The Life and Career of Snoop Dogg

Rapping at an Early Age

Cordozar Calvin Broadus was born on October 20th, 1971 in Long Beach, California. At an early age, he sang and played piano, and by sixth grade he was rapping. After high school, he served time in prison for a drug offence and began recording homemade tapes with other rappers. His freestyles were eventually noticed by Dr. Dre.

Snoop Doggy Dogg's Debut

Taking the stage moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg, the rapper’s first collaboration with Dr. Dre was the 1992 single, “Deep Cover.” Prior to releasing his own debut, Snoop made several appearances on Dre’s first solo record, The Chronic.

"Doggystyle"

Snoop Doggy Dogg’s first album, Doggystyle, came out in 1993. The hip hop disc showcased the rapper’s softer vocal style in comparison to other gangsta rappers, and premiered at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. This was thanks to some Gangsta-funk production from Dr. Dre and the top-ten singles, “Gin and Juice” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”

Arrest, Trial and "Murder was the Case"

While recording the album, Snoop was arrested in connection with the death of a rival gang member. He capitalized on his approaching trial by acting in the 1994 short film, Murder was the Case, and this film was accompanied by a number-one soundtrack. Snoop was eventually acquitted of all charges.

Tupac and Album Number Two

He came out with his sophomore record, Tha Doggfather, in 1996. Released a few months after the death of his friend, Tupac, the album debuted at number one but did not sell as well as his debut. Tha Doggfather featured the single, “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head.”

Snoop Dogg

Changing his name to Snoop Dogg, he released Da Game is to be Sold, Not to be Told, in 1998. The number-one album included the single, “Still a G Thang,” which was also found on the soundtrack for the short film, “Da Game of Life.”

Doggystyle Records

The first album on his own label, Doggystyle Records, was 1999’s No Limit Top Dogg. Though it did not debut at number one, it did spawn the hit single, “Bitch Please.” This was followed by the smoother-sounding album, Tha Last Meal, which reached number four on the Billboard 200 and contained the single, “Snoop Dogg (What’s My Name Pt. 2).”

Porn Videos

Next up was the pornographic film, “Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle,” which was presented by Snoop and featured his music. Its success paved the way for other rappers to host X-rated movies and made “Snoop Dogg’s Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp” the top-selling U.S. porn video of 2003.

Acting

During this time, Snoop also did some acting. His most notable roles were in films such as, “The Wash,” “Bones” and “Training Day.”

Like a Pimp

Taking on a more pimp-like persona, Snoop came out with Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss in 2002. The album generated the instant hit, “Beautiful.” Two years later, the disc, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece was released and yielded his first number-one single, “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”

213 and More Acting

That year also saw the release of The Hard Way. This album was by the hip hop group 213, which was made up of Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg. In addition, Snoop played roles in the films, “Soul Plane” and “Starsky & Hutch.”

Collaborations

In 2006, Snoop made a number of appearances on other artists’ tracks and came out with Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. The effort produced the top-twenty single, “That’s That Shit” and his second number-one single, “I Wanna F*** You” (“I Wanna Love You”).

Grammy Nomination and Soap Opera Appearance

His ninth album, Ego Trippin’, dropped in 2008. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and featured the Grammy-nominated track, “Sexual Eruption.” (“Sensual Seduction.”) That same year, Snoop Dogg also appeared on the soap opera, “One Life to Live.”

More Albums

2009’s Malice n Wonderland was his first album to chart lower than the top ten since 2002. The record included the singles, “Gangsta Luv” and “I Wanna Rock.” In 2010, Snoop Dogg collaborated with Katy Perry on her song, “California Gurls,” and this gave him his third number-one single. He also went into the studio to work on his next record, Doggumentary, which was released in 2011 along with the single, “Wet.”

Fo Shizzle

Despite numerous brushes with the law, Snoop Dogg is a successful hip-hop artist and celebrity spokesman whose unique influence is seen throughout the rap world, fo shizzle.