Snoop Dogg by uncle snoops army
Gather ’round, nieces and nephews, and let your favorite funky Uncle bring you the gift of entertainment this holiday season, for the chronic innovator of West Coast slanguage himself is coming to a venue near you! That’s right children, the one and only Snoop D-O-Double G is gracing South Florida this December with his particular brand of future fizzunk.
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr., better known as Snoop Dogg, is arguably the biggest influencer of hip hop’s unmistakable Long Beach, Cali sound. Boasting an impressive sixteen studio albums alongside scads of assorted ventures in entertainment, the Doggfather, literally seems to “keep comin’ up with funky ass shit/ like every single day,” as he boasted on his indelible second single, “Gin and Juice.” His career spans three decades of earnest, constant, imaginative hustle and ingenuity.
The title of Snoop Dogg’s most recent 2017 album, “Neva Left,” couldn’t be more poignantly apt to its overall feel. It’s been almost unanimously compared to his 1993 debut, “Doggystyle.” Showcasing his abundant versatility, “Neva Left” displays new-school trap inspiration — as in “Trash Bags,” featuring Atlanta rapper K Camp — while simultaneously fulfilling the old-school throwback mandate so many hip-hop heads crave via collaborators KRS-One, Too $hort and Devin the Dude. As an artist, Snoop can digress into wildly different genres with alter-egos like Snoop Lion and Snoopzilla, then effortlessly return to a modernized version of what initially put him on the map.
From Dr. Dre protege to co-host of dinner parties and branding exercises with Martha Stewart, the 47-year-old hip hop veteran’s milestones and accomplishments would be daunting to list. They range from the obvious slew of musical ventures to voice acting, television work, philanthropy, his own brand of marijuana and, of late, starring in a semi-autobiographical musical. And that’s far from all.
With his unique strain of ’hood whimsy, the California rapper has spoken to and inspired audiences of a particularly far reach. Snoop might agree with the words of his own inspiration, George Clinton, that all this “ain’t nothin’ but a party” and he’s forever breaking the curfew.
Snoop Dogg performs 8pm December 20 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, $70-$280. snoopdogg.com ~ Freddie Zandt
