1. Bless His Heart
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Born Calvin Broadus, Jr., the Long Beach, Calif. native first showed his proclivity for music as a youngster at his local Baptist Church. After a few bouts with the law, Snoop, who received his nickname from the ‘Peanuts’ character, decided he’d rather be locked in the studio.
2. Mastering ‘Doggystyle’
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Now officially Snoop Dogg, the rapper and super producer Dr. Dre collaborated on his first album ‘Doggystyle,’ which was released in 1993. Dre brought the G-Funk, and Snoop used his experience growing up in the ‘hood to bring the G-style.
3. Reppin’ the West
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Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur gave “gangster rap” pop appeal in the ’90s. The duo, both signed to Death Row Records, presented the Best Hard Rock Video at the 1996 MTV Music Awards.
4. Off Death Row, On to No Limit
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Professional strife lead to the multi-platinum artist’s departure from Suge Knight’s Death Row Records in the late ’90s. Snoop found a new home at Master P’s No Limit Records. Back in 2002, a pimped out version of the superstar rolled with his No Limit family, Lil Romeo and Silkk the Shocker, at Super Bowl XXXV1 All Stars Celebrity Basketball Game hosted by Jermaine Dupri.
5. From ‘G’ to ‘GQ’
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Working with famed producer Pharrell Williams, the rapper went from pimp mode to keeping it pimpin’, releasing tracks such as “Drop it Like It’s Hot” and “Beautiful”.
6. It’s a Wash
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He hasn’t won an Oscar (yet) but Snoop definitely understood the value of diversifying his streams of income in the entertainment industry. Roles in films such as ‘The Wash’ and ‘Training Day’ helped keep his brand afloat.
7. The Mane Event
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In 2012, Snoop embraced the Rastafarian movement and was “born again” as Snoop Lion. He released his 12th studio album “Reincarnated” in 2013. The album topped Billboard’s reggae charts.
8. Up in Smoke
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As the legalization of marijuana gained steam, Snoop Dogg (pictured with entrepreneurs Mark Zuckerberg and Sean Parker) upped his e-swag and launched Leafs by Snoop in 2015—you can deduce what he sells.
9. When Pot Meets Luck
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After three decades in the biz, the gangster-turned-pimp-turned-rasta-turned-OG brought all of his genius to a dinner table with America’s most mundane (despite a stint in jail) television personality and scored another hit. ‘Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party’ debuted in 2016 and was renewed for a second season.
