Name Snoop Dogg
Yld nickname Snoop Lion
Famous for: Hip-hop and reggae
The beginnings
Snoop has been living a double life as a global global superstar in the reggae genre since the turn of the century. While his big break was in 1993, Snoop would go on to rack up two platinum albums in reggae and smash chart records with hit single “Gin and Juice” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot”. Since reggae has increased its worldwide acceptance in the last year, Snoop has been putting back together his squad – while retaining his dogg-ness.
The rap variant
The lion, the lion’s song and the man in the lion suit. Da Man, as he is affectionately known, has cracked the US pop charts with the remix for his most recent single, a rapping ode to love titled “La La La”. Snoop’s previous rap hits like “Bad a$$”, “Touchin’ It” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot” were catapulted to No 1 by his big-voiced and bawdy vocal delivery. In 2009, Snoop collaborated with David Guetta on his debut rap single “Turn Me On”.
His showbiz alter ego: The lion may be the centrepiece, but Snoop is more than a reggae-funk-rap man. His TV appearances range from Scrubs to The Sing-Off to The Voice. Snoop also appears in biographical films (Just a Dog Named Snoop) and dabbles in comedy (Family Movie).
His connections
Hip-hop was born in New York and Jamaican reggae was the movement’s early offshoot. Snoop’s earliest barks on ‘Freestyle 4’ and ‘Bliss’ proved that the po-faced ciphers of hip-hop could be released in reggae heat. Snoop’s splashy street style was mired in Jamaican flair and shouts of “raw root!” He’s the ideal king of the guest spots. Snoop delivered a breakdancing routine in Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” and was signed to Scratch Records in the early 90s by the legendary “rewinder” Tony Rebel.