This Day In History: October 20th
West Coast native and rapper, Snoop Dogg, has been a fan favorite since the 90s and enjoyed a career that spans more than three decades. Since his debut, he has sold millions of records and captured fans from all around the globe.
Here are five things to know about Snoop Dogg.
- Before The Fame. The famed rapper was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. on October 20, 1971, in Long Beach, California. Prior to the world knowing him as Snoop Dogg, he was already being called that by family. His mother gave him the nickname based on the character Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoon. Like many of the talents before him, Snoop Dogg was introduced to music through his church experiences and then developed an interest in rapping while in middle school.
- Emerging On The West Coast Music Scene. Alongside fellow rappers Nate Dogg and Warren G, Broadus began recording demo tapes under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dog. He eventually caught the attention of Dr. Dre and the two were soon collaborating on music together, even becoming a major feature on Dr. Dre’s first solo album titled The Chronic (1992). Snoop Dogg released his debut album, Doggystyle, the following year and it became a top-charting hit. He continued releasing albums even after leaving Death Row Records towards the end of the decade and switching to Master P’s No Limit Records.
- Diversifying His Discography. Snoop Dogg has released more than a dozen studio albums. Some of those albums include Doggystyle (1993), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004), Malice n Wonderland (2009), Neva Left (2017) and From tha Streets 2 tha Suites (2021). With such a long discography, Snoop Dogg has also managed to reinvent himself by offering fans diversity in the genres of his albums. He first surprised fans by releasing a reggae album titled Reincarnated under the name Snoop Lion in 2013. He then added gospel artist to his repertoire with the album, Bible of Love, in 2018. The album featured gospel legends such as Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Erica Campbell and Tye Tribbett.
- A Star Beyond The Music Industry. In addition to his success as a rapper, Snoop Dogg has also made a variety of television and film appearances. Snoop Dogg made his acting debut in the film Half Baked (1998), making a cameo appearance alongside comedian Dave Chappelle. He can also be seen in movies such as The Wash (2001), Baby Boy (2001), Soul Plane (2004), Hood of Horror (2006), Mac & Devin Go to High School (2012) and Meet The Blacks (2016). Snoop Dogg has also found success in television with his VH1 series Martha and Snoops Potluck Dinner Party (2016) and Netflix’s Coach Snoop (2018).
- Coach Snoop. The world was introduced to Snoop Dogg as a rapper, but to the players of the Snoop Youth Football League, he is Coach Snoop. The non-profit organization was founded in 2005 and during its inaugural season more than 1,300 kids in the Los Angeles area participated. He founded the organization with the goal of providing inner-city children access to youth football and cheer. Participants in the youth league have an age range of five to thirteen. The organization emphasizes excellence in academics and also instills values such as discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship and self-respect.
Over the course of his career, Snoop Dogg has earned a variety of accolades including MTV, BET and Billboard awards as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Through all of the rapper’s different ventures, he has grown to become a household name.
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