Snoop Dogg

[b][size=16]Snoop Dogg[/size][/b]

[img]http://img.poemhunter.com/lyrics/singers/40/2540_b_133.jpg[/img]
As the embodiment of '90s gangsta rap, Snoop Dogg blurred the lines
between reality and fiction. Introduced to the world through Dr. Dre's
The Chronic, Snoop quickly became the most famous star in rap,
partially because of his drawled, laconic rhyming and partially because
the violence that his lyrics implied seemed real, especially after he
was arrested on charges of being a murder accomplice. The arrest
certainly strengthened his myth, and it helped his debut album, 1993's
Doggystyle, become the first debut album to enter the charts at number
one, but in the long run, it hurt his career. Snoop had to fight
charges throughout 1994 and 1995, and while he was eventually cleared,
it hurt his momentum. The Doggfather, his second album, wasn't released
until November 1996, and by that time, pop and hip-hop had burned
itself out on gangsta rap. The Doggfather sold half as well as its
predecessor, which meant that Snoop remained a star, but he no longer
had the influence he had just two years before.


Nicknamed Snoop by his mother because of his appearance, Calvin
Broadus (born October 20, 1972) was raised in Long Beach, CA, where he
frequently ran into trouble with the law. Not long after his high
school graduation, he was arrested for possession of cocaine, beginning
a period of three years where he was often imprisoned. He found escape
from a life of crime through music. Snoop began recording homemade
tapes with his friend Warren G, who happened to be the stepbrother of
N.W.A.'s Dr. Dre. Warren G gave a tape to Dre, who was considerably
impressed with Snoop's style and began collaborating with the rapper.

When Dre decided to make his tentative first stab at a solo career
in 1992 with the theme song for the film Deep Cover, he had Snoop rap
with him. "Deep Cover" started a buzz about Snoop that escalated into
full-fledged mania when Dre released his own debut album, The Chronic,
on Death Row Records late in 1992. Snoop rapped on The Chronic as much
as Dre, and his drawled vocals were as important to the record's
success as its P-Funk bass grooves. Dre's singles "Nuthin' but a 'G'
Thang" and "Dre Day," which prominently featured Snoop, became Top Ten
pop crossover hits in the spring of 1993, setting the stage for Snoop's
much-anticipated debut album, Doggystyle. While he was recording the
album with Dre in August, Snoop was arrested in connection with the
drive-by shooting death of Phillip Woldermarian. According to the
charges, the rapper's bodyguard, McKinley Lee, shot Woldermarian as
Snoop drove the vehicle; the rapper claimed it was self-defense,
alleging that the victim was stalking Snoop. Following a performance at
the MTV Music Awards in September 1993, he turned himself to
authorities.

After many delays, Doggystyle was finally released on Death Row in
November of 1993, and it became the first debut album to enter the
charts at number one. Despite reviews that claimed the album was a
carbon copy of The Chronic, the Top Ten singles "What's My Name?" and
"Gin & Juice" kept Doggystyle at the top of the charts during early
1994, as did the considerable controversy over Snoop's arrest and his
lyrics, which were accused of being exceedingly violent and sexist.
During an English tour in the spring of 1994, tabloids and a Tory
minister pleaded for the government to kick the rapper out of the
country, largely based on his arrest. Snoop exploited his impending
trial by shooting a short film based on the Doggystyle song "Murder Was
the Case" and releasing an accompanying soundtrack, which debuted at
number one in 1994. By that time, Doggystyle had gone quadruple
platinum.


Snoop spent much of 1995 preparing for the case, which finally went
to trial in late 1995. In February of 1996, he was cleared of all
charges and began working on his second album, this time without Dre as
producer. Nevertheless, when The Doggfather was finally released in
November 1996, it bore all the evidence of a Dre-produced, G-funk
record. The album was greeted with mixed reviews, and it initially sold
well, but it failed to produce a hit along the lines of "What's My
Name?" and "Gin & Juice." Part of the reason of the moderate
success of The Doggfather was the decline of gangsta rap. 2Pac, who had
become a friend of Snoop during 1996, died weeks before the release of
The Doggfather, and Dre had left Death Row to his partner Suge Knight,
who was indicted on racketeering charges by the end of 1996.
Consequently, Snoop's second album got lost in the shuffle, stalling at
sales of two million, which was disappointing for a superstar. Perhaps
sensing something was wrong, Snoop began to revamp his public image,
moving away from his gangsta roots toward a calmer lyrical aesthetic.
He also began making gestures toward the rock community, signing up to
tour with Lollapalooza 1997 and talking about two separate
collaborations with Beck and Marilyn Manson. The solo Da Game Is to Be
Sold Not to Be Told, Snoop's first effort for No Limit, followed in
1998; No Limit Top Dogg appeared a year later and Dead Man Walkin' the
year after that. Tha Last Meal followed in December of that same year.
The heavy release schedule resulted in varying musical quality from
album to album, but by the turn of the century, Snoop had become such a
cultural phenomenon that his albums almost became secondary to the
personality behind them. An autobiography appeared in 2001, followed by
a stream of movie roles in several high-profile pictures. Late in 2002,
Snoop released his first album for Capitol, Paid tha Cost to Be da
Bo$$. Geffen was the label for his 2004 release R&G - Rhythm and
Gangster: The Masterpiece featuring the smash hit "Drop It Like It's
Hot". The album was released a week early due to leaked copies showing
up on the Internet.