Blunt Facts About Snoop Dogg

March 30, 2017 | Miles Brucker

Blunt Facts About Snoop Dogg


Originally from Long Beach, California, Snoop Dogg rose to prominence as one of America’s most famous rap artists after being discovered by Dr. Dre of N.W.A. His debut album, Doggystyle, sold almost a million copies in its first week of release and, by 1994, was certified platinum four times over. His hits “Gin & Juice” and “What’s My Name?” fueled the ascendance of West Coast G-funk hip hop, reaching the top ten of most played songs in America.

Although he is considered one of the art form’s most talented practitioners, he has the dubious distinction of having seventeen Grammy nominations without a win.

Here are a few other things you might not have known about the Doggfather himself: Snoop D-O-double-G.


Snoop Dogg Facts

1. What’s His Name?

His real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., which totally explains why he changed his name to Snoop Dogg.

Recording artist Snoop DoggTechCrunch, Flickr

2. High Q

Rumor has it that Snoop has an IQ of 147 which would qualify him as a genius.

 

Snoop DoggSuper 45 | Música Independiente, Flickr

3. Parenting 101

As a boy, his parents nicknamed him “Snoopy” because of the way he looked and because every good parent knows to refer to their son as a cartoon dog.

snoopy and CharlieLudie Cochrane, Flickr

4. Bloods and the Crits

Snoop was a member of the Rollin’ 20 Crips in the East Side of Long Beach. Something tells us that Rollin’ 20 wasn’t a reference to Dungeons & Dragons.

 Recording artist Snoop Dogg Rich Polk, Getty Images

5. Bro Code

Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg, Lil’ ½ Dead, and his pal Warren G recorded homemade tapes as a group called 213, which was the Long Beach area code. It’s kind of like how Pitbull refers to himself as Mr. 305, except actually, y’know, cool.

Snoop DoggThe Come Up Show, Flickr

6. Free Your Mind

One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue’s “Hold On” made it onto a mixtape that was heard by Dr. Dre, who invited him to audition and helped to kickstart his career.

Actor Snoop DoggGetty Images, Getty Images

7. The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

Snoop Dogg first collaborated with Dr. Dre on the theme song for the 1992 film Deep Cover and then on Dr. Dre’s debut solo album The Chronic with other members of his former starting group, Tha Dogg Pound.

Snoop DoggJørund Føreland Pedersen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

8. A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Former N.W.A. associate The D.O.C is the one credited with teaching Snoop how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks, and chorus. If it weren’t for The D.O.C, Snoop could have been the most famous limerick writer in history.

Snoop Dogg at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Once Upon a Time In Hollywood' with golden necklaceTinseltown, Shutterstock

9. Risky Business

Snoop was famously on trial for murder and got off without any charges when the whole affair ended in a mistrial. The publicity of case helped boost sales of Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, to over five million copies which, although successful, is not an entrepreneurial tactic they recommend at Wharton.

 

Snoop Doggy Dogg In Police CustodyHulton Archive, Getty Images

10. Case Closed

Murder Was the Case, a short film about Snoop’s murder trial was released in 1994, along with the accompanying soundtrack. The song by the same name debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one.

Snoop DoggScott Gries, Getty Images

11. Here’s Johnnie!

Snoop’s lawyer was the famous Johnnie Cochran, the same lawyer who got OJ acquitted.

 Defense Attorney for Sean "Puffy" Robert Mecea, Getty Images

12. Mama’s Boy

Snoop’s favorite track on his 1993 album was “Gangsta Life,” a gospel-inspired tribute to his mother.

Snoop DoggThe Come Up Show, Flickr

13. Speak Softly and Carry a Big…

Rolling Stone said that part of what separated Snoop from other rappers was his soft-spoken delivery. This was in contrast to other rappers who scream for no apparent reason. We’re talking to you DMX.

Snoop DoggThe Come Up Show, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

14. Forgot About Dre

Snoop’s second album, The Doggfather, was co-produced by Daz Dillinger and DJ Pooh. Dr. Dre had left Death Row earlier due to an ugly contract dispute and the resulting album had a very different sound and did not perform as well as its predecessor.

Martha Stewart and Snoop DoggJamie McCarthy, Getty images

15. Biting the Hand That Feeds You

Snoop’s relationship with Suge Knight deteriorated rapidly following Dr. Dre’s departure, and Snoop was actually one of the first to start firing shots, with a subtle diss track cryptically entitled “F**** Death Row.”

Dr. Dre,(right), and Snoop Dogg, (left), perform on Broadway in Times Square, New York CityScott Gries, Getty Images

16. Tree Hugger

In 2016, there was a Change.org petition out there calling for Snoop to narrate the entire Planet Earth series which would be absolutely amazing and, seriously, shut up, take all our money, and make this happen.

Snoop Doggagwilson, Shutterstock

17. Under New Management

When he first started performing, he called himself Snoop Doggy Dogg. He had to change his name to Snoop Dogg when he signed with a new label, Master P’s “No Limit,” a label that had the muscle needed to get Snoop out from under Suge Knight’s thumb.

: Rapper Snoop DoggVince Bucci, Getty Images

18. Dead to Rights

In addition to the “Doggy” portion of his moniker, Snoop also had to give up his rights to the catalog he had made with Death Row which meant that he didn’t see any of the profits from some of his biggest hits including “Gin and Juice,” “What’s my Name,” and “Murder Was the Case.”

Snoop Dogg at the premiere of Kevin Winter, Getty Images

19. Location, Location, Location

Due to money troubles, Snoop had to sell his California mansion and ended up moving to New Orleans because of the vibrant music scene, the wonderful Cajun cuisine, and that Suge Knight allegedly ordered a hit on Snoop if he ever returned to California. But mostly because of the jambalaya.

Snoop Dogg at the Tinseltown, Shutterstock

20. Map to the Stars

Suge even went so far as to put down the directions to Snoop’s and Dre’s homes on the Death Row Uncut DVD so people could find them and hurt them. If we’re learning anything from this, it’s that Suge Knight is a gentle and forgiving person.

: Music Producer Suge KnightMark Mainz, Getty Images

21. We Are Family

Snoop is first cousins with Brandy the famous R&B singer who hit the small screen in Moesha, and Ray J, the famous R&B singer who also hit the small screen...

Floyd MayweatherAl Bello, Getty Images

22. Sad Story

In 1997, Snoop married Shante Taylor, his high school sweetheart. And then, like so many people these days, he divorced his high school sweetheart.

: Rapper Snoop Dogg and wife Shante TaylorMatthew Simmons, Getty Images

23. With a Twist!

But in 2008, Snoop and his high school sweetheart got back together and renewed their vows.

 Rapper Snoop Dogg (R) and wife Shante TaylorJason Merritt, Getty Images

24. Any Given Sunday

In 2005, Snoop started a youth football league that has helped launch a few NFL careers, including Greg Ducre, Kam Jackson, and Ronnie Hillman who was the first Snoop Youth Football League alum to win a Super Bowl.

Snoop Dogg performs at the Greek Theatre Karl Walter, Getty Images

25. Better than Tylenol

Snoop is famous for his love of marijuana and, since 1997, has been certified in California to receive medical marijuana to treat migraines which are brought on by the lack of marijuana.

Rapper Snoop Dogg Mark Mainz , Getty Images

26. To Put it Bluntly

Snoop claims that he no longer smokes weed when he coaches youth football after a kid at practice told him he smelled “like my mama’s boyfriend.”

Snoop Dogg arrives to large department store of MoscowDenis Filatov, Shutterstock

27. The Jordan of Pimps

Although many rappers claim to be pimps, Snoop actually was a pimp from 2003 to 2004 saying it, “was my natural calling and once I got involved with it, it became fun. It was like shootin’ layups for me. I was makin’ em every time.” He gave up pimping to spend more time with his family because family comes first.

Rapper singer Snoop Dogg during a press conferenceA.PAES, Shutterstock

28. One Love

Snoop was a member of the Nation of Islam, but after a trip to Jamaica, claimed he was “born again,” joined the Rastafari movement, switched his focus to reggae music, and changed his name to Snoop Lion.

Snoop DoggAdam J. Sablich, Shutterstock

29. Drop That

For reasons passing comprehension, Snoop started an Instagram feud with Iggy Azalea but apologized after rapper T.I told him in “a very, very, very cordial” conversation to chill. And you know it was cordial because T.I said it three times.

Rapper Iggy AzaleaKobby Dagan, Shutterstock

30. The Bigger Dogg

Snoop claims that Death Row Records and Suge Knight turned their backs on him because he wanted to end the east/west coast rivalry that had already taken the lives of Tupac and Biggie Smalls by publicly making amends with P. Diddy and The Notorious B.I.G. And here we thought that Suge Knight seemed like such a reasonable fellow.

apper Snoop Dogg (L) and a hologram of deceased rapper Tupac ShakurChristopher Polk, Getty Images

 

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6


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