snoop
Dogg is a West Coast rapper who evolved under the tutelage of Dr. Dre,
and has received fame for albums such as Doggystyle, Tha Doggfather and
Reincarnation.
Born
Calvin Broadus on October 20, 1971, in Long Beach, California, Snoop
Dogg got his nickname from his mother because she thought he looked like
the character in the Peanuts cartoon. His first album, Doggystyle
(1993), climbed its way to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's hip-hop and
Top 200 charts, and his music and trouble with the law have kept him in
the headlines ever since. In early 2012, Snoop announced that he was
working for the first time on an all-reggae album, Reincarnation.
Later in 2012, he announced that, in conjunction with his reggae
project, he was dropping "Dogg" from his name and becoming "Snoop Lion
Born
Calvin Broadus on October 20, 1971, in Long Beach, California. Broadus
got the nickname "Snoop" from his mother because she thought he looked
like the character in the Peanuts cartoon. After graduating
high school, Snoop was arrested several times for drug possession and
spent time in prison. He started making music as a way out of his
trouble
Through his friend Warren G, Snoop met famed rapper Dr. Dre, which led to Snoop's start in the music business. His first album, Doggystyle (1993), climbed its way to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's
hip-hop and Top 200 charts, based in part on the success of the
singles "What's My Name" and "Gin and Juice." His next album, Tha Doggfather (1996), also reached the top of the charts. He scored the top slot on the hip-hop charts with his next two albums: Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told (1998) and No Limit Top Dogg
(1999). Snoop became known for his laid-back rapping style and his
name has become synonymous with gangster rap of the 1990s. He
originally called himself "Snoop Doggy Dogg," but later shortened it to
Snoop Dogg.
Snoop continues to make music, scoring his last big
hit with the single "Drop It Like It's Hot" in 2004, which reached the
top of the hip-hop and pop charts. His 2006 release, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment,
and the single "That's That Shit" received good critical response. In
2007, Snoop became the first artist to release a track as a ringtone
prior to its release as a single, "It's The D.O.G."
The rapper has also branched out into acting and appeared in several films, including 2004's Starsky & Hutch.
He has made several guest appearances on television shows, including
"The L Word" and "Weeds", and starred in his own E! reality show, "Snoop
Dogg's Father Hood", in 2007. The series features his wife, Shante,
and their three children, Corde, Cordell and Cori.
Since
achieving fame, the popular gangster rap artist has had a number of
brushes with the law. In 1990, he was convicted of cocaine possession.
Three years later, he pled guilty for gun possession. Snoop was also
tried and acquitted of murder charges in 1996. The case involved the
killing of an alleged gang member who was shot by someone in the
vehicle Snoop was riding in. In 2005, Snoop was sued for allegedly
sexually assaulting a woman at the tappin of jimy