Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, record executive, songwriter, and actor. A key figure in West Coast hip-hop, he helped define G-funk and gangsta rap, and is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Known for his signature drawled delivery and melodic flow, his lyrics frequently address social issues such as recreational drug use and gun violence.

He rose to prominence in 1992 through his collaborations with Dr. Dre, first on the single "Deep Cover" and later on The Chronic, including "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang". Produced by Dr. Dre, his debut album Doggystyle (1993) debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 806,000 copies sold in its first week. The album spawned the hit singles "What's My Name?" and "Gin and Juice", later receiving quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one.

After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop Dogg signed with Master P's No Limit Records, and saw continued success with his albums Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). His album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004) spawned the single "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), his first Billboard Hot 100 number one. In later years, he adopted the alias Snoop Lion, under which he released a reggae album, Reincarnated (2013), and a namesake documentary film about his experience in Jamaica. The album was followed by the Pharrell-produced Bush (2015) and the gospel album Bible of Love (2018). In 2022, he acquired Death Row Records from MNRK Music Group and released BODR (2022).

Snoop Dogg has sold over 35 million records worldwide. In 2022, he co-headlined the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, earning a Primetime Emmy Award. He has received several accolades including seventeen Grammy Award nominations, two Sports Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Outside of music, he has appeared in numerous films and media, including serving as a coach on The Voice.

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born on October 20, 1971, in Long Beach, California, to Beverly Tate (1951–2021) and Vernell Varnado. Varnado, who was a Vietnam War veteran, singer, and mail carrier, left the family only three months after Snoop Dogg's birth, and thus he was named after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Sr. (1948–1984). His biological father remained largely absent from his life. As a boy, his mother nicknamed him "Snoopy" due to his love for and likeness to the cartoon character from Peanuts. He was the second of his mother's three sons.

Snoop Dogg was raised Baptist and began singing and playing piano at Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church when he was very young. His mother, a member of the church choir, was one of his "prime musical influences" growing up and introduced him to old-school R&B music. In his youth, Snoop Dogg sold candy, delivered newspapers, and bagged groceries. Snoop Dogg was described as having been a dedicated student and enthusiastic churchgoer, active in choir and football.

In sixth grade, Snoop Dogg began rapping. He would frequently rap in school, as he recalled: "When I rapped in the hallways at school I would draw such a big crowd that the principal would think there was a fight going on. It made me begin to realize that I had a gift. I could tell that my raps interested people and that made me interested in myself".

In his teenage years, Snoop Dogg began engaging in unlawful activities and joining gangs, despite his mother's preventive efforts. He was a member of the Rollin' 20s Crips gang in the Eastside neighborhood of Long Beach; in 1993, however, he denied the frequent police and media reports by saying that he never joined a gang. Shortly after graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1989, he was arrested for possession of cocaine, and for the next three years was frequently incarcerated, including at Wayside Jail. With his two cousins, Nate Dogg and Lil' ½ Dead, and friend Warren G, he recorded homemade tapes, with one titled Over the Counter attracting some label interest. The four called their group 213 after the area code of their hometown Long Beach, and they recorded their first four-song demo at their local VIP Records store. One of Snoop's early solo freestyles over "Hold On" by En Vogue was on a mixtape that fortuitously wound up with Dr. Dre; the influential producer was so impressed by the sample that he called Snoop Dogg to audition in 1991 for his label Death Row Records (then known as Future Shock). Former N.W.A affiliate, American rapper Tracy Lynn Curry, better known as The D.O.C., taught him to structure his lyrics and separate the themes into verses, hooks, and choruses.

When he began recording, the young rapper took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg. He was introduced to Dr. Dre by Warren G, who gave him Snoop Dogg's cassette tape. Snoop Dogg then signed with Dre's label Future Shock Records (which later became known as Death Row Records). Dr. Dre began working with him, first on the theme song of the 1992 film Deep Cover, and then on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic, along with the other members of his former starting group, Tha Dogg Pound. This intense exposure played a considerable part in making Snoop Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle, the critical and commercial success that it was.

Fueling the ascendance of West Coast G-funk hip-hop, the singles "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" and "Gin and Juice" reached the top ten most-played songs in the United States, and the album stayed on the Billboard charts for several months. Gangsta rap became the center of arguments about censorship and labeling, with Snoop Dogg often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians. Unlike many of the harder-edged gangsta rap artists, Snoop Dogg seemed to show his softer side, according to music journalist Chuck Philips. Rolling Stone music critic Touré asserted that Snoop Dogg had a relatively soft vocal delivery compared to other rappers: "Snoop's vocal style is part of what distinguishes him: where many rappers scream, figuratively and literally, he speaks softly". Doggystyle, much like The Chronic, featured a host of rappers signed to or affiliated with the Death Row label, including Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and others.

In 1993, Snoop Dogg was charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of a rival gang member, who was actually killed by Snoop Dogg's bodyguard. Snoop Dogg was acquitted on February 20, 1996, and the case was finally closed in 2024. According to Snoop Dogg, after he was acquitted, he did not want to continue living the "gangsta" lifestyle, because he felt that continuing his behavior would result in his assassination or a prison term. A short film about Snoop Dogg's murder trial, Murder Was the Case, was released in 1994, along with an accompanying soundtrack. On July 6, 1995, Doggy Style Records, Inc., a record label founded by Snoop Dogg, was registered with the California Secretary of State as business entity number C1923139.

After his acquittal, Snoop Dogg and the mother of his son, along with their kennel of 20 pit bulls, moved into a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) home in the hills of Claremont, California, and by August 1996 Doggy Style Records, a subsidiary of Death Row Records, signed the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson as one of its first artists. He collaborated with fellow rap artist Tupac Shakur on the 1996 single "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted". This was one of Shakur's last songs released while alive; he was shot on September 7, 1996, in Las Vegas, dying six days later.

By the time Snoop Dogg's second album, Tha Doggfather, was released in November 1996, the price of appearing to be a gang member "living the gangsta life" had become very evident. Among the many notable hip-hop industry deaths and convictions were the death of Snoop Dogg's friend and labelmate Tupac Shakur and the racketeering indictment of Death Row co-founder Suge Knight. Dr. Dre had left Death Row earlier in 1996 because of a contract dispute, so Snoop Dogg co-produced Tha Doggfather with Daz Dillinger and DJ Pooh.

Snoop Dogg signed with Master P's No Limit Records (distributed by Priority/EMI Records) in March 1998 and debuted on the label with Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told later that year. He said at the time that "Snoop Dogg is universal so he can fit into any camp-especially a camp that knows how to handmake shit[;] [a]nd, No Limit hand makes material. They make material fittin' to the artist and they know what type of shit Snoop Dogg is supposed to be on. That's why it's so tight". [sic] His other albums on No Limit were No Limit Top Dogg in 1999 (selling over 1,510,000 copies) and Tha Last Meal in 2000 (selling over 2,100,000). In 1999, his autobiography, Tha Doggfather, was published.

In 2002, he released the album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$, on Priority/Capitol/EMI, selling over 1,310,000 copies. The album featured the hit singles "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful", featuring guest vocals by Pharrell. In the same year, he featured in the remix of "Welcome to Atlanta" by Jermaine Dupri. By this stage in his career, Snoop Dogg had left behind his "gangster" image and embraced a "pimp" image.

In June 2004, Snoop Dogg signed to Geffen Records/Star Trak Entertainment, both distributed by Interscope Records; Star Trak is headed by producer duo the Neptunes, which produced several tracks for Snoop's 2004 release R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), the first single released from the album, was a hit and became Snoop Dogg's first single to reach number one. His third release was "Signs", featuring Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson, which entered the UK chart at No. 2. This was his highest entry ever in the UK chart. The album sold 1,730,000 copies in the U.S. alone, and most of its singles were heavily played on radio and television. Snoop Dogg joined Warren G and Nate Dogg to form the group 213 and released The Hard Way in 2004. Debuting at No.4 on the Billboard 200 and No.1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, it included the single "Groupie Luv". Snoop Dogg appeared in the music video for Korn's "Twisted Transistor" along with fellow rappers Lil Jon, Xzibit, and David Banner.

Snoop Dogg appeared on two tracks from Ice Cube's 2006 album Laugh Now, Cry Later, including "Go to Church", and on several tracks on Tha Dogg Pound's Cali Iz Active the same year. His song "Real Talk" was leaked on the Internet in the summer of 2006 and a video was later released on the Internet. "Real Talk" was dedicated to former Crips leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams and a diss to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California at the time. Two other singles on which Snoop Dogg made a guest performance were "Keep Bouncing" by Too $hort (also with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas) and "Gangsta Walk" by Coolio.

Snoop's 2006 album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment debuted on the Billboard 200 at No.5 and sold over 850,000 copies. The album and the second single "That's That Shit" featuring R. Kelly were well received by critics. In the album, he collaborated in a video with E-40 and other West Coast rappers on the single "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)".

In July 2007, Snoop Dogg made history by becoming the first artist to release a track as a ringtone before its release as a single, "It's the D.O.G". On July 7, 2007, Snoop Dogg performed at the Live Earth concert, Hamburg. Snoop Dogg ventured into singing for Bollywood with his first ever rap for an Indian movie, Singh Is Kinng; the song title is also "Singh is Kinng". He appears in the movie as himself. The album featuring the song was released on June 8, 2008, on Junglee Music Records. He released his ninth studio album, Ego Trippin' (selling 400,000 copies in the U.S.), along with the first single, "Sexual Eruption". The single peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 100, featuring Snoop Dogg using autotune. The album featured production from QDT (Quik-Dogg-Teddy).

Snoop Dogg was appointed an executive position at Priority Records. His tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland, was released on December 8, 2009. The first single from the album, "Gangsta Luv", featuring The-Dream, peaked at No.35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at No.23 on the Billboard 200, selling 61,000 copies its first week, making it his lowest charting album. His third single, "I Wanna Rock", peaked at No.41 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Pronto", the fourth single from Malice n Wonderland, featuring Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009. Snoop Dogg re-released the album under the name More Malice.

Snoop Dogg collaborated with Katy Perry on "California Gurls", the first single from her album Teenage Dream, which was released on May 7, 2010. Snoop Dogg can also be heard on the track "Flashing" by Dr. Dre and on Curren$y's song "Seat Change". He was also featured on a new single from Australian singer Jessica Mauboy, titled "Get 'em Girls" (released September 2010). Snoop's latest effort was backing American recording artist, Emii, on her second single entitled "Mr. Romeo" (released October 26, 2010, as a follow-up to "Magic"). Snoop Dogg also collaborated with American comedy troupe the Lonely Island in their song "Turtleneck & Chain", in their 2011 album Turtleneck & Chain.

Snoop Dogg's eleventh studio album was Doggumentary. The album went through several tentative titles including Doggystyle 2: Tha Doggumentary and Doggumentary Music: 0020 before being released under the final title Doggumentary on March 29, 2011. Snoop Dogg was featured on Gorillaz' album Plastic Beach on the track "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" with the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. He also completed another track with them entitled "Sumthing Like This Night" which was later released on Doggumentary. He also appears on the 2011 Tech N9ne album All 6's and 7's on the track "Pornographic", which also features E-40 and Krizz Kaliko.

On February 4, 2012, Snoop Dogg announced a documentary, Reincarnated, alongside his new upcoming studio album entitled Reincarnated. The film was released March 21, 2013, with the album slated for release April 23, 2013. On July 20, 2012, Snoop Dogg released a new reggae single, "La La La" under the pseudonym Snoop Lion. Three other songs were also announced to be on the album: "No Guns Allowed", "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks", and "Harder Times".

On July 31, 2012, Snoop Dogg introduced a new stage name, Snoop Lion. He told reporters that he was rechristened Snoop Lion by a Rastafari priest in Jamaica. In response to Frank Ocean coming out, Snoop Dogg said hip-hop was ready to accept a gay rapper. Snoop Dogg recorded an original song for the 2012 fighting game Tekken Tag Tournament 2, titled "Knocc 'Em Down"; and makes a special appearance as a non-playable character in "The Snoop Dogg Stage" arena.

In September of the same year, Snoop Dogg released a compilation of electronic music entitled Loose Joints under the moniker DJ Snoopadelic, stating the influence of George Clinton's Funkadelic. In an interview with The Fader magazine, he stated "Snoop Lion, Snoop Dogg, DJ Snoopadelic—they only know one thing: make music that's timeless and bangs". In December 2012, Snoop Dogg released his second single from Reincarnated, "Here Comes the King". It was also announced that Snoop Dogg worked a deal with RCA Records to release Reincarnated in early 2013. Also in December 2012, Snoop Dogg released a That's My Work a collaboration rap mixtape with Tha Dogg Pound.

In an interview with Hip Hop Weekly on June 17, producer Symbolyc One (S1) announced that Snoop Dogg was working on his final album under his rap moniker Snoop Dogg; "I've been working with Snoop, he's actually working on his last solo album as Snoop Dogg". In September 2013, Snoop Dogg released a collaboration album with his sons as Tha Broadus Boyz titled Royal Fam. On October 28, 2013, Snoop Dogg released another mixtape entitled That's My Work 2 hosted by DJ Drama. Snoop Dogg formed a funk duo with musician Dâm-Funk called 7 Days of Funk and released their debut album, 7 Days of Funk, on December 10, 2013.

In August 2014, a clip surfaced online featuring a sneak preview of a song Snoop Dogg had recorded for Pharrell. Snoop's Pharrell Williams-produced album Bush was released on May 12, 2015, with the first single "Peaches N Cream" having been released on March 10, 2015.

On June 13, 2016, Snoop Dogg announced the release date for his album Coolaid, which was released on July 1, 2016. He headlined a "unity party" for donors at Philly's Electric Factory on July 28, 2016, the last day of the Democratic National Convention. Released March 1, 2017, through his own Doggy Style Records, "Promise You This" precedes the release of his upcoming Coolaid film based on the album of the same name. Snoop Dogg released his fifteenth studio album Neva Left in May 2017.

He released a gospel album titled Bible of Love on March 16, 2018. In April 2018, Snoop Dogg performed at Coachella with acid-jazz and funk band Jamiroquai. Snoop Dogg was featured on Gorillaz' album The Now Now, released in June 2018, on a track called: "Hollywood" with Jamie Principle. In November 2018, Snoop Dogg announced plans for his Puff Puff Pass tour, which features Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort, Warren G, Kurupt, and others. The tour ran from November 24 to January 5.

Snoop Dogg was featured on Lil Dicky's April 2019 single "Earth", where he played the role of a marijuana plant in both the song's lyrics and animated video. On July 3, 2019, Snoop Dogg released the title track from his upcoming 17th studio album, I Wanna Thank Me. The album was released on August 16, 2019. Snoop Dogg collaborated with Vietnamese singer Son Tung M-TP in "Hãy trao cho anh" ("Give it to Me"), which was officially released on July 1, 2019. As of October 3, 2019, the music video has amassed over 158 million views on YouTube.

Early in 2020, it was announced that Snoop Dogg had rescheduled his tour in support of his I Wanna Thank You album and documentary of the same name. The tour has been rescheduled to commence in February 2021. In May 2020, Snoop Dogg released the song "Que Maldicion", a collaboration with Banda Sinaloense de Sergio Lizarraga, peaking at number one on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.

On April 20, 2021, Snoop Dogg released his eighteenth studio album From tha Streets 2 tha Suites. It was announced on April 7, 2021, via Instagram. The album received generally positive reviews from critics.

During an interview on the September 27 airing of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Snoop Dogg announced Algorithm. The album was released on November 19, 2021.

Snoop Dogg performed at the halftime show of Super Bowl LVI alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.

In January 2022, Snoop Dogg announced that he would release his 19th studio album, BODR, on the same day as his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. However, the album's release was pushed forward two days and was released on February 11, 2022.

On February 10, 2022, Snoop Dogg announced that he had acquired Death Row Records and intended to revive the label.

On June 24, 2022, Snoop Dogg collaborated with Eminem on the track "From the D 2 the LBC", with a live-action/animated music video released the same day.

On August 11, 2024, Snoop Dogg appeared during the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Paris, France, performing a rendition of "Drop It Like It's Hot" and then, along with Dr Dre, "The Next Episode". He had been working at the event as a correspondent for NBC and Peacock. His hosting of the event won him two Sports Emmy Awards.

In February 2024, Snoop Dogg launched a range of pre-mixed cocktails with Dr. Dre named after their hit single, "Gin and Juice". Flavors include apricot, citrus, melon and passion fruit. A short prohibition themed trailer was created to support the release. A luxury gin called "Still G.I.N.", a reference to the track Still D.R.E., was released later in 2024. The Venetian glass bottle was designed by Ini Archibong.

Also in 2024, Snoop Dogg announced a new album coming out called Missionary, entirely produced by Dr. Dre, serving as a spiritual sequel to Snoop Dogg's first album Doggystyle, which was also produced by Dr. Dre. The album's first single "Gorgeous" was released on November 1, 2024, followed by the album's release on December 13, 2024, via Death Row/Aftermath and Interscope, while the latter label serving as its new signee. The album features guest appearances from Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Method Man, and Sting, and received generally favorable reviews with praise directed towards Snoop's lyrics and Dr. Dre's production. In April, he was listed as one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. On May 15, 2025, he released the surprise album Iz It a Crime?. In December 2025, he headlined the second-ever NFL Christmas Gameday Halftime Show, alongside Martha Stewart, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, Lainey Wilson, Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli and Tonio Armani as guests. In April 2026, he released his twenty-second studio album Ten Til Midnight.

Snoop Dogg has appeared in numerous films and television episodes throughout his career. His starring roles in film includes The Wash (with Dr. Dre) and the horror film Bones. He also co-starred with rapper Wiz Khalifa in the 2012 movie Mac & Devin Go to High School which a sequel has been announced. He has had various supporting and cameo roles in film, including Half Baked, Training Day, Starsky & Hutch, and Brüno.

He has starred in three television programs: sketch-comedy show Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, variety show Dogg After Dark, and reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood (also starring Snoop's wife and children). He has starred in episodes of King of the Hill, Las Vegas, and Monk, one episode of Robot Chicken, as well as three episodes of One Life to Live. He has participated in three Comedy Central Roasts, for Flavor Flav, Donald Trump, and Justin Bieber. Cameo television appearances include episodes of The L Word, Weeds, Entourage, I Get That a Lot, Monk, and The Price Is Right. He has also appeared in an episode of the YouTube video series, Epic Rap Battles of History as Moses.

In 2000, Snoop Dogg (as "Michael J. Corleone") directed Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, a pornographic film produced by Hustler. The film, combining hip-hop with X-rated material, was a huge success and won "Top Selling Release of the Year" at the 2002 AVN Awards. Snoop Dogg then directed Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp in 2002 (using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").

Snoop Dogg founded his own production company, Snoopadelic Films, in 2005. Their debut film was Boss'n Up, a film inspired by Snoop Dogg's album R&G, starring Lil Jon and Trina.

In December 2013, Snoop Dogg performed at the annual Kennedy Center Honors concert, honoring jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. After his performance, Snoop Dogg credited Hancock with "inventing hip-hop".

Snoop Dogg is a lifelong fan of professional wrestling. On March 30, 2008, Snoop Dogg appeared at WrestleMania XXIV as a Master of Ceremonies for a tag team match between Maria and Ashley Massaro as they took on Beth Phoenix and Melina. On a March 23, 2015, episode of Raw, Snoop Dogg appeared in a segment with Hulk Hogan and Curtis Axel. On April 3, 2016 at WrestleMania 32, he accompanied his cousin Sasha Banks to the ring for her match, rapping over her theme music. He was also inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016. Snoop Dogg made a special guest appearance in All Elite Wrestling on the January 6, 2021, episode of AEW Dynamite, titled New Year's Smash. During this appearance, Snoop Dogg appeared in the corner of Cody Rhodes during Rhodes's match with Matt Sydal. He later gave Serpentico a Frog Splash, with Rhodes then delivering a three-count. Snoop Dogg would join The Miz to host both nights of WrestleMania 39. During Night 1, he accompanied Rey Mysterio in a lowrider during his entrance, paying tribute to Eddie Guerrero. On Night 2, he introduced Shane McMahon to face The Miz in another spontaneous match. McMahon would legitimately sustain a quad injury during the match prompting Snoop Dogg to improvise and finish the match himself, ultimately defeating Miz. Snoop Dogg's improvisational acts were lauded by wrestlers and executives, including WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque. At Night 2 of WrestleMania XL, he served as a special guest commentator for a match.

Snoop Dogg has been an active entrepreneur and investor. In 2009, he was appointed creative chairman of Priority Records.

In May 2013, Snoop Dogg and his brand manager Nick Adler released an app, Snoopify, that lets users plaster stickers of Snoop's face, joints or a walrus hat on photos. Adler built the app in May after discovering stickers in Japan. As of 2015, the app was generating $30,000 in weekly sales.

In November 2013, Snoop Dogg released an electrical weed vaporizer in collaboration with Grenco Science called G-Pen.

In October 2014, Reddit raised $50 million in a funding round led by Sam Altman and including investors Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, Ron Conway, Snoop Dogg, and Jared Leto.

In April 2015, Snoop Dogg became a minority investor in his first investment venture Eaze, a California-based cannabis delivery startup that promises to deliver medical marijuana to persons' doorsteps in less than 10 minutes.

On September 21, 2021, Snoop Dogg claimed on Twitter to be a prolific NFT collector known under the pseudonym Cozomo De' Medici. In a Vice report following the 2021 claim, reporters Jordan Pearson and Jason Koebler provided evidence disputing the claim that Snoop Dogg and Cozomo De' Medici were the same person. In a February 2023 interview with Christie's, Medici described the identity reveal as "trolling" and a "stunt".

Snoop Dogg had been mainly described as a hip-hop, West Coast hip-hop, G-funk, and gangsta rap artist. Kool Moe Dee ranks Snoop Dogg at No. 33 in his book There's a God on the Mic, and says he has "an ultra-smooth, laidback delivery" and "flavor-filled melodic rhyming".

Peter Shapiro describes Snoop Dogg's delivery as a "molasses drawl" and AllMusic notes his "drawled, laconic rhyming" style. Kool Moe Dee refers to Snoop's use of vocabulary, saying he "keeps it real simple … he simplifies it and he's effective in his simplicity".

Snoop Dogg is known to freestyle some of his lyrics on the spot – in the book How to Rap, Lady of Rage says, "When I worked with him earlier in his career, that's how created his stuff… he would freestyle, he wasn't a writer then, he was a freestyler", and the D.O.C. states, "Snoop's [rap] was a one take willy, but his shit was all freestyle. He hadn't written nothing down. He just came in and started busting. The song was 'Tha Shiznit'—that was all freestyle. He started busting and when we got to the break, Dre cut the machine off, did the chorus and told Snoop to come back in. He did that throughout the record. That's when Snoop was in the zone then."

Peter Shapiro says that Snoop Dogg debuted on "Deep Cover" with a "shockingly original flow – which sounded like a Slick Rick born in South Carolina instead of South London" and adds that he "showed where his style came from by covering Slick Rick's 'La Di Da Di'". Referring to Snoop's flow, Kool Moe Dee calls him "one of the smoothest, funkiest flow-ers in the game". How to Rap also notes that Snoop Dogg is known to use syncopation in his flow to give it a laidback quality, as well as 'linking with rhythm' in his compound rhymes, using alliteration, and employing a "sparse" flow with good use of pauses.

Snoop Dogg listed his favorite rap albums for Hip Hop Connection: 10. Mixmaster Spade, The Genius Is Back 9. Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 8. Ice Cube, Death Certificate 7. 2Pac, Me Against the World 6. The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die 5. N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton 4. Eric B. & Rakim, Paid in Full 3. Slick Rick, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick 2. Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle 1. Dr. Dre, The Chronic ("It's da illest shit")

Snoop Dogg married his high school sweetheart, Shante Taylor (née Fuller), on June 14, 1997. Shante's brother Jermaine died in 2002 after a standoff with Las Vegas police, during which Snoop Dogg unsuccessfully attempted to reason with him to surrender. On May 21, 2004, he filed for divorce from Taylor, citing irreconcilable differences. However, the couple renewed vows on January 12, 2008. They have three children together: sons Cordé (born August 21, 1994) and Cordell (born February 21, 1997), who quit football to pursue a career as a filmmaker, and daughter Cori (born June 22, 1999). Snoop Dogg also has a son from a relationship with Laurie Holmond, Julian Corrie Broadus (born 1998).

He is the first cousin of AEW professional wrestler Mercedes Moné, as well as the fellow 213 member Nathaniel Hale, known professionally as Nate Dogg, who died of congestive heart failure on March 15, 2011. He has also claimed he is a cousin of R&B singers Brandy and Ray J, though Brandy stated she is unsure if they are actually related. In 2015, Snoop Dogg became a grandfather, as his eldest son, Cordé Broadus, had a son with his girlfriend, Jessica Kyzer. Cordé had another son, who died on September 25, 2019, ten days after birth. As of 2025, he has seven grandchildren.

Snoop Dogg is an avid sports fan, including hometown teams Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, and USC Trojans, as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has stated that he began following the Steelers in the 1970s while watching the team with his grandfather. He is also a fan of the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Dallas Cowboys, often wearing a No. 5 jersey, and has been seen at Raiders training camps. He has shown affection for the New England Patriots, having been seen performing at Gillette Stadium. He is an avid ice hockey fan, sporting jerseys from the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Boston Bruins as well at the AHL's Springfield Indians in his 1994 music video "Gin and Juice".

Snoop Dogg has frequented Los Angeles Kings games. On his reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood, Snoop Dogg and his family received hockey lessons from the Anaheim Ducks, then returned to the Honda Center to cheer on the Ducks against the Vancouver Canucks in the episode "Snow in da Hood". He appeared in the video game NHL 20 as both a guest commentator and a playable character in the "World of Chel" game mode.

Snoop Dogg is a certified football coach, and served as head coach of his son Cordell's youth football teams. Cordell played wide receiver and defensive back at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, Cordell played on the 2014 state championship team, and received football scholarship offers from Southern California, UCLA, Washington, Cal, Oregon State, Duke, and Notre Dame. Cordell committed and signed a letter of intent to play for UCLA on February 4, 2015. On August 14, 2015, UCLA announced that Cordell had left the UCLA football team "to pursue other passions in his life".

In 2022, Snoop Dogg signed with the esports organization FaZe Clan, as both a content creator and member of its board of directors. In 2023, he resigned from the board of directors.

Since 2005, Snoop Dogg has operated a youth football league in the Los Angeles area. He is a coach in the league, and one of the seasons he coached was documented in the Netflix documentary Coach Snoop.

Snoop Dogg was raised as a Baptist. He said his faith provided guidance, and he took it along with him everywhere he went in life. In his 1999 autobiography, he wrote, "These days I look to God to get me through each day, to guide me on my path and to help others along their way. He's taken me this far; I've got no reason to believe He won't be with me for the rest of the ride".

In 2009, it was reported that Snoop Dogg was a member of the Nation of Islam. On March 1, he made an appearance at the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day holiday, where he praised minister Louis Farrakhan. Snoop Dogg said he was a member of the Nation, but declined to give the date on which he joined. He also donated $1,000 to the organization.

In 2012, Snoop Dogg converted to the Rastafari movement, switched the focus of his music to reggae and changed his name to Snoop Lion after a trip to Jamaica. He released a reggae album, Reincarnated, saying, "I have always said I was Bob Marley reincarnated". In January 2013, he was criticized by members of the Rastafari community in Jamaica, including reggae artist Bunny Wailer, for engaging in "fraudulent" cultural appropriation as a stunt. Snoop Dogg later dismissed the claims, stating his beliefs were personal and not up for outside judgment.

After releasing Bible of Love in early 2018 and performing in the 33rd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Snoop Dogg told a TV One interviewer while speaking of his Gospel influences that he "always referred to [his] savior Jesus Christ" on most of his records, and that he had become "a born-again Christian". Snoop Dogg reflected his faith by singing "I'd Rather Have Jesus" and posting it on Instagram.

In 2005, Snoop Dogg founded the Snoop Youth Football League for at-risk youth in Southern California. In 2018, it was claimed to be the largest youth football organization in Southern California, with 50 teams and more than 1,500 players. He has since claimed that at least 20 of his former pupils have gone on to play with the NFL. Since 2017, he has also run a special-needs division called Snoop Special Stars for anyone 5 years or older with a physical, mental, or developmental disability.

Snoop Dogg partners with city officials and annually gives away turkeys to the less fortunate in Inglewood, California, at Thanksgiving. He gave away 3000 turkeys in 2016. Snoop Dogg was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Although Snoop Dogg has donated and raised millions of dollars for charitable causes over the years, it is difficult to ascertain the full extent of Snoop's charitable giving, as he is wary that his donations and charitable causes might be seen as publicity stunts for his own image. For example, regarding Snoop Special Stars, he said on LL Cool J's Rock the Bells Radio that he avoided being in videos and photos at first—due to this apprehension—but he acquiesced once he saw the joy the kids and parents were getting by taking photos together. Some other known causes that he supports include Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Mothers Against Police Brutality, Habitat for Humanity, Orca Network, Save a Life Foundation, Shriners Hospitals for Children, and The Healing Circle.

In 2005, Snoop Dogg spoke at a funeral for Stanley Tookie Williams after he was executed by the state of California.

In 2012, Snoop Dogg endorsed Congressman Ron Paul in the Republican presidential primary, but later said he would vote for Barack Obama in the general election, and on Instagram gave 10 reasons to vote for Obama (including "He a black nigga", "He's BFFs with Jay-Z", and "Michelle got a fat ass"), and 10 reasons not to vote for Mitt Romney (including "He a white nigga", "That muthafucka's name is Mitt", and "He a ho").

In a 2013 interview with The Huffington Post, Snoop Dogg advocated for same-sex marriage, saying: "People can do what they want and as they please".

In his keynote address at the 2015 South by Southwest music festival, he blamed Los Angeles's explosion of gang violence in the 1980s on the economic policies of Ronald Reagan, and insinuated that his administration shipped guns and drugs into the area.

He endorsed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live in May 2015, saying: "I would love to see a woman in office because I feel like we're at that stage in life to where we need a perspective other than the male's train of thought" and "[…] just to have a woman speaking from a global perspective as far as representing America, I'd love to see that. So I'll be voting for Mrs. Clinton".

Since the start of his career, Snoop Dogg has been an avowed cannabis smoker, making it one of the trademarks of his image. In 2002, he announced he was giving up cannabis for good; this did not last long (a situation famously referenced in the 2004 Adam Sandler film 50 First Dates) and in 2013, he claimed to be smoking approximately 80 cannabis blunts a day. He has been certified for medical cannabis in California to treat migraines since at least 2007. In 2023, he announced via social media that he was "giving up smoke" after much consideration, but later revealed that it was an ad to promote a smokeless fire pit called SoloStove.

Snoop Dogg regularly appears in real fur garments, especially large coats, for which he attracts criticism from animal welfare charities and younger audiences. In a video podcast in 2012, the rapper asked, "Why doesn't PETA throw paint on a pimp's fur coat". In 2014, Snoop Dogg claimed to have become a vegan; however, he has since opted against a complete vegan diet. In June 2018, he performed at the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Honors Gala. While he was performing, the logo for vegan brand Beyond Meat was displayed on the screens behind him. In 2020, Snoop Dogg invested in vegan food company Original Foods, which makes Pigless Pork Rinds, which he has said are a favorite. He is an ambassador for Beyond Meat and lent his name and image as well as financial support for Beyond Meat's Feed a Million+ campaign to provide a million frontline workers with Beyond Meat burgers.

At the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival on May 26, 2018, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Kendall Coleman, Kim Kaechele, and Michael Voltaggio set the Guinness World Record for the largest paradise cocktail. Measuring 550 liters (150 U.S. gal), the "Gin and Juice" drink was mixed from 180 1.75-liter (0.46 U.S. gal) bottles of gin, 156 1-liter (0.26 U.S. gal) bottles of apricot brandy and 28 1-U.S.-gallon (3.8 L) jugs of orange juice.

The Washington Post, Billboard, and NME have called him a "West Coast icon"; and Press-Telegram, "an icon of gangsta rap". In 2006, Vibe magazine called him "The King of the West Coast". ABC News journalist Paul Donoughue, cited him among the 1990s acts that took hip-hop into the pop music charts. Snoop Dogg received the BMI Icon Award in 2011. In 2023, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Time magazine named Snoop Dogg one of the 100 most influential people of 2025.

Snoop Dogg popularized the use of -izzle speak particularly in the pop and hip-hop music industry. A type of infix, it first found popularity when used by Frankie Smith in his 1981 hit song "Double Dutch Bus". The Guardian's Rob Fitzpatrick has credited his album Doggystyle for proving that rappers "could reinvent themselves", expanding rap's vocabulary, changing hip-hop fashions, and helping introduce a hip-hop genre called G-funk to a new generation. The album has been cited as an influence by rapper Kendrick Lamar, while fellow rappers Schoolboy Q and Maxo Kream have also cited him as an influence.