Snoop Dogg

• Genre: West Coast Rap/Hip-Hop
• Hometown: Los Angeles
• Snoop Dogg Website

About

Since he stole the show on Dr. Dre's genre-defining masterpiece The Chronic, Snoop Dogg's laconic, rubbery flow and goofy gangsta persona has been a hip-hop institution. His Doggystyle (1993) became the first debut album to hit the charts at No. 1. After a rancorous split with Death Row Records, Snoop moved to Master P's No Limit label. In the late '90s, he began working with Dre again, resulting in standout tracks like "Bitch Please," "Still D.R.E." and "The Next Episode." Not content with simply rapping, Snoop has appeared in such feature films as Training Day and The Wash and put in work with companies as diverse as Nike and Hustler. Now 15 years into his career, Snoop Dogg is a high-powered mainstream celebrity, but still stays true to his music. His sixth solo record Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ dropped in late 2002, followed two years later by R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta). In 2006, Snoop released the excellent Tha Blue Carpet Treatment and reunited the Dogg Pound for the summer single "Cali Iz Active." He scored another huge hit in late 2007 with the sleazy "Sensual Seduction" and subsequent 2008 album Ego Trippin'.

- Sam Chennault