Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. on October 20, 1971 in Long Beach, California. As a child, his mother nicknamed him "Snoopy" because he looked like the character from "Peanuts."

As a teen, he attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he played football. Around that time, he began MCing with cousin Nate Hale (now known as Nate Dogg) and best friend Warren Griffin (Warren G.) Snoop joined the Rollin' 20's Crips, Long Beach's local crip gang. After he graduated from high school, Snoop was in and out of jail for the next three years.

In jail, his inmates pushed him to do something with his life. Snoop, Nate, and Warren G formed a group 213 (named after Long Beach's area code.) They began making homemade mix tapes. Warren G sent one to his step brother Dr. Dre (of the rap group NWA.) Dr. Dre took interest in Snoop and signed him to Death Row Records. Snoop, Nate Dogg, and Warren G contributed to Dr. Dre's hit record The Chronic in 1992. The following year, Snoop (as Snoop Doggy Dogg) released his debut solo album Doggystyle. It was the first album to debut at #1 on the billboard charts. Doggystyle went platinum with hits like "What's My Name" and "Gin and Juice."

In August 1993, Snoop Dogg and his bodyguard McKinley Lee arrested in the shooting death of Phillip Woldermarian, a member of a rival gang who was later revealed to have had a secret obsession with Snoop. Defended by Johnnie Cochran, Snoop was acquitted on both grounds of self-defense and because he allegedly drove the car while his bodyguard McKinley Lee fired the fatal shots (Lee was also acquitted on grounds of self-defense.)

Three years after the trial, Snoop released his second album Tha Doggfather. By that time, Dr. Dre had left Death Row records and record label star (and Snoop's friend) Tupac Shakur was murdered. Tha Doggfather was a disappointment.

Snoop shortened his name from Snoop Doggy Dogg to Snoop Dogg and signed to Master P's No Limit Label. He released two albums Da Game Is to Be Sold Not to Be Told and No Limit Top Dogg. His last album on No Limit was 2000's Tha Last Meal, which featured production from Dr. Dre and had Snoop embracing a pimp lifestyle as opposed to gangsta rap. In 2002, Snoop released Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$, which featured the hit singles and videos "From Da Chuuuch to Da Palace" and "Beautiful," featuring guest vocals by the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams. In 2004, Snoop signed to the Star Trak record label, headed by the Neptunes, who produced several tracks for his album R&G; (Rhythm & Gangsta) The Masterpiece. The first single released from the album "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell) became his first single to reach #1 on the charts.