I’ve always said that if I could trade lives with a celebrity for the day, I would be Snoop Dogg. Snoop is legendary and in my opinion, a pioneer in gangsta rap. He’s best known for being in the West Coast rap scene of the 90’s, as Dr. Dre’s protégé. You can’t really get much more gangsta than that. It’s exactly how gangsta he is that appeals to me. Twenty years later, he is still making and taking hits. Recently, however, he has taken more of a “music for entertainment” approach to his music but will forever be an icon.
Snoop Dogg was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. at Los Altos Hospital in Long Beach, California. “He is a member of the Rollin' 20 Crips gang in the Eastside of Long Beach, although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang. Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine. Snoop Dogg's conviction caused him to be frequently in and out of prison for the first three years after he graduated from high school. Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil' ½ Dead and friend Warren G, recorded homemade tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. When he began recording, Broadus took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg” (“Snoop Dogg”). He was heard by big time producer, Dr. Dre, who called to invite him to audition.
“Dr. Dre began working with Snoop Dogg, first on the theme song of the 1992 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. The huge success of Snoop Dogg's debut Doggystyle was partially because of this intense exposure.To fuel the ascendance of West Coast G-funk hip hop, the singles "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" and "Gin and Juice" reached the top ten most-played songs in the United States, and the album stayed on the Billboard charts for several months. Gangsta rap became the center of arguments for censorship and labeling, with Snoop Dogg often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians. Doggystyle, much like The Chronic, featured a host of rappers signed to or affiliated with the Death Row label including Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and others” (“Snoop Dogg”).
Two decades later, he is still a successful recording artist and one of the most infamously gangsta rappers of them all. His most recent album, Doggumentary, was released in March, 2011. He now focuses on his family and coaches his son’s football team on his down time. Naturally, his life isn’t as gangsta as it once was, but there’s no way he and his songs will ever be forgotten. If you forget just how gangsta Snoop was, just put on “Gangsta Party” to remind yourself.
Snoop Dogg. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoop_Dogg>
Hey Alexis great job on your blog. I enjoyed reading. I think it is very interesting how you chose snoop dog as the celebrity you would trade lives with. But after thinking about it, he is a celebrity who has accomplished many things throughout his career. And it is true that he is still making hits, although his new music in my opinion is not really good. I believe he should have retired while he was on top of the rap industry. Now I just think he is making a fool of himself because he still dresses like a “gangsta” but he is appearing in pop music. For example his newest appearance in a song with Big Time Rush which is a “Boy Band” is making him seem like he is desperate to still be in this industry no matter what it takes.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to trade places with him it would definitely be back when he worked with 2 Pac and Dr. Dre. And gangsta party is a song that definitely shows people how much of a thug snoop really is. I think snoop should go back to his original music and keep it real. And again I really enjoyed your blog I’m looking forward to reading your future blogs. Keep up the good work!
I am truly glad you wrote about Snoop Dogg. I wrote about him as well. There is a big difference between our blogs though. You actually know about him and what he represents. I don’t listen to rap music all that much. I am not a person who is knowledgeable about that genre of music. I guess I chose to write about him to give the other perspective. I don’t think is bad music. I am not trying to say that. I am just one of those types of people who listen to rap occasionally, not fully knowing all of the information, or just not fully understanding it, which is why I enjoyed your blog. It shined light onto the subject for me. I am always a fan of knowing something new. Well something I find an interest in. I didn’t know about Snoop’s history of being in a gang, being a Crip, or his sponsorship. I didn’t know Dr. Dre had sponsored so many people, or rather so many famous people. I only knew of Eminem. He is one of the few Rappers I know about. Scratch that, the only one I know of. I like what he raps about more than the others I have listened to in the past. Still I thought this blog was a very informative one. Thanks for the extra information Alexis.
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