Snoop Dogg launched his musical career in the early 1990s and was featured on Dr Dree’s debut album The Chronic before launching his own solo debut album, the hugelly successful Doggystyle in 1991. Since then, Snoop Dogg has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the music industry, with multiple forays into areas such as motion pictures, television shows and philantrophy.
His vocals tend to be ultra-smooth and laidback, and he often uses syncopation and pauses to further his laidback style. His delivery has been described with the term “molasses drawl” by music journalist Peter Shapiro. Snoop Dogg is a keen freestyler, and a highly skilled employer of compound thymes and alliteration.
Examples of awards
American Music Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Snoop Dogg | Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist |
AVN Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | “Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle” | Best Selling Title of the Year |
| 2004 | “Snoop Dogg’s Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp” | Best Selling Title of the Year |
Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (featuring Pharrell) | Hot Rap Track |
Billboard Year-End Chart Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
|
1994 |
“Snoop Dogg” | Top Billboard 200 Album Artist – Male |
|
1994 |
“Snoop Dogg” | Top R&B Album Artist |
|
1994 |
“Snoop Dogg” | Top R&B Album Artist – Male |
International Dance Music Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (featuring Pharrell) | Best Rap/Hip-Hop Dance Track |
MTV Video Music Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | “Doggy Dogg World” | Best Rap Video |
| 2015 | “So Many Pros” | Best Art Direction |
Rolling Stone
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Snoop Dogg | Annual Critics Poll |
Soul Train Music Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Doggystyle | Best Rap Album |
| 2005 | “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (featuring Pharrell) | Best R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut |
Stony Awards
|
Year |
Nominee/work |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Snoop Dogg | Stoner of the Year |
Who?
Name: Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.
Born: 20 October, 1971
Stage names: Snoop Doggy Dog, Snoop Dogg, Snoop, Snoop Lion, Snoop Rock, Bigg Snoop Dogg, Uncle Snoop, Snoopzilla, Dj Snoopadelic, Coach Snoop, Doggfather, WestFest, Niggarachi
When?
Years active: 1991 – present
Labels
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First solo single
The full name of Snoop Doggy Dogg’s solo debut single is “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)”, but it is commonly titled just “What’s My Name?”. It’s the first single from the album Doggystyle.
The single was a great hit and is today recognized as one of Snoop Dogg’s very best pieces. The laconic and laid-back drawl that has been so typical for Snoop Dogg throughout his career is clearly present on this debut single. Compared to his later work, this track is more funky, which is also a characteristic of producer Dr. Dre’s work during this period.
Many well-established gangsta rap tropes is included in the song, such as gang crime, black-on black shootings, narcotics, sex, and partying.
In the music video, Snoop and other men are able to transform themselves into dogs, usually guard-dog breeds such as Rottweilers and Dobermans, while women can transform into softer dog breeds such as Cocker Spaniels. They utilize this ability to run amok and evade angry parents.
The single reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and took the top spot at the US Hot Rap Songs. In 1994, the single was certified gold by the RIAA.
| Recorded | 1993 |
| Released | 30 October, 1993 |
| From the album | Doggystyle |
| Format |
|
| Genre | G-Funk
gangsta rap |
| Length | 4:06 |
| Labels | Death Row
Interscope Atlantic |
| Songwriters | Calvin Broadus
George Clinton Andre Young Gary Shider David Spradley |
| Producer | Dr. Dre |
| Samples and interpolations | Samples and interpolations of George Clinton’s Atomic Dog throughout
Vocal sample (“the bomb”) from Parliament’s P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) throughout
Sample from The Count’s Pack of Lies in the intro
Interpolation of Parliament’s Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) in the bridge |
First album
Over the counter
Over the counter was intended to be Snoop Doggy Dogg’s debute studio album, but it was so heavily bootlegged that it was released as a demo album on cassette instead and never given any official distribution for the public market.
| Released | 1991 |
| Recorded | 1990–91 |
| Genre |
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| Label | Future Shock Entertainment |
| Producer |
|
Over the counter was also intended to be the debut album for the Death Row brand name, but because of the bootlegging, The Chronic by Dr. Dre took its place, an album to which Snoop made significant contribution.
Doggystyle
Instead of Over the Counter, Doggystyle became the debut studio album for Snoop Doggy Dogg.
| Released | November 23, 1993 |
| Recorded | January – October 1993 |
| Studio |
|
| Label |
|
| Producer |
|
| Genre |
|
| Length | 55:05 |
Doggystyle debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It sold over 800,000 copies in the U.S. alone during the first week after its release, breaking the record for a debuting artist and making it the fastest-selling hip hop album ever.
Doggystyle is charactered by the West Coast style hip-hop that was found on The Chronic, and helped introduce g-funk hip-hop to a wider audience. It received mixed criticism upon its release, but is today hailed as one of the most significant albums of the decade.
By November 2015, the album had sold over 11 million copies worldwie, of which roughly 7 million were sold in the U.S.
Discography
Studio albums
- Doggystyle (1993)
- Tha Doggfather (1996)
- Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998)
- No Limit Top Dogg (1999)
- Tha Last Meal (2000)
- Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002)
- R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004)
- Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)
- Ego Trippin’ (2008)
- Malice n Wonderland (2009)
- Doggumentary (2011)
- Reincarnated (2013)
- Bush (2015)
- Coolaid (2016)
- Neva Left (2017)
- Bible of Love (2018)
Collaboration albums
- Tha Eastsidaz (collaboration with Tha Eastsidaz) (2000)
- Duces ‘n Trayz: The Old Fashioned Way (collaboration with Tha Eastsidaz) (2001)
- The Hard Way (collaboration with 213) (2004)
- Mac & Devin Go to High School (collaboration with Wiz Khalifa) (2011)
- 7 Days of Funk (collaboration with 7 Days of Funk) (2013)
- Royal Fam (collaboration with Tha Broadus Boyz) (2013)[44]
- Cuzznz (collaboration with Daz Dillinger) (2016)