— CH. 1 · LONG BEACH ROOTS AND THE CASSETTE TAPE —

Snoop Dogg

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 7

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Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. arrived in Long Beach, California on the 20th of October 1971. His biological father left the family three months after his birth, leaving him to be raised by his mother Beverly Tate and stepfather Calvin Cordozar Broadus Sr. A Baptist upbringing at Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church introduced young Calvin to singing and piano playing before he turned ten years old. He earned the nickname Snoopy from his mother because he resembled the cartoon character from Peanuts. By sixth grade, the boy was rapping in school hallways so loudly that principals thought a fight was breaking out. This early performance convinced him he possessed a natural gift for music. After graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1989, he faced legal troubles involving cocaine possession. During those three years of incarceration, he recorded homemade tapes with cousins Nate Dogg and Warren G. One specific demo titled Over the Counter caught the attention of industry insiders. A mixtape containing a freestyle over an En Vogue song eventually reached Dr. Dre in 1991. The producer called the teenager to audition for what was then Future Shock Records.
Dr. Dre produced Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle entirely within the year 1993. The record debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and sold 806,000 copies during its first week alone. Singles like Gin and Juice and What's My Name? became top ten hits on the Hot 100 list. While recording this album in August 1993, Snoop Dogg faced a first-degree murder charge regarding the shooting death of Philip Woldermariam. Police found a firearm in his car following a traffic stop that July. His bodyguard McKinley Lee actually fired the fatal shot, yet both men were charged with murder. Attorney Johnnie Cochran defended them throughout the lengthy trial process. An acquittal finally arrived on the 20th of February 1996, closing the case officially in 2024. Following his release, he moved into a home in Claremont, California with twenty pit bulls. He founded Doggy Style Records as a subsidiary of Death Row Records by the 6th of July 1995. The label signed Charlie Wilson from the Gap Band as one of its first artists.
Snoop Dogg parted ways with Death Row Records to sign with Master P's No Limit Records in March 1998. This move marked a shift away from gangsta rap imagery toward a more universal sound. Albums released under this new label included Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told and No Limit Top Dogg. No Limit Top Dogg sold over 1,510,000 copies while Tha Last Meal surpassed 2,100,000 sales figures. By 2002, he had left behind his gangster image entirely to embrace a pimp persona instead. His album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ sold over 1,310,000 copies that same year. A partnership with Pharrell Williams produced Drop It Like It's Hot, which became his first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece followed in June 2004, selling 1,730,000 copies in the United States alone. He formed the group 213 with Warren G and Nate Dogg, releasing The Hard Way in 2004.
A trip to Jamaica in February 2012 led Snoop Dogg to convert to the Rastafari movement. He adopted the alias Snoop Lion after being rechristened by a Rastafari priest during that visit. The documentary Reincarnated released the 21st of March 2013, chronicled this spiritual journey alongside his reggae album of the same name. Critics like Bunny Wailer later accused him of fraudulent cultural appropriation for engaging in what they called a stunt. Despite the backlash, he dismissed claims stating his beliefs were personal matters outside judgment. His thirteenth studio album Bush arrived the 12th of May 2015, produced entirely by Pharrell Williams. Coolaid followed on the 1st of July 2016, while Neva Left came out in May 2017. In early 2018, he became a born-again Christian and released Bible of Love as his first gospel album. This marked another significant genre shift within his extensive discography spanning decades.
In April 2015, Snoop Dogg became a minority investor in Eaze, a California-based cannabis delivery startup promising doorsteps in under ten minutes. November 2015 saw him launch Leafs By Snoop, the first mainstream cannabis brand marketed by a major celebrity. This line included marijuana flowers, concentrates, and edibles available legally across multiple states. February 2024 marked another milestone when he opened his first legal marijuana shop named S.W.E.D. between SoFi Stadium and LAX. Earlier that month, he launched pre-mixed cocktails with Dr. Dre named Gin and Juice featuring apricot and citrus flavors. In February 2022, he fully acquired Death Row Records from MNRK Music Group intending to revive the label. His nineteenth studio album BODR released simultaneously with this acquisition on the 11th of February 2022. He also invested in vegan food company Original Foods making Pigless Pork Rinds as an ambassador for Beyond Meat.

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Common questions

When was Snoop Dogg born and where did he arrive?

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. arrived in Long Beach, California on the 20th of October 1971.

What album did Dr. Dre produce for Snoop Dogg in 1993?

Dr. Dre produced Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle entirely within the year 1993.

When did Snoop Dogg receive an acquittal for a murder charge?

An acquittal finally arrived on the 20th of February 1996, closing the case officially in 2024.

Why did Snoop Dogg adopt the alias Snoop Lion in 2012?

A trip to Jamaica in February 2012 led Snoop Dogg to convert to the Rastafari movement and be rechristened by a Rastafari priest.

When did Snoop Dogg open his first legal marijuana shop named S.W.E.D?

February 2024 marked another milestone when he opened his first legal marijuana shop named S.W.E.D. between SoFi Stadium and LAX.

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Snoop Dogg

1. Long Beach Roots And The Cassette Tape

2. Doggystyle And The Murder Trial

3. No Limit Records And Commercial Peak

4. Reincarnated And The Reggae Shift

5. Television Presence And Brand Partnerships

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Common questions