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Snoop DoggSnoop Dogg (born Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. on October 20, 1971, in Long Beach, California), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. His mother nicknamed him "Snoopy" as a child because of the way his eyes looked, and he took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg when he began recording. He changed his name to Snoop Dogg in 1996, when he left his original record label Death Row Records and signed with No Limit Records. Several of his cousins also became hip hop artists and Aftermath collaborators, including RBX, Nate Dogg, and Daz Dillinger. As a rapper, he is best known for his “lazy drawl”—a slurred, distinctively calm, laid-back, and rhythmically-complex lyrical delivery[1]. According to Soundscan he has sold over 17.6 million albums in the US from the establishment of Soundscan (1991) to January 2006. His catch phrase is widely known as "Fo' shizzle, my nizzle", meaning for sure, my nigga. BiographyEarly yearsHe attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School[2], where he began participating in schoolyard freestyle MCing competitions. As a member of a local Crips gang in Long Beach called ES Rollin' 20's Crips, Snoop Dogg was in and out of jail for the three years after he graduated from high school. Pushed by older inmates to make something of himself, he began making homemade rap tapes with his cousin Nate Dogg and best friend Warren G (stepbrother of Dr. Dre of N.W.A.). Originally, Nate's cousin Lil' 1/2 Dead was also part of the group, called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. This was largely in homage to Richie Rich's group 415, named for the (then) area code of Oakland, California. Success with Death Row RecordsDr. Dre began collaborating with the young rapper, first on the theme song of the feature film Deep Cover, and then on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic with the other members of his former starting group, Tha Dogg Pound. Early success with mastering the "Doggystyle" finally justified his role in the naming of his debut-solo-album, Doggystyle. Snoop Dogg's contribution to The Chronic was considerable; the rapper's rhymes were as present as Dre's. The huge success of Snoop's debut Doggystyle is largely due to this intense exposure. While recording Doggystyle with Dre in August 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested in the shooting death of Phillip Woldermarian, a member of a rival gang who was later revealed to have had a secret obsession with Snoop. Snoop was defended by Johnnie Cochran and was eventually acquitted on both grounds of self-defense and because he allegedly drove the car while his bodyguard McKinley Lee fired the fatal shots (Lee was also acquitted on grounds of self-defense). Snoop remained entangled in the legal battles around the case for three years. The Doggystyle album was released in November 1993 on Death Row Records and became the first debut album ever to enter the charts at #1, helping to fuel the ascendance of West Coast "G-funk" rap. The singles "What's My Name" and "Gin and Juice" were able to reach the top ten played songs in the counrty, and the album remained in the charts for several months, even as controversy raged over the murder trial and his allegedly violent and sexist lyrics. Gangsta rap became the center of arguments for censorship and labeling, with Snoop often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians. A short film about the trial called Murder Was the Case, and an accompanying soundtrack, were released in 1994. It is said -- reportedly to Snoop's distress -- that a lot of the hype surrounding his debut was generated by his well-publicized trial. Others argue that the Death Row crew knew that any publicity is good publicity, as this film was directed by Dr. Dre himself. However, by the time Snoop's second album Tha Doggfather was released in November 1996, both the furor and the popularity of gangsta rap had begun to fade, dragged down by the death of Snoop's friend Tupac Shakur and the racketeering indictment of Death Row co-founder Suge Knight. Dr. Dre had left Death Row earlier that year, and so Snoop co-produced the album himself with Daz Dillinger and DJ Pooh. Recent yearsSnoop Dogg's artistic output has since drawn back a bit from hardcore gangsta rap, with him performing on the alternative rock Lollapalooza tour in 1997, and making several film appearances, in addition to producing and directing music videos for himself and other artists. He released an autobiography in 2001. During this period, he also released two albums on Master P's No Limit label, including Da Game Is to Be Sold Not to Be Told and No Limit Top Dogg. His last album on No Limit was 2000's Tha Last Meal. It featured a more laid-back style with a heavier emphasis on his "pimp" lifestyle as opposed to his gangbanging lyrics on previous albums. Snoop produced a pornographic film called Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle with Hustler magazine in 2001, where he combines hip hop music with X-rated material. From then on, many films of the genre followed, and finally ended up with founding the Snoopadelic Films company in 2005, Snoop's own movie production company debuting with Boss'n Up, a film inspired by R&G starring Lil Jon and Trina. [3] In 2002, he announced that he was giving up drinking and drugs. Later that year he released the album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$, which featured the hit singles and videos "From Da Chuuuch to Da Palace" and "Beautiful," featuring guest vocals by the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams. On May 21, 2004, Snoop Dogg filed for divorce from his wife Shante Broadus, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking joint custody of their three children, Corde, Cordell, and Cori; they have since reconciled. Later that year, he collaborated again with his old friends Nate Dogg and Warren G, as part of their rap group 213. They released an album The Hard Way, which featured the single "Groupie Luv", and reached #4 in the U.S. Billboard 200 album charts. In 2004, Snoop signed to the Star Trak record label, headed by the Neptunes, who produced several tracks for his 2004 release R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta) The Masterpiece. "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), the first single released from the album, was a hit and became his first single to reach number one. His third release was "Signs", featuring Justin Timberlake & Charlie Wilson, which entered the UK chart at #2. This was his highest entry ever in the UK chart. He also notably played the drug dealer-turned-informant character of Huggy Bear, in the 2004 remake film of the '70s TV-series of the same name, Starsky & Hutch. Snoop and his associates were the center of a controversial civil rape case stemming from a January, 2003 guest-hosting appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The plantiff was a 36-year-old makeup artist named Kylie Bell, who had previously won an Emmy Award for her work on the HBO series Six Feet Under. Bell claimed that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Snoop and four others. Snoop had sued for extortion a month previously, alleging that he paid $5 million in exchange for Bell's silence. Both suits were subsequently dropped in an out-of-court settlement. Previously, Snoop had been accused of offering narcotics to a minor in exchange for flashing the camera as part of his Girls Gone Wild video. Snoop claimed that both the consumption of drugs and alcohol and the flashing were consensual. Snoop Dogg recently announced to British radio that his next album, The Blue Carpet Treatment, will feature production by long-time partner Dr. Dre, dispelling rumors of a rift between the two in recent times. In addition, Snoop will be featured on Dre's proclaimed (and much delayed) Detox. On 26 April 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of his entourage were arrested at Heathrow Airport for "violent disorder and affray" — or creating a brawl or disturbance — after being turned away from British Airways' first class lounge. Snoop and his party were not allowed to enter the lounge because although some of the entourage were flying first class, other members of the party were flying economy class. After the group was escorted outside, they vandalized a duty-free shop by throwing whisky bottles. Seven police officers were injured in the fracas. After a night in the prison, Snoop Dogg and the other men were released on bail on the 27 April but he was unable to perform at the Premier Foods People's Concert in Johannesburg on the same day. As part of his bail conditions, he has to return to the police station in May. The group has been banned by British Airways for "the foreseeable future." [4] [5] On 11 May, when he presented himself at a London police station, he was cautioned for affray under Section 4 of the Public Order Act for use of threatening words or behaviour [6]. On 15 May, the Home Office decided that Snoop Dogg should be denied entry to the UK for the foreseeable future, most likely forever, due to the fracas at Heathrow, along with his previous convictions in the U.S. for drugs and firearms offences [7] [8]. Because of these offenses he has been banned from flying with British Airways ever again. As of June 2006, Snoop is doing an ad for Orbit Gum. In this ad, the Orbit Girl, Vanessa Branch, comes and cleans up Snoops dirty mouth. Snoop Dogg's latest music is being featured on West Coast rap albums, such as "Laugh Now, Cry Later" by Ice Cube and "Cali Iz Active" by Tha Dogg Pound. He is featured on 2 tracks from Cube's album including the single "Go to Church", and several tracks on "Cali Iz Active." Also, his latest song, "Real Talk", was leaked over the internet in the summer of 2006 and a video has been released on the internet. "Real Talk" is a dedication to Tookie Williams and a diss to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Currently Snoop Dogg is working with producer JT the Bigga Figga on a documentary DVD entitled Mandatory Business, that will feature the likes of Russell Simmons, Spike Lee, Xzibit, Young Buck and 50 Cent. There will also be a soundtrack released for the album. Trivia
Discography and filmographySolo albums
Singles
Selected filmography
AwardsGrammy Award nominationsSnoop Dogg has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards but has not yet won an award as of 2006.
Awards won
Other nominations
Endorsements and products
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