On this day in Hip Hop history we celebrate the birth of one of Hip Hop and pop culture’s most recognizable icons, Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Snoop was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. in Long Beach, California in 1971. Since then he has risen to become a household name of Hip Hop. His image and style are synonymous with the West Coast and his name will forever stand among the Pantheon of legends who helped shaped Hip Hop culture.
Over his 24 (and counting) album career, Snoop has always played close attention to visuals. With every album, Snoop has put together a theatrical representation of is G-Funk sound.
10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Snoop Dogg.
1. Snoop Dogg is a Football Coach
Snoop coached football for 15 years straight. The Netflix series of Coach Snoop was about his last year. At the moment he is retired, but there might be a reunion show in the works.
2. His Name
His nickname came from his mother because she thought he looked like Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoon.
3. Crips
Snoop Dogg was a member of the infamous Rolling 20s Crips as a teenager, and in fact it was the older gangsters that encouraged him to take up rapping after a stint in jail for drug possession in 1990.
4. Bro Code
Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg and his pal Warren G created hip-hop trio supergoup called '213', which was the Long Beach area code.
5. En Vogue
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.
6. Family Tree
Snoop is first cousins with the late Nate Dogg, Daz Dizzlinger, RBX, R&B singer/actress Brandy, Ray J and WWE Superstar Sasha Banks.
Check out Snoop Dogg raps Sasha Banks to the ring for her WWE Women's Championship Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 32.
7. Family
Snoop Dogg met his future wife producer, entrepreneur and a philanthropist Shante Taylor during his years at a high school. They've been married for an impressive 22 years.
They have one daughter and two sons togheter. Singer, Cori “Choc” Broadus, ex athlete Cordell Broadus, he quit his football career to focus on his other ambitions modeling and fashion. The rapper's eldest son, Corde Broadus, who's also a rapper lost his son 'Kai Love' just 10 days after he was born.
8. Death Row, 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 Records, a label that had the muscle needed to get Snoop out from under Suge Knight’s thumb.
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.'
9. Hollywood Walk of Fame
Snoop Dogg now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
While accepting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year, Snoop Dogg delivered a speech in which he recognized some of his biggest supporters, including his parents, wife, Warren G, Dr. Dre, and, most importantly, himself.
“I wanna thank me,” Snoop told the crowd. “I wanna thank me for believing in me. I wanna thank me for doing all this hard work. I wanna thank me for having no days off.”
10. 17th Studio Album (2019)
Snoop Dogg released his 17th studio album 'I Wanna Thank Me' on August 16, 2019.
“I wanna thank me—the many faces, styles, and versions of me, and the people that’s associated with me,” he explained. “A lot of shit is put into making me. It’s not just me who makes me, it’s the pieces, forces, and energy that’s created to make Snoop Dogg the superhuman that he is.”
Listen to 'I Wanna Thank Me' down below.