Rapper, record producer and actor
Snoop Dogg was born October 20, 1971 in Long Beach, California with the birth name Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. The nickname “Snoopy” came from his mom who teased him because of the way he dressed and because of his penchant for the Peanuts character. Snoop Dogg started performing in church during his childhood days. At age five, he already played the piano and acted in plays. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School where he was convicted for cocaine trafficking. After graduating from high school, he was in and out of prison for three years.
In 1992, he signed up with Death Row Records and used the stage name Snoopy Doggy Dogg. His albums Doggystyle and Tha Doggfather were released under the record label. In 1998, he left Death Row Records and signed with No Limit Records. It was during this time that he shortened his name to Snoop Dogg and produced the albums Da Game is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, No Limit Top Dogg and The Last Meal. In 2004, he signed with Doggystyle/Geffen and launched the albums R&G: The Masterpiece, The Blue Carpet Treatment and Ego Trippin' under it.
Among the films he was part of were Starsky & Hutch, where he played Huggy Bear, Baby Boy, The Tenants, Por Vida and The Golden Door to name a few. In 2002, he won an MTV Best Cameo award for his work in the movie Training Day, which starred Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington. He also made TV appearances on shows like
The L Word ,
Monk , Mad TV, King of the Hill and
The Boondocks . He was seen on commercials of XM Satellite Radio, AOL 9.0, T-Mobile, BelCompany, Chrysler Corp. and WWE Raw Nation. Snoop Dogg was also featured on the covers of magazines Rolling Stone, AD Magazine, Jane, The Source and NME.
Snoop Dogg stars on E!'s reality TV show
Snoop Dogg's Father Hood . The show focuses on the rapper, his wife Shante, his daughter Cori and sons Cordell and Corde.
(Photo courtesy of allurbangossip.com)