg was convicted of cocaine trafficking and sentenced to sixth months in Wayside County Jail. He was a member of the Crips gang and became involved in a number of criminal activities that caused him to be in and out of jail for a few years after he graduated from high school.

Snoop pursued music after making a number of homemade tapes with his cousin, Nate Dogg and his best friend Warren G (Dr. Dre's stepbrother). Dre heard a mixtape that featured Snoop rapping over En Vogue's 'Hold On' and invited Snoop to an audition.

Snoop Dogg: Musical Breakthrough

Snoop Dogg collaborated with Dr. Dre on the Deep Cover film soundtrack and on Dre's debut album The Chronic, along with the rest of Snoop's group at the time, Tha Dogg Pound.

Snoop Dogg began recording Doggystyle in August 1993. During this time he was arrested in connection with the murder of a rival gang member, Philip Woldermarian. Snoop was acquitted of all charges.

Doggystyle was released in November 1993 by Death Row Records. It became the first debut album to enter the charts at the top spot but gangsta rap became a watchword for the debate on censorship and Snoop Dogg's music was often cited as violent and misogynistic.

Snoop Dogg's second album, Tha Doggfather was recorded and released amid, and despite of, the turmoil that surrounded the American rap scene. Dr. Dre had left Death Row following a contractual dispute, leaving Snoop to co-produce his second album with Daz Dilinger and DJ Pooh. In addition to this, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg's label-mate and good friend had been killed by a gunshot and Suge Knight (Death Row's co-founder) had been indicted for racketeering. Angry at his contractual ties to Death Row, Snoop refused to release any more tracks until the contract expired, except for the 'Fuck Death Row' single.

Snoop Dogg's third album, Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told was Snoop's first album on No Limit, released in 1998. It featured a number of No Limit artists and was produced by Beats By The Pound.

No Limit Top Dogg saw Snoop reunited with Dre and was a commercial and critical success. The next album; his last on No Limit, was Tha Last Meal.

Following Tha Last Meal, Snoop returned to working with Warren G and Nate Dogg, releasing an album entitled The Hard Way. The single 'Groupie Luv' helped propel the album to number four in the Billboard chart.

Snoop's next album, released on Capitol, was Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$. The single 'Beautiful' featured Pharell Williams.

Snoop signed to Geffen Records/Star Trak Entertainment in 2004. The Neptunes produced a number of tracks for Snoop Dogg, including 'Drop It Like It's Hot', from his album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. The single was his first to reach number one. 'Signs', which featured Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson went to number two.

Snoop Dogg's music can be found on a number of West Coast rap records, such as Ice Cube's Laugh Now Cry Later, Tha Dogg Pound's Cali Iz Active and 'Gangsta Walk', a collaboration with Coolio.

In 2005, Snoop Dogg released That Blue Carpet Treatment which debuted at number five. 'That's That Shit', featuring R.Kelly was the most successful single from the album.

Snoop Dogg: Screen Career

2000's Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle was a pornographic movie produced by Hustler. Its success prompted Snoop to adopt the moniker 'Snoop Scorcese' and direct Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp.

Snoop went on to host his own MTV sketch show, Doggy Fizzle Televizzle.