Snoop Dog was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. on October 20, 1972. Growing up, his mother called him Snoopy because of his love for the Peanuts cartoon. When he started to record, Snoop adopted the stage name Snoop Doggy Dog, which he eventually shortened to Snoop Dog in 1998.
Growing up in Long Beach, California, Snoop sang with his church and played piano. When he was in sixth grade he discovered hip hop and began rapping. Snoop was constantly in trouble with the law, and shortly after high school he found himself arrested for cocaine possession and spent six months in jail. In the years that followed, Snoop had an array of troubles with the law, but he also established himself as a formidable artists. He befriended Warren G, the stepbrother of Dr. Dre. The two of them recorded some tracks which Warren G passed on to Dr.Dre. Dr. Dre was impressed with Snoop and took him under his wing.
When Dr. Dre took his first stab at a solo career, he asked Snoop to work with him on "Deep Cover," the theme song for a movie with the same name. When Dr. Dre released "Chronic," his first solo album, Snoop was rapping on it as much as Dr. Dre. Snoop's popularity began to explode, allowing him to release his solo album, "Doggystyle," in 1993. While recording the album, Snoop was arrested in connection with the drive-by shooting of Phillip Woldermarian when he turned himself in after the 1993 MTV Music Awards. "Doggystyle" became the first debut album to enter the charts at number one, and it featured the top ten hits "What's My Name?" and "Gin & Juice."
In February of 1996, Snoop was cleared of all charges in connection with the shooting, and began working on his second album, "The Doggfather." Snoop did not work on this second album with Dr. Dre, and it did not enjoy the same success as his first album. Rapper 2Pac had recently died and gangsta rap was on the decline. "Doggystyle" only sold 2 million records, which was low for an artist of Snoop's status. But Snoop saw the changing face of music as an opportunity, and he began to turn to a more lyrical and calming style that afforded him a crossover status with the rock community. He performed at the 1997 Lollapalooza Festival and even collaborated with Marilyn Manson and Beck.
In 2007 Snoop starred in a reality television series for E! called "Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood," which has already aired two full seasons. Snoop jumped from record label to record label, over the years, and in February 2009 left his last known label, Geffen, with no word on who he plans to work with next. A savvy business man, Snoop also established an online music distribution site, DigitalOnlineGangstaGrooves.com, a clothing line, and is featured in the video game Rock Band.
Outside the music world, Snoop has dedicated his energy to improving the community he grew up in. Five years ago he established the Snoop Youth Football League in South Central L.A., Compton, Watts and Pomona, which helps boys and girls ages 5 to 13 stay off the streets and improve their grades. The league requires all player to maintain a 2.0 GPA and has grown to over 2,500 participants, with Snoop personally coaching a team. Snoop has also begun work with the Long Beach Council to clean up the streets of the area he grew up in and make Long Beach a safer place to live.