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.
Sad but True
Snoop Dogg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big Snoop Dogg Up In Here
Bout To Rock Out On Ya'll One Time
You Know What Im Talkin Bout
Yeah
I Want Ya'll To Sing This Right Here
If You Know The Words To This Right Here
Put Your Hands In The Air
C'mon Ya'll
[Chorus:]
Hey, Hey
Im Your Life
Im The One Who Takes You There
Hey, Hey Im Your Life
Im The One Who Cares
Say What!
Hey, Hey
They Betray
Im Your Only True Friend Now
They, They
They Betray
Im Forever There
[Verse 1:]
Dream, Make It Real
Im Your Eyes When You Are Still
Im Your Pain When You Cant Feel
Its Sad But True
Bounce Bounce Bounce C'mon Yall
Sad But True
Yea
Metallica Sing It Baby
Yea Yea Yea
The opening lines of Snoop Dogg's lyrics for "Sad but True" establishes the fact that the rapper is about to perform for the listeners in a big way. He proceeds to encourage the audience to sing along with him, and he confidently asserts that he is the one who is capable of taking people to different places and truly cares about his fans. The chorus repeatedly echoes the concept of the rapper being his fans' life, and he is the only one who can be trusted and never betrays his fans.
Moving onto the first verse, Snoop Dogg personifies himself as the fans' dreams, taking the listeners to new places and becoming their eyes when they are still. He takes on the role of their pain when they can't feel, referencing sad but true events in life. The rapper then proceeds to encourage the audience by repeating his previous lines before introducing Metallica's lines.
Interestingly, Snoop Dogg's "Sad but True" is a mashup of his own verses and Metallica's song of the same name. The American rapper is known for his inclination towards hip-hop, boasting a career spanning from the '90s to the current day, while Metallica is a renowned heavy metal band. The collaboration is unique and a testament to the power of music to unite different genres and bring together music lovers from across the spectrum.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Acknowledgment of presence and getting ready to perform
Big Snoop Dogg Up In Here
Introduction of Snoop Dogg as the performer
Bout To Rock Out On Ya'll One Time
Preparing to entertain the audience once
You Know What Im Talkin Bout
Assuming familiarity and wanting the audience to understand the lyrics
Yeah
Re-acknowledgment of presence and encouraging the audience
I Want Ya'll To Sing This Right Here
Requesting the audience to join in the performance
If You Know The Words To This Right Here
Inquiring if the audience knows the song's lyrics
Put Your Hands In The Air
Encouraging the audience to express enthusiasm by signaling with their hands
C'mon Sing Along With Me
Invitation for the audience to actively participate in the performance
C'mon Ya'll
Impelling the audience to join in the performance
Hey, Hey
An attention-capturing phrase for the chorus
Im Your Life
Claiming to be the listener's life force or representing their way of living
Im The One Who Takes You There
Implying to be the one who assures the listeners' success and achievements
Hey, Hey Im Your Life
Reprise of being the listener's life force
Im The One Who Cares
Stressing the assertion that the performer cares for the listener
Say What!
An expression of excitement
Hey, Hey
Repetition of the attention-capturing phrase
They Betray
Indicating somebody has betrayed the listener
Im Your Only True Friend Now
Identifying as the only truthful friend of the listener presently
They, They
Referencing the betrayers again
They Betray
Reiteration of the betrayal by someone else
Im Forever There
Assurance of being present for the listener forever
[Verse 1:]
The beginning of the verse section
Dream, Make It Real
Inspiring the listeners to make their dreams a reality
Im Your Eyes When You Are Still
Implying to be the listener's perspective when they are motionless
Im Your Pain When You Cant Feel
Identifying as the listener's pain even when they can't feel it
Its Sad But True
Expressing sorrowful realization of something that is true
Bounce Bounce Bounce C'mon Yall
Encouragement for the audience to move their bodies to the rhythm
Sad But True
Reprise of the earlier statement
Yea
General expression of enthusiasm
Metallica Sing It Baby
A shoutout or reference to Metallica and praising their music
Yea Yea Yea
An affirmation of pleasure
Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Salvador Aguilar
This is why I respect snoop man. He just does what he wants and doesn't try to conform to anything.
Nelson Josue Fernandez Solano
This is called Black metal yeahhh
sbenz17
Oddly enough this got me into Metallica
Hunter Winn
Tell me more
Lord Abaddon
what a strange cover..., its even more stranger than avril lavigne's cover fom fuel!
Mang Kanor Machete
Which pixel is Snoop?
Alex Tyndyuk
Wow... Rappers really suck.
ctrnx
unbelievable but true
RedBoi IsLame
Although it’s old but it’s low key fire
matteo possamai
What the hell is that?