Snoop Dogg life and biography

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American entertainer, rapper, record producer and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés.

Born in Long Beach, California, Broadus got the nickname Snoop from his mother because she thought he looked like the character in the Peanuts cartoon. After graduating high school, Snoop was arrested several times for drug possession and spent time in prison. He started making music as a way out of his troubles.

Through his friend Warren G, Snoop met famed rapper Dr. Dre, which led to Snoop's start in the music business. His first album Doggystyle (1993) climbed its way to the number one spot on Billboard's hip-hop and top 200 charts, based in part on the success of the singles "What's My Name" and "Gin and Juice." His next album Tha Doggfather (1996) also reached the top of the charts. He scored the top slot on the hip-hop charts with his next two albums: Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told (1998) and No Limit Top Dogg (1999). Throughout all of his albums, Snoop became known for laid-back rapping style and his name has become synonymous with gangster rap of the 1990s. He originally called himself Snoop Doggy Dogg, but later shortened it to Snoop Dogg.

Snoop continues to make music, scoring his last big hit with the single "Drop It Like It's Hot" in 2004, which reached the top of the hip-hop and pop charts. His 2006 release, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and the single "That's That Shit" received good critical response. In 2007, Snoop became the first artist to release a track as a ringtone prior to its release as a single, "It's The D.O.G."

The rapper has also branched out into acting and appeared in several films, including 2004's Starsky & Hutch. He has made several guest appearances on television shows, including "The L Word" and "Weeds", and starred in his own E! reality show, "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood", in 2007. The series features his wife, Shante, and their three children, Corde, Cordell and Cori.

Since achieving fame, the popular gangster rap artist has had a number of brushes with the law. In 1990, he was convicted of cocaine possession. Three years later, he pled guilty for gun possession. Snoop was also tried and acquitted of murder charges in 1996. The case involved the killing of an alleged gang member who was shot by someone in the vehicle Snoop was riding in. In 2005, Snoop was sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman at the taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2003.

Snoop made legal news again in 2006. He and his posse were taken in custody at a London airport in April after the group got into a fight at the terminal. Later that year, he was arrested at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, after officers found marijuana and a gun in Snoop's vehicle. In 2007, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, citing his prior criminal convictions, banned him from entering the country and appearing at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards.

Snoop was appointed an executive position at Priority Records. His tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland, was released on December 8, 2009. The first single from the album, "Gangsta Luv", featuring The-Dream, peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at #23 on the Billboard 200, selling 61,000 copies its first week, making it his lowest charting album. His third single, "I Wanna Rock", peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Snoop features on the latest Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. The fourth single from Malice n Wonderland, titled "Pronto", featuring Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009. Snoop re-released the album under the name More Malice.

Snoop collaborated with Katy Perry on the first single from her second mainstream album, "California Gurls", which was released on May 11, 2010. Snoop can also be heard on the track "Flashing" by Dr. Dre and on Curren$y's song Seat Change. He was also featured on a new single from Australian singer Jessica Mauboy, titled "Get 'em Girls" (released September 2010). Snoop's latest effort was backing American recording artist, Emii, on her second single entitled "Mr. Romeo" (released October 26, 2010 as a follow-up to "Magic").

Snoop Dogg's next studio album will be a sequel to his 1993 classic Doggystyle, and producer Swizz Beatz is already giving him "sounds" for the project. "I'm in the studio with Swizzle, and he just laced my boots up on my new record," Snoop Dogg said while sitting next to Swizz. "Motherfucker gave me some gangsta shit, some crip shit, some R&B shit, some hip hop shit, some hard shit, some mean shit. And the name of the album is Doggystyle 2: The Doggumentary, be on the look out for it." The album was renamed to Doggumentary and will be released during March 2011.

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