Name	Soopafly
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Priest Joseph Brooks
Origin	Long Beach, California, U.S.
Instrument	Keyboards, sampler
Genre	West Coast hip hop
Occupation	producer, rapper, vocalist
Years active	1993–present
Label	DPG RecordzDoggystyleGangsta Advisory
Associated acts	Snoop DoggDaz DillingerKuruptNate DoggDubb Union
Url	www.myspace.com/soopaflydpgc

Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California.

Early life

The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach. He was given a keyboard by his father after being inspired by the piano players he saw in church.

Early career

During his teenage years, Brooks met rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Proving himself with his keyboard skills, Soopafly was assigned his first piece of work for Death Row Records on the soundtrack Murder Was The Case. To date, he has released two solo albums.

Westurn Union

In July 2006, the rap group called Westurn Union was formed. It features Soopafly, Damani and Bad Lucc. They made their first appearance on Snoop Dogg's album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment and released a street single titled "I Don't Think So", produced by Rick Rock. In April 2008, a mixtape was released titled House Shoe Musik, Vol. 1 and was hosted by DJ Crazy Toones. After inking a deal with Koch Records and Doggystyle Records, the official debut album was released on September 2, 2008. Prior to the release, the group and the labels were approached by the company Western Union, threatening legal action if the name was not changed. Though there is a difference between Westurn and Western, the labels did not want to spend money dealing with a lawsuit, the name of the group was changed to Dubb Union.

Discography

Solo albums

{|class="wikitable" !align=center|Year !align=center|Title |- |align=center|2001 |align=left|Dat Whoopty Woop

Released: July 31, 2001

Label: DPG (1002)

Format: CD, LP

|- |align=center|2007 |Bangin West Coast

Released: May 8, 2007

Label: Gangsta Advisory (80162)

Format: CD

|- |}

Singles

{|class="wikitable" !align=center rowspan=2|Year !align=center rowspan=2|Title !align=center colspan=1|Peak chart positions !align=center rowspan=2|Album |- !align=center width=25|U.S. R&B; |- |align=center|1999 |align=left|"Like It or Not" |align=center|111 |align=left|Dat Whoopty Woop |- |}

As featured performer

{|class="wikitable" !align=center rowspan=2|Year !align=center rowspan=2|Title !align=center colspan=1|Peak chart positions !align=center rowspan=2|Album |- !align=center width=25|U.S. R&B; |- |align=center|1998 |align=left|"Put the Monkey in It" (Daz Dillinger featuring Soopafly) |align=center|101 |align=left|Nothing to Lose (soundtrack) |- |}

Other appearances

{|class="wikitable" !align=center|Year !align=center|Title !align=center|Artist(s) !align=center|Album |- |align=center|1996 |align=left|"You Thought" |align=left|Snoop Dogg, Too Short |align=left|Tha Doggfather |- |align=center|1997 |align=left|"Only in California" |align=left|Mack 10, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg |align=left|Based on a True Story |- |align=center rowspan=3|1999 |align=left|"Mamacita" |align=left|Don Cisco, Frost, Kurupt |align=left|Next Friday (soundtrack) and Oh Boy |- |align=left|"OG to BG" |align=left|Daz Dillinger |align=left|Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 |- |align=left|"Hell Ya" |align=left|Tray Deee, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt |align=left|Whiteboys (soundtrack) |- |align=center rowspan=5|2001 |align=left|"Your Gyrlfriend 2" |align=left|Tha Dogg Pound, Mac Shawn |align=left rowspan=2|2002 |- |align=left|"Way Too Often" |align=left|Tha Dogg Pound |- |align=left|"Eastside Ridaz" |align=left|Tha Eastsidaz, Nate Dogg |align=left rowspan=3| |- |align=left|"I Pledge Allegiance" |align=left|Tha Eastsidaz, Kokane |- |align=left|"Dogghouse In Your Mouth" |align=left|Tha Eastsidaz, Suga Free, RBX, Kurupt, Ruff Dogg, King Lou, Mixmaster Spade |- |align=center|2002 |align=left|"This Spot" |align=left|Bad Azz |align=left|We from the LBC |- |align=center rowspan=2|2004 |align=left|"Lonely Girl" |align=left|213 |align=left|The Hard Way |- |align=left|"Can U Control Yo' Hoe?" |align=left|Snoop Dogg |align=left| |- |}

References

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:African American record producers Category:Death Row Records artists Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:American hip hop record producers

Name	Snoop Dogg
|img	Snoop Dogg Hawaii.jpg
Born	October 20, 1971Long Beach, California, United States
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Cordozar Calvin Broadus
Alias	Snoop Doggy Dogg
Occupation	Rapper, actor, producer
Genre	Gangsta rapG-funkHip hopWest Coast hip hop
Years active	1991–present
Label	Death Row, No Limit, Capitol, Doggystyle, Geffen, EMI, Priority
Associated acts	Dr. Dre, B-Real, R. Kelly Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, 2Pac, Nate Dogg, Pharrell, Tha Dogg Pound, Tha Eastsidaz, 213, Xzibit, Wiz Khalifa
Url

Cordozar Calvin Broadus (born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American entertainer, rapper, record producer and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school. Shortly after graduation, he was arrested for cocaine possession and spent six months in Wayside County Jail. His music career began in 1992 after his release when he was discovered by Dr. Dre. He collaborated on several tracks on Dre's solo debut, The Chronic and on the titular theme song to the film Deep Cover.

Snoop's debut album, Over the Counter, was released in 1991 and his second Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records. Doggystyle went quadruple platinum and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name" and "Gin & Juice". In 1996, Snoop Dogg was cleared of charges over his bodyguard's 1993 murder of Philip Woldemariam. His third album, 1996's Tha Doggfather, was his last release for Death Row before he signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded three albums from 1998 to 2001. Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, which released his album Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss, and then he signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums.

In addition to music, Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows: Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg's Father Hood and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. He has run into many legal troubles, some of which caused him to be legally banned from the UK and Australia, the UK ban was later reversed after a long legal battle. He is the cousin of emcees Nate Dogg, Daz Dillinger, RBX and Lil' ½ Dead and the cousin of R&B; singers Brandy and Ray J. Starting September 2009, Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records. His tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland was released December 8, 2009.

Snoop Dogg collaborated with Rap Artist Mr. Capone-E in 2009 to produce the song 'Light My Fire'.

Life and career

Early life

Named after his step-father, Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Sr. (December 10, 1948 - November 9, 1985, Los Angeles, California), Calvin Broadus was born October 20, 1971 at the Los Altos Hospital in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons of Beverly Broadus (née Tate; born April 27, 1951, McComb, Mississippi). His father, Vernall Varnado (born December 13, 1949, Magnolia, Mississippi), Broadus' parents nicknamed him "Snoopy" as a child because of his appearance, but usually addressed him as Calvin at home. His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975. At an early age, Broadus began singing in Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church and playing piano; when he was in sixth grade, he began rapping. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and was convicted for cocaine trafficking and served six months at the Wayside County Jail.

Snoop Dogg is a member of the Rollin' 20 Crips gang in the Eastside of Long Beach, although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang.

Doggystyle (1992–1995)

When he began recording, Broadus took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg. Dr. Dre began working with Snoop Dogg, first on the theme song of the 1992 film Deep Cover, and then on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic with the other members of his former starting group, Tha Dogg Pound. The huge success of Snoop Dogg's debut Doggystyle was partially because of this intense exposure. Doggystyle, much like The Chronic, featured a host of rappers signed to or affiliated with the Death Row label including Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and others. Rolling Stone music critic Touré asserted that Snoop had a relatively soft vocal delivery compared to other rappers: "Snoop's vocal style is part of what distinguishes him: where many rappers scream, figuratively and literally, he speaks softly."

Tha Doggfather (1996-1997)

After Snoop Dogg was acquitted of murder charges on February 20, 1996, he and the mother of his son and their kennel of 20 pit bulls moved into a 5,000-square-foot home in the hills of Claremont, California and by August 1996 Doggy Style Records, a subsidiary of Death Row Records, signed The Gap Band's Charlie Wilson as one of the record label's first artists.

However, by the time Snoop Dogg's second album, Tha Doggfather, was released in November 1996, the price of living (or sometimes just imitating) the gangsta life had become very evident. Among the many notable hip hop industry deaths and convictions were the death of Snoop Dogg's friend and labelmate 2Pac and the racketeering indictment of Death Row co-founder Suge Knight.

Tha Doggfather, No Limit Top Dogg and Tha Last Meal (1998-2000)

Snoop signed with Master P's No Limit Records (distributed by Priority/EMI Records) in 1998 and debuted on the label with Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told that year. His other albums from No Limit were No Limit Top Dogg in 1999 (selling over 1,503,865 copies) and Tha Last Meal in 2000 (selling over 1,000,000).

Snoop Dogg has ventured into singing for Bollywood with his first ever rap for an Indian movie Singh Is Kinng; the title of the song is also "Singh is Kinng". The album featuring the song was released on June 8, 2008 on Junglee Music Records.

He released his ninth studio album, Ego Trippin' (selling 400,000 copies in the U.S.), along with the first single, "Sexual Eruption". The single peaked at #7 on the Billboard 100, featuring Snoop using autotune. The album featured production from QDT (Quik-Dogg-Teddy).

filming the music video for "Mr. Romeo" (2010).]]

Malice n Wonderland and More Malice (2009-2010)

Snoop was appointed an executive position at Priority Records. His tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland, was released on December 8, 2009. The first single from the album, "Gangsta Luv", featuring The-Dream, peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at #23 on the Billboard 200, selling 61,000 copies its first week, making it his lowest charting album. His third single, "I Wanna Rock", peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Snoop features on the latest Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. The fourth single from Malice n Wonderland, titled "Pronto", featuring Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009. Snoop re-released the album under the name More Malice.

Doggumentary Music (2010-present)

Snoop collaborated with Katy Perry on the first single from her second mainstream album, "California Gurls", which was released on May 11, 2010. Snoop can also be heard on the track "Flashing" by Dr. Dre and on Curren$y's song Seat Change. He was also featured on a new single from Australian singer Jessica Mauboy, titled "Get 'em Girls" (released September 2010). Snoop's latest effort was backing American recording artist, Emii, on her second single entitled "Mr. Romeo" (released October 26, 2010 as a follow-up to "Magic").

Snoop Dogg's next studio album will be a sequel to his 1993 classic Doggystyle, and producer Swizz Beatz is already giving him "sounds" for the project. "I'm in the studio with Swizzle, and he just laced my boots up on my new record," Snoop Dogg said while sitting next to Swizz. "Motherfucker gave me some gangsta shit, some crip shit, some R&B; shit, some hip hop shit, some hard shit, some mean shit. And the name of the album is Doggystyle 2: The Doggumentary, be on the look out for it." The album was renamed to Doggumentary Music and will be released during March 2011.

Other ventures

Media appearances

Snoop Dogg has appeared on television and in films throughout his career. In 1998, Snoop had a cameo appearance in the film Half Baked as the "Scavenger Smoker". In 2000, Snoop (as "Michael J. Corleone") directed Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, a pornographic film produced by Hustler. The film, combining hip hop with x-rated material, was a huge success and won "Top Selling Release of the Year" at the 2002 AVN Awards. Snoop then directed in 2002 (using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").

In 2001, Snoop lent his voice to the animated show King of the Hill, in which he played a white pimp named Alabaster Jones. He played a lead character in the movie The Wash with Dr. Dre. He portrayed a drug dealer in a wheelchair in the film Training Day, featuring Denzel Washington. In 2001, Snoop starred in the horror film Bones, with him playing a murdered mobster who returns from the dead to exact his revenge against those who murdered him.

In 2002, Snoop hosted, starred in, and produced his own MTV sketch comedy show entitled Doggy Fizzle Televizzle. Snoop was filmed for a brief cameo appearance in the television movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002), but his performance was omitted from the final cut of the movie. On November 8, 2004, Snoop Dogg was starred in the episode "Two of a Kind" of NBC's series Las Vegas.

In 2004, Snoop appeared on the Showtime series The L Word as the character "Slim Daddy". He also notably played the drug dealer-turned-informant character of Huggy Bear, in the 2004 remake film of the 1970s TV-series of the same name, Starsky & Hutch. He appeared as himself in the episode "MILF Money" of Weeds, and made an appearance on the TV shows Entourage and Monk, for which he recorded a version of the theme, in July 2007. with Ashley Massaro and tag team partner Maria]]

Snoop founded his own production company, Snoopadelic Films, in 2005. Their debut film was Boss'n Up, a film inspired by Snoop Dogg's album R&G;, starring Lil Jon and Trina.

In December 2007, his reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood premiered on the E! channel. Snoop Dogg joined the NBA's Entertainment League. On March 30, 2008 he 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 May 8 and May 9, 2008, Snoop appeared as himself on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, with a new opening theme recorded by the artist presented for both episodes. In the episodes, Snoop performs at the bachelorette party for character Adriana Cramer, and credits Bo Buchanan with helping him get his start in show business. On February 24, 2010, Snoop Dogg reprised his role, performing his song "I Wanna Rock" from his new album, Malice n Wonderland, as well as once again performing a special remixed, vocal rendition of the show's opening theme. In recent interviews he has explained that, as a child, One Life to Live was one of his favorite shows, and he still regards the show fondly. He has also stated that he has always been a particular fan of Robert S. Woods, who has portrayed the character of Bo Buchanan since 1979.

In 2009, Snoop Dogg appeared in Sacha Baron Cohen's film Brüno as himself performing a rap addition to the song "Dove Of Peace". On October 19, 2009, Snoop Dogg was the guest host of WWE Raw.

In July 2009, Snoop revealed his desire to appear in the popular soap opera Coronation Street whilst touring in the UK. However ITV bosses were said to be less keen.

In 2010, Snoop Dogg appeared in an episode of I Get That a Lot on CBS as a parking-lot attendant.

In June 2010, Snoop created a music video for True Blood accompanying a song he wrote for one of the main characters of the show entitled "Oh Sookie."

Endorsements

.]]

St. Ides

Snoop Dogg 40 Oz Malt liquor

Boost Mobile cell phone

Chrysler 300

Orbit Gum

Cal Worthington's Ford dealership in Long Beach, California

"Snoop Doggs" – foot-long hot dogs manufactured in Massachusetts, a joint venture with Platinum One Media

"Snoop Dogg Board Company (SDBC)" – skateboards and Luggage fabrication company (with Pentagon Distribution)

"Snooperbowl" and "Snoop Youth Football league"

"Chronic Candy" – candy that tastes like marijuana (from Switzerland and is currently banned in some cities of US)

Love Don't Live Here No More, Doggy Tales Vol.1 – love novel (co-written by David E. Talbert, published by Atria and Snoopadelic Films) ISBN 0-7432-7363-X Tha Doggfather : The Times, Trials, And Hardcore Truths Of Snoop Dogg – autobiography (published by William Morrow) Hardcover ISBN 0-688-17158-3, Paperback ISBN 0-06-107607-4

Fear & Respect (project cancelled as of March 1, 2006) – PlayStation 2 video game (developed by Midway Games)

"Doggy Biscuitz" – shoe brand (in partnership with Pony International)

"Snoop Dogg Clothing" – streetwear (distributed at Macy's)

"WRFF" – unique design scooters (in cooperation with Salton, Inc.) "Hip Hop Gaming League" – a celebrity online gaming competition (hosted by Global Gaming League) "Snoop Dogg figures" (Vital Toys, SOTA Toys)

"Snoop Dogg Boxing" – mobile phone game (Sony Pictures Mobile)

"Snoop Dogg Pet Accessory Line" (in conjunction with Jakks Pacific) Snoop Dogg is a celebrity voice of a Tom Tom GPS navigation system. He stated on George Lopez's talk show Lopez Tonight that he is tired of hearing directions from the same woman. In August 2008, Snoop Dogg announced the launch of a new streetwear line called Rich & Infamous, via a partnership with Robert Thorne Co. The line was unveiled during the Magic Tradeshow in Las Vegas. "Hack is Wack" - Promoting Norton AntiVirus. "Coffee Cup With A Cause" with 7 Eleven. "Serious Pimp" clothing line. "iFizzle" iPhone Application. "Vybe Mobile" "Pepsi Max" - Zero Calories

Style and rap skills

Kool Moe Dee ranks Snoop at #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.

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 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 "The 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'". as well as 'linking with rhythm' in his compound rhymes, using alliteration, and employing a "sparse" flow with good use of pauses.

Legal issues

While recording Doggystyle in August 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested in connection with the death of Phillip Woldermarian, a member of a rival gang who was shot and killed by Snoop's bodyguard, McKinley Lee; Snoop was charged with murder along with Lee as he was driving the vehicle from which the shooting had commenced. Snoop and Lee were defended by Johnnie Cochran. Both Snoop and Lee were acquitted; Lee was acquitted on grounds of self-defense, but Snoop Dogg remained entangled in the legal battles around the case for three years. In July 1993, Snoop was stopped for a traffic violation and a firearm was found by police while conducting a search of his car. In February 1997, he pled guilty to one count of being an ex-felon in possession of a handgun and was ordered to record three public service announcements, pay a $1,000 fine, and serve three years' probation. Twice, in May 1998 and October 2001, Snoop Dogg was fined and arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession. In 2002 he pleaded no contest to the charge from 2001 and was fined a total of $398.30 and received a suspended 30-day jail sentence.

Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and The Game were sued for assaulting a fan on stage at a May 2005 concert at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington. The accuser, Richard Monroe, Jr., claimed he was beaten by the artists' entourage while mounting the stage. He alleged that he reacted to an "open invite" to come on stage. Before he could, Snoop’s bodyguards grabbed him and he was beaten unconscious by crewmembers, including the rapper and producer Soopafly; Snoop and The Game were included in the suit for not intervening. The lawsuit focuses on a pecuniary claim of $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The concerned parties appeared in court in April 2009.

On April 26, 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of his entourage were arrested after being turned away from British Airways' first class lounge at Heathrow Airport. Snoop and his party were not allowed to enter the lounge because some of the entourage were flying first class, other members in economy class. After the group was escorted outside, they vandalized a duty-free shop by throwing whiskey bottles. Seven police officers were injured in the midst of the disturbance. After a night in prison, Snoop and the other men were released on bail on April 27, but he was unable to perform at the Premier Foods People's Concert in Johannesburg on the same day. As part of his bail conditions, he had to return to the police station in May. The group has been banned by British Airways for "the foreseeable future." When Snoop Dogg appeared at a London police station on May 11, he was cautioned for affray under Section 4 of the Public Order Act for use of threatening words or behavior. On May 15, the Home Office decided that Snoop Dogg should be denied entry to the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future due to the incident at Heathrow as well as his previous convictions in the United States for drugs and firearms offenses. Snoop Dogg's visa card was rejected by local authorities on March 24, 2007 because of the Heathrow incident. A concert at London's Wembley Arena on March 27 went ahead with Diddy (with whom he toured Europe) and the rest of the show. However the decision affected four more British performances in Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow and Budapest (due to rescheduling). As of March 2010, Snoop Dogg has been allowed back into the UK.

Snoop Dogg was arrested again on October 26, 2006 at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California while parked in a passenger loading zone. Approached by airport security for a traffic infraction, he was found in possession of marijuana and a firearm, according to a police statement. He was transported to Burbank Police Department Jail, booked, and released on $35,000 bond. He faced firearm and drug possession charges on December 12 at Burbank Superior Court. He was again arrested on November 29, 2006, after performing on The Tonight Show, for possession of marijuana and a firearm.

Snoop was arrested again on March 12, 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden after performing in a concert with P. Diddy in Stockholm's Globe Arena after he and a female companion reportedly "reeked" of marijuana. They were released four hours later after providing a urine sample. Pending results on urine will determine whether charges will be pressed. However the rapper denied all charges.

On April 26, 2007, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship banned him from entering the country on character grounds, citing his prior criminal convictions. He had been scheduled to appear at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards on April 29, 2007. Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship lifted the ban in September 2008 and had granted him visa to tour Australia. DIAC said "In making this decision, the department weighed his criminal convictions against his previous behaviour while in Australia, recent conduct – including charity work – and any likely risk to the Australian community ... We took into account all relevant factors and, on balance, the department decided to grant the visa."

Snoop Dogg's many legal issues forced San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to withdraw his plan to issue a proclamation to the rapper.

Snoop Dogg was banned from Parkpop, a festival in the Netherlands on June 27, 2010 which he was scheduled to perform at. The mayor and law enforcement officials asked organizers of the festival to find an artist more “open and friendly” to play the event.

Personal life

Broadus's father left the family when Broadus was three months old. Snoop married his high school sweetheart, Shante Taylor, on June 12, 1997. On May 21, 2004, he filed for divorce from Shante, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple renewed their wedding vows on January 12, 2008. R&B; singers Brandy and Ray J are his first cousins. In 2002, the rapper announced he was giving up marijuana, one of his image trademarks, for good. According to his IMDb biography, Snoop is a fan of the thrash metal band Metallica and performed their song "Sad But True" on the band's 2003 MTV Icon Special which is available on YouTube. A DNA test read by George Lopez on Lopez Tonight revealed Snoop Dogg to be of 0% East Asian, 23% Native American, 6% European, and 71% African descent.

Snoop is an avid fan of hometown teams Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Snoop is also an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. and is often seen wearing Pittsburgh Steelers apparel. Snoop has mentioned that his love for the Steelers began in the 1970s during the team's dynasty years while watching the team with his grandfather growing up in L.A. In the 2005 offseason, Snoop mentioned that he wanted to be an NFL head coach, "probably for the Steelers". The following year, he was in attendance for the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XL and later in Super Bowl XLIII. He was also a fan of the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, often wearing a #5 jersey, and has been seen in Raiders training camps. He did his own free style rap based on his similarities with Tony Romo. He has also shown affection for the New England Patriots, as he has been seen performing at the Gillette Stadium and picked the Patriots as the favorite to win Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles. On August 6, 2009, Snoop visited the training camp of the Baltimore Ravens at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He was invited by Ray Lewis the day after his concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

A certified football coach, Snoop Dogg has been head coach for his son's youth football teams and the John A. Rowland High School team.

Snoop Dogg is an avid hockey fan; he sported a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey (with the name and number 'GIN AND JUICE' 94 on the back) and a jersey of the now-defunct Springfield (MA) Indians of the American Hockey League in his 1994 music video, "Gin And Juice". On the E! show, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, Snoop Dogg and his family received lessons on playing hockey from the Anaheim Ducks, then returning to the Honda Center to cheer on the Ducks against the Vancouver Canucks in the episode Snow in da Hood.

In 2009, it was revealed that Snoop Dogg was a member of the Nation of Islam. On March 1, 2009, he made an appearance at the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day holiday, where he praised controversial minister Louis Farrakhan. Snoop claimed to be a member of the Nation of Islam, but he declined to give the date on which he joined. He also donated $1,000 to the organization.

He popularized the catch-phrase suffix , which had been in use for decades, but not nearly to the extent that it is now, particularly in the pop and hip hop music industry.

Snoop claimed in a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone magazine that unlike other hip hop artists who've superficially adopted the pimp persona, he was an actual professional pimp in 2003 and 2004, saying "That shit was my natural calling and once I got involved with it, it became fun. It was like shootin' layups for me. I was makin' 'em every time." He goes on to say that upon the advice on some of the other pimps he knew, he eventually gave up pimping to spend more time with his family.

Discography

Doggystyle (1993)

Tha Doggfather (1996)

Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998)

No Limit Top Dogg (1999)

Tha Last Meal (2000)

Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002)

(2004)

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)

Ego Trippin' (2008)

Malice n Wonderland (2009)

Doggumentary Music (2011)

Filmography

1994: Murder Was the Case (Platinum)

1998: Caught Up

1998: Half Baked (cameo appearance)

1998: Da Game of Life

1998: Hot Boyz

1998: Ride

1999: Whiteboyz

1999: Urban Menace

2000: Tha Eastsidaz

2000: ''Up in Smoke Tour

2001: Baby Boy

2001: Training Day

2001: King of the Hill (voice)

2001: Bones

2001: The Wash

2003: Malibu's Most Wanted

2003: Old School

2004: Starsky & Hutch

2004: Soul Plane

2004: Volcano High

2005: Boss'n Up

2005: Racing Stripes (voice)

2006: The Tenants

2006: Weeds: Himself

2006: Hood of Horror

2007: Arthur and the Minimoys (voice)

2007: Monk

* During the opening credits, he covered the title song by Randy Newman "It's a Jungle out There".

2007: The Boondocks

2008: Singh Is Kinng (as Himself)

2008: Snoop Dogg's Father Hood (as Himself)

2009: (voice)

2009: Dogg After Dark: Himself

2009: (voice)

2009: Brüno (cameo appearance)

2009: Falling Up

2010: ''Down for Life

2010: ''One Life to Live as Calvin Broadus

2010: Straight Outta L.A. (as Himself)

2010:

2010: Big Time Rush

Awards

Snoop Dogg was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Music samples

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See also

Izzle

List of individuals banned from entering the United Kingdom, a list Snoop Dogg is on

Further reading

References

External links

Official website

Snoop Dogg at Geffen Records

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:1990s rappers Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:2010s singers Category:African American film actors Category:African American rappers Category:Native American rappers Category:African American singers Category:American film producers Category:American male singers Category:American voice actors Category:Crips Category:Death Row Records artists Category:Geffen Records artists Category:G-funk Category:E1 Music artists Category:Members of the Nation of Islam Category:No Limit Records artists Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Priority Records artists Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California * Category:Star Trak Entertainment artists Category:American rappers of European descent Category:People acquitted of murder

Name	Dubb Union
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	2006-present
Label	Koch (2006–) Doggystyle Records (2006–)
Url	http://www.myspace.com/westurnunion
Current members	Bad LuccDamaniSoopafly

Dubb Union is a rap group featuring artists from Los Angeles and the nearby cities of Inglewood, Long Beach, and Watts.

The original name of the group was Westurn Union, but was later changed to Dubb Union to avoid a lawsuit with banking company Western Union.

The members of Dubb Union include Soopafly (Priest Brooks), Damani (Damani Washington), and Bad Lucc (Terence Harden).

Their first major label appearance was on the song "Like This" from Snoop Dogg's 2006 album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment.

Their street album titled House Shoe Muzik, Vol. 1 will be hosted by DJ Crazy Toones and is set to release in April 2008. The production was handled by Soopafly and features the single "All Night" as well as "Cali Grown". The official Westurn Union album will be released sometime in July through Doggystyle/Koch.

Discography

Albums

(2008)

Appear On

"I Don't Think So" from the Untitled Westurn Union project (2007)

"Like This" from Snoop Dogg's Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)

"Hat 2 Bac", "Killaz", and "Rockstar" from (2007)

"Cali Grown" from the Untitled Westurn Union Project (2007)

Mixtapes

''DJ Clue presents Jackin 4 DJ's, Vol.1

DJ Whoo Kid presents Jackin' for DJ's, Vol. 2

''House Shoe Musik, Vol. 1

Member Discography

Damani

Appears on

"Hate On Me”" from Kurupt's (2001)

"The Way We Carry On" from Leroy's Leroy (2001)

"Competition", "Diva", and "I Like Your Style" from Hair Show Soundtrack (2004)

"California Christmas Remix" from Mary Mary's A Mary Mary Christmas (2006)

"The Wait Is Over remix" featuring WC from the CT Experience by DJ Crazy Toones (2006)

Mixtapes

Damani - The Street Album (2002)

DJ Reflex & DJ Skee Present Damani - Congratulations Playa (2006)

Damani - Adidas Presents Congratulations Player (2009)

Bad Lucc

"Watch That Girl" from My Baby's Daddy Soundtrack (2004)

"Have U Ever Seen" (Feat. Scan, 2 aka Toussaint & LeMarvin)

"City Life" (Feat. Toussaint)

"Grind"

"Let It Got" (Produced By Ric Rude)

"New Age Pimpin'" (NV Feat. Bad Lucc)

"Where you from" (from the CT Experience by DJ Crazy Toones)

"This Ain't One Of Them Songs"

"L.A., L.A." (Lady Rhapsody feat. Bad Lucc and Cool-ade

"Welcome II L.A." (Bangstar All-Stars)

"Shake Ya Body" (Remy Rantovan feat. Cool Ade and Bad Lucc

"The East Side" (Young Maylay feat. Bad Lucc from The Real Coast Guard)

Mixtapes

DJ Age Presents Bad Lucc - The Watt's Riot

References

Snoop Dogg Planning West Coast Dominance, Introducing New Unified Groups Of West Coast Talent by Chris Richburg, Allhiphop.com.

Westurn Union interview on DubCNN

Category:Snoop Dogg Category:American hip hop groups

Name	Marion "Suge" Knight
Background	non_performing_personnel
Birth name	Marion Knight Jr.
Born	April 19, 1965
Origin	Compton, California, USA
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	CEO, executive producer
Years active	1989–present
Label	Death Row
Associated acts	2Pac, James Prince, Yukmouth, Irv Gotti

Marion Knight, Jr. (born April 19, 1965), known as Suge Knight, is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. The record label rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound, Death Row Records stagnated after Knight's incarceration on parole violation charges in September 1996.

Death Row Records

Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. wished to depart from both the group and their label, Ruthless Records, run by Eazy-E, another member of N.W.A. According to N.W.A's manager Jerry Heller, Knight and his henchmen threatened Heller and Eazy-E with lead pipes and baseball bats in order to secure Dre, Michel'le & The D.O.C.'s release. Ultimately, Dre and DOC co-founded Death Row Records in 1991 with Knight, who vowed to make it "the Motown of the '90s."

Initially, Knight fulfilled his ambitions: he secured a distribution deal with Interscope, and Dre's 1992 solo debut, The Chronic, has sold over three million copies. It also made a career for Dre's protégé, Snoop Dogg, whose debut album, Doggystyle, was another multi-platinum album.

Meanwhile, Death Row had begun a public feud with 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell, and when Knight traveled to Miami for a hip-hop convention in 1993, he was apparently seen openly carrying a stolen gun. The following year, he opened a private, by-appointment-only nightclub in Las Vegas called Club 662, so named because the numbers spelled out MOB, which reportedly stands for Member Of Bloods Knight's, gang affiliation, on telephone keypads. In 1995, he ran afoul of activist C. Delores Tucker, whose criticism of Death Row's glamorization of the "gangsta" lifestyle may have helped scuttle a lucrative deal with Time Warner.

Addition of Tupac Shakur

Additionally, Knight's feud with East Coast impresario Sean Combs (aka P Diddy) progressed when Knight insulted the Bad Boy label founder on air at the Source Awards in August 1995. Openly critical of Combs's tendency of ad-libbing on his artists' songs and dancing in their videos, Knight announced to the audience, "Anyone out there who wanna be a recording artist and wanna stay a star, but don't have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing, come to Death Row."

The same year, Knight offered to post a bail for Tupac Shakur if the troubled rapper agreed to sign with Death Row. Shakur agreed, setting the stage for his 1996 double album All Eyez on Me and the songs "California Love" and "How Do U Want It".

Loss of Dr. Dre and Tupac

The label suffered a major blow when Dr. Dre, frustrated with the company's increasingly thuggish reputation and Knight's violent inclinations, decided to leave and form his own label. A stream of Dre-dissing records followed, but things turned tragic in September 1996, when Shakur was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas NV.

When Shakur's East Coast rival, The Notorious B.I.G., was murdered in a similar fashion in March 1997, speculation immediately arose that Knight was involved and that B.I.G.'s death was a revenge killing; although former Death Row artists like Snoop Dogg would later state that Suge was involved in Tupac's murder as well. Subsequent investigations exposed a web of connections between Death Row Records, gang members who worked there, and LAPD officers who sometimes worked security for the label. Author Randall Sullivan claimed that the majority of clues found by investigators assigned to B.I.G.’s killing “pointed... directly at Suge Knight”. Mario Ha’mmonds, a convicted felon who shared a cellblock with Knight at San Luis Obispo Men’s Colony in the late 1990s, claimed that Knight took credit for the murder, and quoted him as saying, “'My people handled the business. They took care of him. . . “ In 2003, however, he was sent to prison again for violating parole when he struck a parking lot attendant. Death Row Records' income rapidly declined due to Knight's incarceration. It managed to save itself from complete bankruptcy by releasing archived Snoop Dogg compilation albums and posthumous Tupac albums. Despite signing new artists, Suge never released any of their albums.

End of Death Row Records

On April 4, 2006, Suge Knight filed bankruptcy due to civil litigation against him in which Lydia Harris claimed to have been cheated out of a 50% stake in Death Row Records. Prior to filing, Knight had been ordered to pay $107 million to Harris. Under questioning by creditors, he denied having money tucked away in foreign countries or in an African company that deals in diamonds and gold. Bankruptcy documents filed showed Knight had no income this year from employment or operation of a business. According to financial records, his bank account contained just $11, and he owned clothing worth $1,000, furniture and appliances valued at $2,000, and jewelry worth $25,000. He also testified that the last time he had checked the label’s financial records was at least 10 years prior. Knight’s lawyer said that his client was still “at the helm” of Death Row and had been working on securing distribution deals for the label’s catalog. Harris told reporters she had received a $1 million payment but had not agreed to settle the matter. "I'm telling you, I didn't do a settlement for $1 million. That's ridiculous. Let's keep it real," she said.

Knight skipped a meeting with his creditors after injuring himself in a motorcycle accident. Another scheduled meeting with the creditors had been missed after Suge said he had experienced a death in his family. Finally on July 7, 2006, the federal judge, Ellen Carroll, ordered a bankruptcy trustee takeover of Suge Knight's Death Row Records, saying the record label had undergone a gross amount of mismanagement.

He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which allows a company to continue business operations while restructuring. Death Row was being operated by Neilson during the bankruptcy proceedings, while Knight oversaw his bankruptcy estate as a debtor in possession.

Knight was engaged again in another dispute with former friend and ex-associate Snoop Dogg after Snoop insulted him in Rolling Stone. Suge responded on Pagesix.com calling Snoop Dogg "a rat" and "a crybaby", accusing him of not serving time in prison due to his close relations with the police and running away from "real" fights.

In June 2007, he placed his seven-bedroom, 9½-bath home in Malibu on the market for $6.2 million as part of his "financial makeover". The mansion was finally sold in December 2008 in bankruptcy court for $4.56 million.

Knight has started a new record label called Blackball Records, with its first signer Young Life and has featured it in his new reality show, Unfinished Business. The show is based on Knight dispelling long-standing rumors in sit down interviews, his days with Death Row and the artists he worked with, and finding new talent for his record label. As of April 2009, the show has not been picked up by any major network.

Later troubles

On May 10, 2008, Knight was involved in an altercation involving a monetary dispute outside of a nightclub in Hollywood. He was knocked out for 3 minutes, taken to the hospital, and did not cooperate with the LAPD. About a month later, he sold Death Row Records to New York-based company Global Music Group, which confirmed it had purchased the firm in a statement to the Associated Press news agency

On August 27, 2008, Knight was arrested on drug and aggravated assault charges after leaving a Las Vegas strip club. When police arrived on the scene, Knight was beating his girlfriend of three years and brandishing a knife. Reports also allege that he was under the influence of both ecstasy and hydrocodone. He was later released on $19,000 bail. Knight's girlfriend, Melissa Isaac, who was scheduled to testify against him in the assault case, has since gone missing, leading to speculation that Knight is involved in her disappearance. As of October 31, police and prosecutors had still failed to contact Knight's girlfriend, Melissa Isaac, and no formal charges have been brought against Knight. On December 5, 2008 Suge Knight was cleared of all charges. Knight’s attorney, David Chesnoff, said the prosecution had "discovery problems and witness problems." Prosecutor Susan Benedict did not immediately return a call for comment. When Knight was asked about the positive verdict he replied "God is good, Happy Holidays".

As part of an October 30, 2008 bankruptcy claim, Suge also filed a lawsuit against Kanye West and his associates. The lawsuit concerns an August 2005 shooting at Kanye's pre-Video Music Awards party, where Knight suffered a gunshot wound to the upper leg. The lawsuit cites damages of mental and physical pain caused by the shooting, costs of surgery, loss of income and the theft of a $135,000 diamond earring.

On January 25, 2009, an auction was held for everything found in the Death Row Records office after the company filed for bankruptcy, including some of Suge's personal items. Of note was the Death Row Records electric chair which sold for $2,500.

On February 16, 2009, Suge was extensively beaten at a private party at the W Scottsdale Hotel, held in celebration of the NBA All-Star Game. He was taken by ambulance to an Arizona hospital for treatment of extensive facial injuries including broken facial bones. Robert Carnes Jr., who identified himself to police as the business manager of hip-hop star Akon (but was later denied by Akon's publicist), was arrested along with Thomas Anderson Jr., and charged with assault and disorderly conduct. Officers were called by hotel security and arrived to witness Carnes punch Knight in the face twice before subduing him.

In late March, 2009, Suge Knight was implicated in the robbery of Akon producer, Noel "Detail" Fisher. According to Christopher Walker, an employee of Detail, on the morning of March 25, 2009, five armed men broke into Detail's house, stating that they were collecting a debt on behalf of Knight. $170,000 worth of jewelry was stolen, along with a locked safe, stereo equipment and the key to a Mercedes vehicle. Walker claims the incident is related to the altercation at the W Scottsdale Hotel in February.

Remaining Knight personal property items were auctioned in the first episode of Storage Wars:High Noon in the High Desert on A&E; TVP (Airdate December 1, 2010).

References

Further reading

The Killing of Tupac Shakur. by Cathy Scott, Huntington Press, October 1, 2002, 235 pages, ISBN 0-929712-20-X

Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records, Ronin Ro, Doubleday, 1998, 384 pages, ISBN 0-385-49134-4

Labyrinth: Corruption and Vice in the L.A.P.D.: The truth behind the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls by Randall Sullivan, Atlantic Monthly Press, April 2, 2002, 384 pages, ISBN 0-87113-838-7

Suge Knight: The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Death Row Records: The Story of Marion 'Suge' Knight, a Hard Hitting Study of One Man, One Company That Changed the Course of American Music Forever by Jake Brown, Amber Books, October 1, 2001, 218 pages, ISBN 0-9702224-7-5

Biggie & Tupac. Dir. Nick Broomfield. Lafayette Films, 2002.

Philips, Chuck. "Who Killed Tupac Shakur? How Vegas Police Probe Foundered." Los Angeles Times. 7 Sept. 2002, p. 1.

Raftery, Brian M. "A B.I.G. Mystery." Entertainment Weekly. 27 Sept. 2002, p. 19.

"Suge Knight Sentenced to 10 Months for Parole Violation." MTV.com. 31 July 2003.

Sullivan, Randall. LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. 2002.

Welcome To Death Row. Dir. S. Leigh Savidge & Jeff Scheftel, 2001

External links

Suge Knight bio

George magazine,">"Dead Poets Society," George magazine, Cathy Scott

Suge Knight

NFL stats at Databasefootball.com

Suge Knight website

Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American players of American football Category:African American record producers Category:American football defensive ends Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American music industry executives Category:American people convicted of assault Category:American shooting survivors Category:Bloods Category:Los Angeles Rams players Category:People from Compton, California Category:UNLV Rebels football players

Name	Lady May
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Rhonda Robinson
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, actress, model
Years active	2001–present
Label	Crazy Cat, Arista

Lady May (born Rhonda Robinson) is an American rapper from New York City's suburbs.

May was born in the 1980s and grew up listening to Elton John, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson. At the age of fifteen, May stopped attending high school and became a hip hop dancer in music videos for artists such as LL Cool J and Jodeci, but was left unsatisfied, eventually turning to rap music.

May had a modest hit in 2001, "Round Up", which features R&B; singer and label-mate Blu Cantrell. She hooked up with producer Deric "D-dot" Angelettie to record her debut album May Day, which was scheduled for release in August 2002 but was ultimately shelved. In 2003, she was featured on Willa Ford's "A Toast to Men", also appearing in its video.

The same year she appeared on DJ Kayslay's Streetsweeper Vol. 1 on the song "Seven Deadly Sins", which also featured Vita, Angie Martinez, Duchess, Amil, Sonja Blade, and Remy Ma.

She was also featured on Rob Jackson's single "Boom Boom Boom".

Discography

Singles

References

External links

Yahoo! Music bio

MTV News: You Hear It First

Category:American musicians of Asian descent Category:Female rappers Category:American rappers of Jamaican descent Category:Living people Category:1980s births

Name	Daz Dillinger
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Delmar Arnaud
Alias	Dat Nigga Daz
Born	May 25, 1973 (age 37)
Origin	Long Beach, California, U.S.
Instrument	Drums, keyboards, drum machine, sampler
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, producer, Singer
Years active	1992 – present
Label	Death Row(1992–1999)D.P.G.(2000–present)Gangsta Advisory(2000–present)So So Def(2003–2006)Koch(2006–2009)
Associated acts	Snoop Dogg, Lil' 1/2 Dead, Nate Dogg, Soopafly, Tupac Shakur, Kurupt, Lady of Rage, Z-Ro
Url	dazmusic.com

Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973 in Long Beach, California), better known by his stage name Daz Dillinger (formerly Dat Nigga Daz) is an American hip hop producer and rapper mostly known for his membership in the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound, with Kurupt, and his work with Death Row Records. He is the cousin of Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Lil' ½ Dead, Mr. Malik, Lil' C-Style, Butch Cassidy, Ray J, Brandy and RBX.

Death Row years

The Chronic, Tha Dogg Pound and Dogg Food

Daz began his career on Death Row Records as a producer for co-founder Suge Knight's then-girlfriend, Paradise. He was signed to the label and subsequently began working with Dr. Dre on the breakthrough west coast album, The Chronic; during its recording, he met and grew close to future partner-in-rhyme Kurupt. The two formed Tha Dogg Pound for Doggystyle, the debut album of the record label's up-and-coming star Snoop Dogg. The critically-acclaimed album, as well as their later single "What Would You Do?", saw Tha Dogg Pound partake in the rivalry between Dr. Dre and former N.W.A. groupmate Eazy-E, by dissing artists on Eazy's Ruthless Records.

Dillinger was more heavily involved in Doggystyle than was his groupmate; while it was produced and mixed by Dre, Arnaud was featured on one track and received co-production credit on two ("Serial Killa" and "For All My Niggaz and Bitches"). Following its release, Daz and Kurupt put out their debut group album, Dogg Food, to rave reviews and platinum sales. While the duo dissed Ruthless act Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on the album, Dogg Food also saw the duo engage in yet another conflict, this time the beef Suge and new signee 2Pac initiated against Bad Boy Entertainment's Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G.; Daz and Kurupt would expand the feud to include Capone-N-Noreaga, Tragedy Khadafi and Mobb Deep with their Snoop-assisted single "New York, New York."

Head producer, All Eyez on Me & Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back

As the intercoastal rivalry escalated, and Suge Knight's increasingly intense strong-arm tactics entered the studio, head producer Dr. Dre steadily grew resentful of the label's dangerous atmosphere. Beginning with Dogg Food, which Daz produced, Dre no longer produced whole Death Row albums; in his latter days as in-house producer, he worked only with 2Pac, producing three tracks (California Love, which was originally supposed to appear on the Aftermath compilation album, California Love Remix, and Can't C Me) for the rapper's definitive album All Eyez on Me. Even before Dre left the label to found his own Aftermath Entertainment, Arnaud effectively took over as head producer, crafting most of the double-album's first disc and providing beats for Snoop Dogg's sophomore effort, Tha Doggfather, from which Dre's production was absent. His status as head producer was made official once Dre left, and continued on even after 2Pac's murder and the artist-exodus it initiated. During his tenure heading the label's sound, Daz contributed production to the Gridlock'd soundtrack, Lady of Rage's Necessary Roughness, and Nate Dogg's G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1. His production would also pop up on the unofficial Snoop Dogg release Dead Man Walkin put out by Suge in 2001, after Daz himself had left the label.

Dillinger went on to put out his own solo album, Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back on Death Row in 1998; Nate Dogg, Kurupt and Snoop had already left the label, followed shortly thereafter by Daz himself. During this time a short-lived beef sparked between Daz and Snoop, regarding the latter's words against Suge Knight and the former's status at the label and disses inherent in the album, which Snoop Dogg later dropped out of respect for his cousin.

Off Death Row

Solo career & feud with Kurupt

After ending his tenure at Death Row, Arnaud would go on to produce for acts like Kurupt, Soopafly, and B-Legit; he put out the album R.A.W. in 2000, the flagship release for his own D.P.G. Recordz, which would for some time function as a vehicle for releasing solo albums. He and Kurupt united in 2001 for a second album, Dillinger & Young Gotti, which received mixed reviews, under the name D.P.G. (as Suge still owned rights to the name 'Tha Dogg Pound' at the time). The group unity was short-lived, as Kurupt would subsequently re-sign with Death Row, prompting his former groupmate to diss him several times in song and interviews. Daz dissed Death Row with "Catch U In The Club", "U Ain't Shit" and a skit called "A Message to Ricardo Brown". Kurupt respond with "No Vaseline Part 2." The feud carried on from 2002 to 2005, while Dillinger released several solo efforts, including a 'DPGC' album with Snoop Dogg, Soopafly and Bad Azz and Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP on his own.

Reconciliation & upcoming projects

In 2005, Daz and Kurupt reconciled their differences at a west coast unity event hosted by Snoop Dogg; Kurupt proceeded to leave Death Row a second time, procuring rights to the name of Tha Dogg Pound and re-forming the duo with his former partner, who on his part ended his brief tenure at Jermaine Dupri's So So Def. The duo immediately commenced to releasing albums, including Dillinger & Young Gotti II: The Saga Continuez, the Let'z Ryde Tonite EP and Cali iz Active with Snoop Dogg as the DPG. August 1, 2008, Daz Dillinger offered the new owners of Death Row Records to record videos for Dogg Food; he also plans to repackage and release unreleased material.

Discography

Studio albums

1998: Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back

2000: R.A.W.

2002: This Is the Life I Lead

2003:

2004: I Got Love in These Streetz

2005: Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP

2005: Gangsta Crunk

2006: So So Gangsta

2007: Gangsta Party

2008: Only on the Left Side

2009: Public Enemiez

2010: Matter of Dayz

2011: D.A.Z.

Compilation albums

2001:

2002: To Live and Die in CA

2002:

2008: Who Ride wit Us Vol. 3

2009: Who Ride wit Us Vol. 4

Collaboration albums

2001: Long Beach 2 Fillmoe (with JT the Bigga Figga)

2001: Game for Sale (with JT the Bigga Figga)

2003: Southwest (with Nuwine)

EPs

2001: Makaveli & Dillinger Don't Go 2 Sleep (with Makaveli)

Mixtapes

2004: DPG: Till The Day I Die Mixtape

2005: So So Gangsta - The Mixtape

2005: West Coast Gangstas - Starring: Tha Dogg Pound (Hosted by DJ Kurupt)

2009: Dillinger & Makaveli - Tribute: Streetz of LA Special Edition (Hosted by DJ Nik Bean)

Awards

Nominated in 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with Kurupt): "What Would You Do"

References

External links

Official website

Interview

Category:1970 births Category:African American rappers Category:Death Row Records artists Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Crips Category:G-funk Category:Living people Category:So So Def artists Category:E1 Music artists Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:Priority Records artists Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California

Name	Cam'ron
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Cameron Ezike Giles
Origin	Harlem, New York, U.S.
Born	February 04, 1976
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Musician, actor
Years active	1992–present
Label	Untertainment, Epic, Diplomat, Asylum
Associated acts	The Diplomats, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, Hell Rell, 40 Cal., Children of the Corn, Mase, Big L, The U.N., Vado, Jay-Z, Damon Dash, Beanie Sigel

Cameron Giles (born February 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated, American rapper and actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats (also known as Dipset), and also of The U.N. (Us Now) group.

Music career

Early life

Cameron Giles was born and raised in Harlem, New York. He went to school at Manhattan Center High School, where he would meet his long time friends Mase and Jim Jones. He was a promising basketball player alongside Mase, however, he was unable to take advantage of various scholarship offers due to a poor academic record. He instead enrolled in a college in Texas, even without graduating from high school, but soon dropped out and returned to Harlem where he began selling drugs before starting his rap career. He began his musical career in the mid 1990s, rapping alongside Big L, Mase and his cousin Bloodshed in a group called Children Of The Corn. However, after Bloodshed's death in a car accident in 1997, the group disbanded and the remaining members continued solo careers.

1998: Epic Records & Confessions of Fire

A year before Big L's murder in 1999, Cam'ron was introduced to The Notorious B.I.G. by Mase who was signed to Bad Boy Records at the time. Biggie was so impressed by Cam'ron that he introduced him to his partner Lance "Un" Rivera who signed Cam'ron to his Untertainment label, distributed by Epic Records. His debut album, Confessions of Fire was released in July 1998 and included singles such as "3-5-7" (which was also featured in the movie Woo), and "Horse and Carriage" featuring Mase which reached the R&B; Top Ten and just missed out on reaching the pop Top 40. The album achieved gold status and made the Top 10 of both the pop and R&B; charts.

2000: S.D.E.

In 2000, Cam'ron was working with music executive Tommy Mottola and released his second album S.D.E. (Sports Drugs & Entertainment) on Sony/Epic Records. With features from Destiny's Child, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, N.O.R.E., and producer Digga, it included the relatively successful singles, "Let Me Know" and "What Means The World To You". The album reached Number 2 on the R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and Number 14 on the Billboard 200.

2001-2002: Roc-A-Fella & Come Home With Me

After demanding a release from Sony/Epic Records, Cam'ron signed with his childhood friend and new manager Damon Dash to Roc-A-Fella Records in 2001, alongside artists such as Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Freeway and Memphis Bleek. A reported $4.5 million record deal was agreed upon with and Damon Dash and his Roc-A-Fella partners Kareem Biggs and Jay-Z in the form of a record advance. His third and most successful album Come Home With Me was released in 2002 featuring guests such as Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, and Memphis Bleek, and production from Just Blaze, Kanye West and The Heatmakerz. It included the hit singles Oh Boy and Hey Ma which both featured The Dipmomats newest member and protégé; Juelz Santana. The album achieved platinum status and served as a stepping stone for Cam'ron's group The Diplomats to sign with Roc-A-Fella.

2003-2004: The Diplomats (Dipset) & Purple Haze

In 2003 Cam'ron teamed up with his fellow Diplomats Members Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Freekey Zeeky to release the Diplomats' debut double disc album, Diplomatic Immunity, in 2003 under Roc-A-Fella/Diplomat Records, which was quickly certified gold by the RIAA. The album featured the lead single "Dipset Anthem," a remix to Cam'rons hit "Hey Ma" and the (street anthem) single "I Really Mean It," as well as boasting production from Kanye West, Just Blaze, and The Heatmakerz. A year later, the Diplomats released their second album, Diplomatic Immunity 2. Although not as successful as their debut , it still was boosted to gold status. Around this time in the height of his mainstream fame, Cam'ron was known for popularizing the color pink. During this period, Cam'ron was always seen wearing pink clothing and even bought an all pink Range Rover which can be seen in his video for "Killa Cam". Cam'ron's fourth studio album, Purple Haze, was released on December 7, 2004 on Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella Records. It featured collaborations with Kanye West, Jaheim, Twista, Juelz Santana, and various other artists and ultimately reached gold status. The album was also a critical success, being ranked 114th on Pitchfork Media's Top 200 Albums of the first decade of the 21st century List, and 10th on Rhapsody's Hip Hop's Best Albums Of The Decade List. However, after feeling that the album was poorly promoted and that his projects were not receiving the attention they deserved, Cam'ron requested his release from Roc-A-Fella Records.

2005-2006: Asylum Records & Killa Season

On April 28, 2005, Cam'Ron officially joined the Warner Music Group under the Asylum Records imprint. He began work on what would be his first project for the new label. Cam'ron's fifth studio album, entitled Killa Season, was released on May 16, 2006 featuring production from long term collaborators The Heatmakerz, Charlmagne and Ty Fyffe, as well as others such as Alchemist and I.N.F.O.. Along with the album, Cam'ron released his first film, in which he wrote, directed and starred in, also titled "Killa Season." Despite selling 112,000 units in the first week and debuting at #2 on the charts, Killa Season failed to have the same sales strength as his two previous releases, failing to reach gold or platinum status. As of now, however, Killa Season has been certified Gold by the gold

2006-2009: Three Year Hiatus

After the release of Killa Season, and his infamous beef with 50 Cent in 2007, Cam'ron took a three year hiatus from music after his mother suffered 3 strokes, leaving her paralyzed on her left side. He moved to Florida with her to set up her rehabilitation and therapy, and stayed there until she had fully recovered.

2009: Crime Pays & Dipset West

Cam'ron's 2009 album, Crime Pays was released on Asylum/Diplomat Records, featuring the majority of the production handled by Skitzo and AraabMuzik. Although none of the singles managed to chart, the album still reached Number 3 on the Billboard 200 but only sold 150,000 units, making this the lowest selling album of his career. In 2009 Cam'ron formed his new label Dipset West & his new group The U.N..

2010-Present: Killa Season 2, Gunz 'N' Butta & Diplomat Album

In late 2009/early 2010, Cam'ron released a series of mixtapes hosted by DJ Drama called "Boss of All Boses" which featured his new upcoming artist Vado. He has also released an album with Vado entitled the first single off the album was "Speaking Tongues" which peaked at number 82 on the U.S. R&B; charts. Cam'ron announced that he would be releasing a joint album with his new group The U.N. called "Gunz n' Butta". After 3 years Cam'ron & Jim Jones have decided to start working on a third installment of the Diplomatic Immunity album along with other Diplomat artists such as Juelz Santana & Freekey Zekey. Cam'ron announced that the Diplomat album's release will take place around Christmas 2010. The first single featuring the reunited Diplomat members is called "Salute". Produced by upcoming Diplomat producer AraabMuzik, the track is rumored to appear on Jim Jones next album Capo.

Other Ventures

Film/Acting Career

In 2003, Cam'ron went on to appear in the Damon Dash produced film, Paid in Full, in which he played one of three main characters alongside Mekhi Phifer and Wood Harris. In 2006 started shooting his movie for his album entitled Killa Season, the film would mark both Cam'ron's screenwriting and directorial debuts, as well as his return to acting. Killa Season was released to DVD on April 25, 2006, after a special two-day theatrical release.

Controversy

Jay-Z

Although there were rumors of a beef between the two emcees, Cam set this off in a track on "Killa Season" called "You Gotta Love It (Jay-Z Diss)" featuring ex-Dipset member Max B. In the song, Cam'ron takes jabs at Jay-Z's age, his biting and his current girlfriend. On Jay-Z using The Notorious B.I.G rhymes, "You ain't the only one with big wallets got it my shit's brolick but ya publishing should go to Miss Wallace." He then uses another song "Swagger Jacker (Biter Not a Writer)" to highlight the many songs Jay-Z has borrowed lines from to claim it's no wonder Jay-Z is no longer in the game. In the next issue of XXL, Cam'ron explained the reason why the beef originated began when Jay-Z went away Dame Dash was talking about making him the CEO & President of Roc A Fella Records. But when Jay-Z came back & Got the positions he didn't like it. But in 2010 Cam'ron stated he doesn't have any issues with Jay-Z because he respects his hustle.

50 Cent

On February 1, 2007, Cam'ron & 50 Cent had a live argument on The Angie Martinez Show on Hot 97 radio. Jackson commented that Koch Entertainment was a "graveyard", meaning major record labels would not work with their artists. Cam'ron then ridiculed the record sales of G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Mobb Deep by stating that Jim Jones outsold their albums despite being signed to an independent label and that his group, The Diplomats, had a distribution deal from several labels. But After 3 years of not speaking, Cam'ron & Jim Jones mended their differences in April 2010.

Juelz Santana

After it was evident to the fans that The Diplomats had separated and were no longer on speaking terms, Cam'ron explained in an interview that he was scared for Juelz Santana stating he was "addicted to the drink Sizzurp" and even talked to his mother about his possible "addiction". Juelz responded back by asking why Cam would say false accusations. Additionally, with Dipset seeming to be broken up and diminished, Cam'ron decided to sell Juelz Santana's contract from Diplomat Records to Def Jam Records for $2,000,000. However, Juelz said there were no hard feelings between the two and have since reconciled.

Kanye West & Dame Dash

Both Cam'ron & Jim Jones took out their frustrations on former label-mate Kanye West & former CEO Dame Dash by releasing a song entitled "Toast" rhyming over Kanye West's song "Runaway". Saying "Kanye you a sucka nigga took ya beat now come get it back". Dame Dash"so my attitude fuck a nigga, Sucka Jigga how you gone live with that." Despite this diss-track, when asked in an interview on Hot 97 with Funkmaster Flex of his take on the subject, Kanye responded by saying "Man, you don't understand how much I love Dipset. But it's so necessary; Dipset is so necessary." Additionally, Kanye said he understands that people don't agree with the way he does certain things and he, himself, doesn't even agree with some of the stuff he's done. Currently, neither Cam nor Jim have responded back.

Personal life

Carjacking/Stop Snitching Campaign

On October 23, 2005, Cam'ron was leaving a nightclub in Washington D.C., having performed the day before at Howard University. Whilst and stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of New York and New Jersey Avenue shortly after midnight, a passenger of a nearby car threatened Cam'ron to "give up" his 2006 Lamborghini. Cam'ron resisted, and the man then shot him. Cam'ron was struck at least once as he was holding the steering wheel, but he was able to drive, going the wrong way on streets and flashing his lights, until a fan drove him to Howard University Hospital. The gunman and passenger fled and crashed into a parked car and fled the scene. D.C. Metro Police recovered a cell phone from the scene of the crash, which they tried to use to trace the suspects. On April 22, 2007, Cam'ron was interviewed on 60 Minutes about the incident. He stated that he does not know who shot him. He also stated that he would "not help the police" try to locate the shooter saying he is "not a snitch" and helping the police would probably hurt his record sales. Cam'ron was also questioned on 60 Minutes about the "Stop Snitchin'" campaign. When asked by Anderson Cooper if he would tell the police if a serial killer was living next to him, Cam'ron replied "I would probably move," but wouldn't inform the police. Cam'ron has had contact with the police in the past. According to The Smoking Gun, New York Police Department records indicate that Giles filed a police report with police after he was assaulted at a Harlem playground in 1999.

Discography

Official studio albums

Confessions of Fire (1998)

S.D.E. (2000)

Come Home with Me (2002)

Purple Haze (2004)

Killa Season (2006)

Crime Pays (2009)

Killa Season 2 (TBA)

; Collaboration Albums

2003: Diplomatic Immunity (with The Diplomats)

2004: Diplomatic Immunity 2 (with The Diplomats)

2010: Cam'ron & The U.N. Presents: "Heat in Here" Vol. 1 (with Vado)

2011: Guns 'N' Butta (with The U.N.)

2011: Diplomatic Immunity 3 (with The Diplomats)

Filmography

Paper Soldiers (2002)

Paid in Full (2002)

State Property 2 (2005)

Killa Season (2006)

Cousin Bang (TBA)

Killa Season 2 (TBA)

References

External links

Cam'ron Official Website

Cam'ron on Twitter

Diplomat Records

Category:1976 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American rappers Category:American shooting survivors Category:Roc-A-Fella Records artists Category:Epic Records artists Category:Living people Category:People from Harlem Category:Rappers from New York City