Snoop Dogg – biography, photos, facts, affairs, best music videos, family, kids. height and weight 2019

Snoop Dogg Biography

Snoop Dogg (born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.) – unorthodox rapper and renown musician, is a true legend in hip hop world. He is a living icon of USA music industry and whole rap music genre.

Photo: Snoop Dogg

Childhood and early life

Calvin was born on October 20, 1971 to Vernell Varnado and Beverly Broadus (nee Tate) in Long Beach, California, USA. His father was a musician, but left the family right after the birth of a child and took no part in his upbringing. After a while Calvin`s mother married for a second time and boy took his stepfathers surname.

Young Snoop Dogg

The only thing that young Snoop inherited from his father is an encompassing love for music. After his departure, father left at home plenty of vinyl recordings which served as a great vehicle to explore world of music. Since very childhood «Snoopy» took part in African-American kid chorus, played the piano and even improvised and composed his own rhythms and tunes.

During the high school became interested in rap music and developed his famous nickname – «Snoop Doggy Dogg». Calvin`s mother called him «Snoopy» because; according to the musician himself, of his natural curiosity and unconcealed love to the famous cartoon dog.

In his school years Calvin was a member of «Crips» gang dealing in drugs. After the school, Snoop was accepted in California Polytechnic State University but almost immediately got into the jail for cocaine possession. Later musician admitted in his interviews that he has been in prison multiple times during 1989-1991 years.

In his school years Calvin was a member of street gang

After serving his time in jail Snoop Dogg left the university and decided to pursue a career of musician: he and his friends made a bunch of demos which quite conveniently reached ears of famous rapper and producer Dr. Dre.

Musical career

In 1992 Snoop Dogg joined Dr. Dre on «The Cronic» album which immediately skyrocketed in charts and reached bestseller status in Canada and USA. Furthermore, both critics and public praised not only legendary Dr. Dre`s performance but also young Snoop Dogg`s. Powerfull and unorthodox lyrics and unique and uncharacteristic manner of rapping rapidly established Calvin as a rising star even before the release of his solo album.

A year after initial release musicians started to compose the material for first Snoop`s solo album. As a result, his «Doggystyle» album became the most anticipated release in 1993.

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre

Gangsta rap genre started to bother USA government so much that Snoop Dogg and his colleagues became a major talking point on Congress meetings but it only added fuel to the flame of rappers popularity. In 1995 Calvin opened his own recording studio «Doggy Style Records», and proceeded to release his second solo album called «The Doggfather» in honor of Tupac Shakur.

Snoop Dogg – «Tha Doggfather»

In 1994 Snoop Dogg debuted as an actor but mainly appearing on a screen as himself. At the beginning he took part in predominantly crime movies such as «Caught Up» (1998) and «I Got the Hook Up» (1998), but later in his acting career he appeared in a few comedies, for example «Scary Movie 5» (2013), starring Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen.

Snoop Dogg in «Scary Movie 5»

In 1998 Snoop signed a contract with No Limit Records recording label and produced 3 new albums: «Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told», «No Limit Top Dogg» and «Tha Last Meal», each of them considered successful and continued to increase rapper`s popularity.

Snoop Dogg – «Drop It Like It`s Hot»

In 2004 single «Drop It Like It`s Hot» topped Billboard Hot 100 Chart for the first time in rappers career. Two years after Snoop Dogg startet to work on collaboration with an up-and-coming Pussycat Dolls band. Songs featuring notorious Snoop brought popularity to the band and jumpstarted their careers.

Snoop Dogg and his wax sculpture at Madame Tussaud Museum

In 2009 Calvin had his wax double sculpture installed in Madame Tussaud Museum, Las Vegas.

During next two years Snoop Dogg started to experiment with musical styles and genres. He recorded a couple of reggae songs under the name of Snoop Lion and performed live on Electric Zoo festival as a DJ Snoopadelic.

Personal Life

Calvin married his school girlfriend Shante Taylor in June, 1997. They already had one son, Corde (1994) before the marriage, and two children after: son Cordell (1997) and daughter Cori (1999).

Snoop Dogg with wife and children

For a long time their family remained happy together up until the 2004 when musician filed for divorce from Taylor citing irreconcilable differences as a cause of separation. However after 4 years couple reunited once more and even renewed their wedding vows.

Snoop Dogg Now

In 2017 Calvin released his 15th solo album «Neva Left» and his latest album «Bible of Love» as a 2018 follow up.

Snoop Dogg – «Words Are Few»

Apart from his incredible music career Snoop Dogg is renowned as a successful businessman. Clothing and Shoes brand, headphones, skateboards, cigars and even porn films are amongst his business projects.

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