Snoop's debut album, Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre and released in 1993 by Death Row Records, debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name?" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was the Case, starring himself. His second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts, with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.
After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums, Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin'. Malice 'n Wonderland (2009), and Doggumentary (2011) were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows, including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg's Father Hood, and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and a high school football team. In September 2009 Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of reactivated Priority Records.
In 2012, after a trip to Jamaica, Snoop announced a conversion to Rastafarianism and a new alias, Snoop Lion. As Snoop Lion he released a reggae album, Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name, about his Jamaican experience, in early 2013. His 13th studio album, Bush, was released in May 2015 and marked a return of the Snoop Dogg name. His 14th solo studio album, Coolaid, was released in July 2016. Snoop has 17 Grammy nominations without a win.
In 2018, he released his first gospel album, Bible of Love.
Kool Moe Dee ranks Snoop 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'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 is known to freestyle some of his lyrics on the spot for some songs – in the book How to Rap, Lady of Rage says, "Snoop Dogg, 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 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 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 re-popularized the use of -izzle speak, particularly in the pop and hip-hop music industry.
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. 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 WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.
Broadus 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 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 the late Eddie Guerrero. On Night 2, he introduced Shane McMahon to face The Miz in another spontaneous match. McMahon would 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 Triple H.
First We Pray
Snoop Dogg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know all we got to do is kick it
We gonna kick it in our hood you know
What we gonna do we might
We might go kill a couple of niggaz mane
You know go in they hood and do a drive by
Then come back in the hood and laugh about that stuff
Only how you really gonna get deep into it
Is when one of your homeys die
Just like when my partnaz died
(we got some problems)
[Chorus]
First we pray, then we ride
First we pray, then we ride
He was my brother
Loved him like no other
To top it off
I introduced him to this game
I knew his mother
Loved her like my mother
Part of me is gone
Bout take my brother home
(what're ya gonna do)
When the trials come
(are ya gonna run?)
Are you gonna run?
(what're ya gonna do)
First I'm gonna pray
(are ya gonna run?)
You muthafuckin right
[Chorus]
I ain't got nuthin but love for you loccs and hogs
And I ain't got nuthin but love for my muthafuckin dogs
In the mist of the war zone, its on on site
Daylight tonight the heat held close and tight
Beware here I come with the DPG on my chest
Heat gonna spit like Elliot Ness
In the darkest zone you feel alone and on your own
And after I bust, niggaz call me Kurupt Coleone
All I'm about is money, loot and cash
Homeys in the DPG Nate, Snoop and Daz
Now with these emotions how you approach yourself
Knowin you all about your wealth and as it is to health
First I pray, get my thoughts intact
Ask for forgiveness 'cause I'm bout to lay this nigga flat
Can you adapt, can you feel me, I doubt it
'Cause the closest you see it, is when niggaz write about it
I can't live without it and it ain't shit I could do
But stay down with the homeys in grey and blue
So just keep the heat close in hand
'Cause I done see niggaz get shit while they homeboys ran
Heavenly father shine your light on me
I know I promise to slow down on this weed
Seems I remember someone used to say
One life gets taken, if you take one life away
(what're ya gonna do)
When the trials come
(are ya gonna run?)
Are you gonna run?
(what're ya gonna do?)
First I'm gonna pray
(are ya gonna run?)
You muthafuckin' right
[Chorus]
The lyrics of "First We Pray" by Snoop Doggy Dog, Nate Dogg, and Kurupt The Kingpin explore the harsh realities of growing up in the hood, being part of a gang, and the cycle of violence that it perpetuates. The first few lines of the song talk about how black people have nowhere else to go and how all they can do is "kick it" in their own neighborhood. While these lines seem to convey a sense of unity and belongingness, the song takes a dark turn when Snoop Doggy Dog starts rapping about how they might go to another neighborhood, kill a few people, and come back to their own, laughing about it. He emphasizes that this is just a thing in their world. It's only when someone from their own gang dies that they start taking things seriously, which is when they turn to prayer.
The next few lines talk about the death of someone close to Kurupt The Kingpin. He talks about how he loved the person like a brother and even introduced him to the gang. However, now that he's gone, part of him is gone too. Kurupt then talks about the trials that'll come when someone is killed in their world. In such situations, most people would run, but Kurupt is different. He says he'll pray first before handling the situation.
The chorus of the song is repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of prayer before action. It also shows the duality of life in the hood, where one moment people are carefree and indulging in violence, while the next minute, they are praying for their own safety.
Line by Line Meaning
Black people don't have nowhere to go
Black people feel like they have no safe place to go.
You know all we got to do is kick it
All we need to do is hang out.
We gonna kick it in our hood you know
We're going to hang out in our neighborhood.
What we gonna do we might
We might do something.
We might go kill a couple of niggaz mane
We might go and murder a few people in their own neighborhood.
You know go in they hood and do a drive by
We'll drive through the neighborhood and shoot at people.
Then come back in the hood and laugh about that stuff
After killing people, we come back to our neighborhood and laugh about it.
You know it's just a thing
Killing people is just something we do.
Only how you really gonna get deep into it
The only way to truly understand it.
Is when one of your homeys die
Is when one of your friends die.
Just like when my partnaz died
Just like when my friends died.
(we got some problems)
We have issues to deal with.
[Chorus] First we pray, then we ride First we pray, then we ride
Before we take action, we pray first.
He was my brother
The person who died was like a brother to me.
Loved him like no other
I loved him more than anything or anybody else.
To top it off
To make matters worse.
I introduced him to this game
I showed him how to live a life of crime.
I knew his mother
I was acquainted with his mother.
Loved her like my mother
I cared for her as if she was my own mother.
Part of me is gone
I feel like a part of me has died.
Bout take my brother home
I'm going to bring my friend's body home.
(what're ya gonna do)
What are you going to do now?
When the trials come
When we face difficult situations.
(are ya gonna run?)
Are you going to back out?
Are you gonna run?
Will you abandon us?
(what're ya gonna do)
What are you going to do?
First I'm gonna pray
I'm going to pray first.
(are ya gonna run?)
Are you going to leave us behind?
You muthafuckin right
Yes, I'm going to stand by your side.
[Chorus]
We will pray first and then take action.
I ain't got nuthin but love for you loccs and hogs
I care for my gang members.
And I ain't got nuthin but love for my muthafuckin dogs
I love my friends like family.
In the mist of the war zone, its on on site
In the middle of a dangerous situation, we are ready to fight.
Daylight tonight the heat held close and tight
We are always ready for a fight, day or night.
Beware here I come with the DPG on my chest
I'm coming with my gang, DPG.
Heat gonna spit like Elliot Ness
We're going to shoot our guns like Elliot Ness did.
In the darkest zone you feel alone and on your own
In the most dangerous places, you feel isolated and alone.
And after I bust, niggaz call me Kurupt Coleone
After I shoot someone, people call me Kurupt Coleone.
All I'm about is money, loot and cash
I'm all about getting money and becoming wealthy.
Homeys in the DPG Nate, Snoop and Daz
My friends in the DPG gang are Nate, Snoop, and Daz.
Now with these emotions how you approach yourself
How you handle your feelings determines your actions.
Knowin you all about your wealth and as it is to health
You value your wealth more than your health.
First I pray, get my thoughts intact
I pray first and then get my thoughts together.
Ask for forgiveness 'cause I'm bout to lay this nigga flat
I ask for forgiveness because I'm about to kill someone.
Can you adapt, can you feel me, I doubt it
Can you understand me and adapt? I doubt it.
'Cause the closest you see it, is when niggaz write about it
The closest you get to understanding is when you read about it in books.
I can't live without it and it ain't shit I could do
I can't imagine living without this lifestyle, there's nothing I can do.
But stay down with the homeys in grey and blue
I will continue to stick with my gang in their gray and blue colors.
So just keep the heat close in hand
Always keep your gun ready.
'Cause I done see niggaz get shit while they homeboys ran
I've seen people get left behind by their friends when things got bad.
Heavenly father shine your light on me
God, please help me.
I know I promise to slow down on this weed
I know I promised to stop smoking weed.
Seems I remember someone used to say
I remember someone saying something once.
One life gets taken, if you take one life away
If you kill someone, you may lose your own life in return.
(what're ya gonna do)
What will you do now?
When the trials come
When we face difficult situations.
(are ya gonna run?)
Will you back out?
Are you gonna run?
Will you abandon us?
(what're ya gonna do?)
What are you going to do?
First I'm gonna pray
I will pray first.
(are ya gonna run?)
Will you leave us behind?
You muthafuckin' right
No, I won't leave you behind.
[Chorus]
We will pray before taking action.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: NATHANIEL HALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jessica Bryant
on Everyday Is Like Christmas to Me
yo what up