An interview with one of the world's biggest stars in music, Snoop Dogg

Q&A with Snoop Dogg

With over 30 million albums sold worldwide, 16 Grammy award nominations and 3 number one hits, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr or as we all know him as Snoop Dogg has already cemented his place as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Recently, Rolling Stone magazine caught up with the rapper in an interview session.

Rolling Stone: First off Snoop, thank you for being able to take some of your time out and be able to sit with us for this interview. Now starting off with my first question, just take me back to your early life and childhood, what was it like? how was your relationship with your family?.

Snoop Dogg: Well firstly it's a pleasure to be here and growing up in the 70s and 80s in Long Beach, California was hard for me because nothing came easy. My father left me and my family when I was only 3 years old and so I grew up without a dad which was hard so therefore the burden on me was increased as I had to take on a bigger responsibility in my family and assume the role of "the man". Where I came from, there was plenty of violence, gangs, killings and shootings and many other things, it was bad.

Rolling Stone: How did you get into the world of rap music? How and when exactly did you fall in love with it?.

Snoop Dogg: At a young age, I started to sing in churches and play the piano so I had a little music background before rapping but once I entered 6th grade I just somehow found this interest in rapping and started to rap, I felt like I had a good natural feel for it.

Rolling Stone: As you started your career, you began to work with Dr Dre and members of one the greatest hip hop groups the NWA, how did this shape your music, personality and career?.

Snoop Dogg: Shout out to ma man Dre, he is a big reason of where I am today as he brought me to auditions and welcomed me into the big bad world of hip-hop and showed me around and working with him on a lot of my music he really influenced me on what my music should be about and has really been a huge part of my career. Also The D.O.C is another man who's been a huge influence, he taught me how to structure my music properly and has shaped my abilties into become the freestyle rapper I am today.

Rolling Stone: Your first major hit of your career was the song "Who am I?". Why do you think this song became such a major hit in your career?. What does this song reflect about you?.

Snoop Dogg: I put so much heart, soul and pride into making this song and writing the lyrics. This reflects so much about me and my life growing up in the rural neighbourhoods of Long Beach and going into drugs at a young age as I had no choice. This song represents everything of the hood of Long Beach... money, drugs, poverty, violence, black on black shootings...everything.

Rolling Stone: With your music, what effect do you try to give your audience with it? What message are you trying to send?.

Snoop Dogg: I basically shout out all my music to all ma peeps in Long Beach and in California who are going through the hardships that I once did. I want them to know that there's always hope and that you can get out of Compton and all these places and live a better life, you are not automatically gonna be forced into drugs like how I did or gangs and crimes. I don't want the people who live in the "hood" to make the same mistakes as I did by going into drugs.

Rolling Stone: Lastly, how is you latest album going? 

Snoop Dogg: My album is goin good, it's gonna be a solo album and I am working with Pharrell on it and we are making good progress. The time of release is still an unknown.

Rolling Stone: Well this concludes our interview and it was so great to have you, thank you for being here.

Snoop Dogg: My pleasure, anytime and peace out.