MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent. Since 1990, the opening riff to Megadeth's "Peace Sells" has been the main opening theme for The Week In Rock.

It first began covering political news in the 1992 American presidential elections, through its "Choose or Lose" campaign.^[1][2] Since then, MTV has run "Choose or Lose" for other presidential elections in the United States. For the 2008 election, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appeared on an MTV special to discuss the Iraq war.^[3]

MTV News in the U.S.[link]

Current correspondents[link]

• Sway Calloway (usually called Sway)
• Josh Horowitz
• James Montgomery

Former correspondents[link]

• Jim Cantiello
• Kurt Loder
• Kim Stolz
• Serena Altschul
• Chris Connelly
• Mark Goodman
• Tim Kash
• Brian McFayden
• John Norris
• SuChin Pak
• Christina Olivares
• Iann Robinson
• Tabitha Soren
• Alison Stewart
• Gideon Yago
• Nick Zano

MTV News around the world[link]

Canada[link]

Aliya-Jasmine Sovani, Johnny Hockin, Sharlene Chiu

United Kingdom[link]

Laura Whitmore,* Jasmine Dotiwala

Italy[link]

• Jasper Lewis Vignone

Ireland[link]

Laura Whitmore
Nick Lee Mease

Greece[link]

Estel

Pan-European[link]

Laura Whitmore, * Jasmine Dotiwala

Turkey[link]

Alper Etiş (2006-2010)

Germany[link]

• Markus Kavka
• Karolin

The Netherlands[link]

• Dennis Weening
• Evelien Bosch

Latin America[link]

• Ilana Sod
• Jazz
• Nicolás Artusi
• Javier Andrade

Australia[link]

• Maz Compton
• Darren McMullen
• Erin McNaught
• Ruby Rose

Lithuania[link]

• Jonas Bačelis

References[link]

External links[link]

• MTV News
• MTV News UK & Europe

This article's lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (September 2010)

Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K. in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Andrew Fetterly Wilkes Krier
Born	(1979-05-09) May 9, 1979 (age 33) Stanford, California
Origin	Ann Arbor, Michigan (raised), New York, New York (lives)
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock, punk rock, pop rock
Occupations	Musician Producer Singer Actor
Instruments	Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Guitar, Bass guitar, Drums
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Universal Music Group, Hanson, Mercury, Island, Bulb, Skyscraper Music Maker, Steev Mike
Associated acts	Wolf Eyes, Current 93, To Live and Shave in L.A., Lab Lobotomy, Baby Dee, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Music Band, Mr. Velocity Hopkins, Kathode, Kangoo, The Beast People, Stormy Rodent, Scheme, the Malt Lickers, Isis and Werewolves, Sucking Coeds, Matt & Kim.
Website	Official site

Andrew Fetterly Wilkes Krier (born May 9th 1979 in Stanford, California), better known by his stagename Andrew W.K., is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entertainer, motivational speaker and music producer. He is the host of the television series Destroy Build Destroy.

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Andrew Wilkes-Krier was born in Stanford, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At age 4, he began learning classical piano at The University of Michigan School of Music. He attended the private college preparatory Greenhills School for middle school before attending the alternative Community High School from 1993–1997, where he studied jazz keyboard.^[1] His father is Professor James E. Krier, a well-known legal scholar at the University of Michigan Law School and co-author of the widely used Dukeminier & Krier Property casebook.^[2]

In 1993, when he was 14, Andrew joined the band Slam, later to be called Reverse Polarity. His first public recording, "Mr. Surprise", came out on a compilation released by the Westside Audio Laboratories label (now known as Ypsilanti Records) out of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Over the next 5 years he was in many different bands in Michigan such as Lab Lobotomy, The Pterodactyls, Music Band, Mr. Velocity Hopkins, Kathode, The Portly Boys, Kangoo, The Beast People, Stormy Rodent, a later iteration of Scheme, the Malt Lickers, Isis and Werewolves, and Sucking Coeds. In 1994 he also started a group called Ancient Art of Boar, later making it a solo project titled AAB, which ended in 1998, when Andrew moved from Ypsilanti to New York City.

Later in 1998, his first official solo record as Andrew Wilkes-Krier, titled Room To Breathe, was released on the Brighton (later Ann Arbor) label Hanson Records. The release was cassette-only and only 35 copies were made. Another tape, titled You Are What You Eat was supposed to be released shortly after, but the masters went missing.^[3] That same year, he appeared on the Hanson Records compilation Labyrinths & Jokes. The track appearing on the compilation was a portion of the soundtrack Andrew made for Poltergeist, a movie made by Aaron Dilloway and himself. The whole soundtrack also went missing for over 10 years, but it too has recently re-surfaced.^[2]

In 2000, he released his first EP, AWKGOJ on Bulb Records, which would be the first solo release under the Andrew W.K. name (he appeared under the name on a Wolf Eyes EP earlier that year). He released one more EP on this label, Party Til You Puke, before moving on to Island Def Jam.^[2]

Music career[link]

Andrew released his first album on Island, I Get Wet,^[4] in 2001. The album is known for its cover art: a photo of Andrew W.K. with a stream of blood running from his nose onto his chin and neck. I Get Wet soon rose to the #1 position on Billboard's 'Heatseekers' list.^[5] Andrew W.K. joined Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest that summer. The track "Party Hard" was featured as the lead track for EA Sports video game Madden NFL 2003 and on the Girls Gone Wild Music Volume 1 CD, and is the subject of a popular internet meme (its repetition of the words "party hard" ad nauseam made it an ideal caption for animated .gif images). The opening track, "It's Time To Party", was featured in commercials for the video game NASCAR Thunder 2004, Hotwire.com, Coors Beer, Expedia.com, and several movie and TV soundtracks. The song "Fun Night" was used in the Will Ferrell movie Old School. "She Is Beautiful" was used in the movies Freaky Friday, American Pie: Band Camp and Out Cold, as well as in early Nintendo GameCube advertisements. His track "Don't Stop Living in the Red" is featured in a Target commercial. The song has been played at the kickoff of every Saint John's football game since 2003 and whenever the Allen Americans of the Central Hockey League score a goal at home. It was also featured during KSDK-TV's coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005. In 2002, he and Alec Rominger re-recorded his song "We Want Fun" from AWKGOJ for the soundtrack of Jackass: The Movie that also had a video made, filmed and directed by Jeff Tremaine with additional camera work by Spike Jonze.

In late 2003, W.K. released The Wolf. The album featured Andrew playing all the instruments on the recording (he had his full live band play on I Get Wet). It spawned the singles "Tear it Up" and "Never Let Down" in the US (both had videos made, but only "Tear It Up" had a full retail single released) and the song "Long Live the Party" was a minor hit in Japan.^[2] "The Wolf" has many overdubbed instrument parts.^[2]

The Wolf was not as commercially successful as I Get Wet. On tour for The Wolf, Andrew was injured on stage and broke his foot. After the concert, he signed autographs from the ambulance. Not wanting to let his fans down, he performed the remainder of the tour in a wheelchair.^[2]

A live-concert DVD entitled Who Knows? was released in February 2006. Similar to his audio recording the DVD combined many sources into single events - a technique Andrew refers to as "Synch Stacking". Andrew presented five screenings of the movie in New York City and Hollywood, in February and April, 2006. He also attended a screening of the movie at the University of Michigan Law School, presented by his father.^[2]

In March 2006, during an episode of Sex Pistols' guitarist Steve Jones' radio show, "Jonesy's Jukebox", Andrew W.K. debuted a new song, "I'm A Vagabond". A different version of the song was eventually released as a square 7" single (with the songs, "Doing Andrew W.K." and "Let's Go On A Date" - released by BSM on February 15, 2010). "I'm A Vagabond" was also included on the "Mother of Mankind" rare and unreleased album (February, 2010).

On November 26, 2008, Universal Music released three new Andrew W.K. collections. The first CD was brand new album of J-Pop covers entitled, The Japan Covers. The second CD is a Greatest Hits Compilation entitled, The Very Best So Far, which includes a previously unreleased song, "Party (You Shout!)". Both new releases are also available as a combined 2-disc package entitled, Premium Collection.^[6]

On September 9, 2009 Andrew W.K. released a Japan-only album called Gundam Rock. The album consists of covered music from the legendary Gundam anime TV series to celebrate its 30th Anniversary in Japan.^[7][8]

On the same date, he also simultaneously released 55 Cadillac, an album of improvised piano pieces. Writing about the release of 55 Cadillac Andrew wrote, "I wanted this new 55 CADILLAC album to sound like freedom. The sound of a piano being played by a free man – nothing more, nothing less."^[9]

On March 23, 2010, Andrew released a two disc set, Close Calls With Brick Walls / Mother of Mankind. The two albums contain 39 tracks total, and come packaged in a slipcase. The Close Calls With Brick Walls album had originally been released in 2006, but only in Japan (by Universal Music Group), and in South Korea (by Dope Entertainment). A limited edition gatefold double vinyl LP version of "Close Calls With Brick Walls" was released in 2007 by the US label, Load Records. The Mother of Mankind album features rare and unreleased tracks spanning the years 1999 to 2010.

To accompany this set, it was announced he would be featured as a headliner at the 2010 Warped Tour for the entire tour.^[10] It will be his first time to do so, since 2002.^{[11][dated info]}

In June 2010 Andrew released a music video for the single "I Want To See You Go Wild" off the Close Calls With Brick Walls album. The video was made by director Peter Glantz. Later that year he appeared in A Day to Remember's video for "All I Want."

Self-help and motivational performance[link]

In 2005, Andrew announced that he would begin performing as a self-help, new age motivational speaker. He accepted invitations to speak at Yale University, New York University, The University of Wisconsin, Carnegie Mellon University, The Cooper Union, Missouri Western State University, and Northeastern University.

During 2007, Andrew performed a series of unpredictable happenings as part of his "One Man Show" tour. Each event began with Andrew improvising on the piano alone on a stage before they frequently evolved into giant parties, with most of the audience dancing on stage with Andrew, themselves playing the piano and singing the lyrics.^[2]

In March 2007, The New York Times put Andrew on the front page of its Arts section, in a feature article on Andrew's lectures.^[12] In 2008, Andrew's self-help work led to his second appearance as a sit-down guest on Late Night With Conan O'Brien.^[13] In November 2008, Time magazine called him "truly cute."^[2]

Other work[link]

Outside of his solo work, Andrew also performs with and produces music for the avant-garde ensemble To Live and Shave in L.A.. He first appeared on the band's 2004 release "God and Country Rally!". He co-produced their 2006 studio album Noon and Eternity, and appears on the group's other 2006 release, the "chronological remix" project Horoscopo: Sanatorio de Molière.^[2]

In late 2006, Andrew re-worked his song "Fun Night" into a theme song for the Arizona Sundogs, a hockey team. The song was titled "Sundogs (It Just Got Hotter)".^[14] The song "Fun Night" also appeared in the film Old School during one of the party scenes.^[2]

Andrew was also a judge for the 5th and 10th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.^[15]

On July the 7th 2007 (7/7/07) at 7:07 PM, Andrew appeared as one of the 77 drummers in the 77 Boadrum concert held at the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, New York which was organized by Japanese noise rock group Boredoms.

In September 2007 Andrew's piano playing was featured on a jazz fusion CD release "électricité" with Mike Pachelli on guitar, Rich Russo on drums, and Dennis Harding on bass for Los Angeles based Fullblast Recordings (2007).^[16]

Andrew has also performed and recorded electric bass guitar for the artist Baby Dee, whom he met while playing live as the bassist of Current 93. Andrew played bass and drums on Dee's "Safe Inside The Day" album, and performed with her group at a 2008 show Manhattan. Andrew has performed bass guitar with Current 93 at the Donau Festival in Krems, Austria in April 2007, the UK All Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2007, and the European tour in April 2008.^[2]

On Friday, December 5, 2008, an Andrew W.K. fan named Dominic Owen Mallary died after an accident while his band Last Lights performed at Boston University. Dominic had always said that he wanted to have Andrew W.K. play during his funeral. After several friends of Dominic emailed him, Andrew came to the wake, and played classical piano for the entire time after paying his respects.^[17][18]

Andrew has formed a group The Brill Sisters with guitarist Matt Sweeney and producer Don Fleming. They played their first show (without Fleming) at Santos Party House on April 2, 2009.^[19] The entire group performed together on April 21, 2009.^[20] Andrew is also the host on the Cartoon Network original Destroy Build Destroy.

TV and film appearances[link]

Andrew has made multiple appearances on MTV, MTV2, and VH1, hosting shows such as The Most Outrageous Frontmen, with Johnny Knoxville and Backstage Pass at the Warped Tour. Andrew was the focus of a televised live performance at Cleveland's Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame, broadcast on MTV. He's also made appearances on the shows, I Love The 90's, I Love The New Millennium, Black To The Future, I Love The Holidays, The Great Debate, Best Week Ever and The Osbournes. Andrew was also featured on a popular MTV show called Crashing With Andrew W.K., which documented Andrew's visit to a girl's dorm at North Carolina Central University.

In 2004, Andrew had a television show on MTV2 titled Your Friend, Andrew W.K.. In the series, fans would write letters to Andrew, asking for his help. Andrew would pick certain letters and go to visit them. The series lasted for 11 episodes, each about 9 or 10 minutes in length. During the filming of the show, Andrew was in a car crash but sustained no serious injuries.

Andrew has performed on TV shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Last Call with Carson Daly, Saturday Night Live, and the Spike TV Video Game Awards. His most recent performance was with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He recently had a cameo in the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, singing "Party Party Party", a song that combines elements of multiple previous Andrew W.K. songs.^[21] The song was released on Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters the Soundtrack. Andrew's only confirmed movie role is in Punk Rock Holocaust, playing himself.

Andrew was also featured on the finale of the third season of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List as Kathy's date in New York. The two attended one of Andrew's performance art shows.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien has twice featured Andrew as a sit-down interview guest—the first in 2003 to speak about the Your Friend, Andrew W.K. show, and then again in 2007, to speak about his motivational performance tours.

Andrew is a frequent guest on the Fox News late-night program, Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.

Andrew has also been a featured interviewer and guest on The Daily Show, DirecTV, and mobile telephone network, GoTV.

Andrew also appears on the vocal-instructional DVD The Zen of Screaming.^[22]

In the summer of 2009, the Cartoon Network announced that Andrew would be hosting and creating music for a new live-action TV program called, Destroy Build Destroy. The show features Andrew working with two teams of teenagers, competing to "blow stuff up and use the wreckage to build amazing machines". The show premiered on June 20, 2009.^[23] The second season premiered on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 8:30PM, ranking #1 in their timeslot among boys 6-11 on all television.^[24] In early 2011, Cartoon Network confirmed they were beginning production on a third season of the show.,^[25] which began airing on Wednesday, June 1, in its traditional 8:30pm time-slot.

Cartoon Network also used Andrew W.K. in a music video about the network's new live-action shows. The song and video, "Hearing What I Say" (adapted from Andrew's 2006 song, "Not Going to Bed") aired extensively on Cartoon Network and was available on YouTube. Later the clip was replaced by another bumper. In 2011, Andrew was part of a pyrotechnic stunt with motocross superstar Robbie Maddison performing a backflip on his motorcycle while Andrew presented the event for Cartoon Network's Hall of Game Awards.^[26]

Andrew recently had a cameo on Cartoon Network's Mad, in the episode "Kung Fu Blander/Destroy Bob the Builder Destroy," which spoofed Bob the Builder and Destroy Build Destroy.

Music producer[link]

In addition to producing his own music on the albums I Get Wet, The Wolf and Close Calls with Brick Walls, Andrew has continued to expand his musical output to include producing and mixing music for other artists as well as working on special commercial and corporate music projects. These include the production of music exclusively for commercial use on television and radio.

In 2008, Andrew gained new notoriety for recording a song called "The McLaughlin Groove",^[27] based on an exchange between Pat Buchanan and John McLaughlin on the political television show The McLaughlin Group. The song was commissioned by the Public Radio International show Fair Game, on which Andrew has appeared for interviews.^[28]

In 2004, Andrew recorded a television jingle for Kit Kat candy bars, and rewrote their trademark "Give Me A Break" slogan into a new song. The recording appeared in a variety of 30 second, 45 second, and 1 minute commercials, broadcast on television worldwide.^[29]

"I avoided working with other people for many years, partly out of paranoia, and partly out of an earnest desire to stand on my own. After a while, I got tired of thinking that way, and it just seemed natural to do the opposite of what I had done before. I like making music with other people. I can still make music by myself too.".^[30]

Andrew's earliest external production work was with the group Wolf Eyes, on their now out-of-print 12" EP Fortune Dove. The last track on that album, "what kind of band?" features Andrew W.K. on vocals explaining why he enjoys listening to Wolf Eyes. Since then, he's chosen to work on a select and seemingly random set of projects. Most recently, he completed production and mixing on the album, Through The Panama, by Brooklyn, NY based three-piece art rock band, Sightings. The album was jointly released by Load Records and Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label in October 2007.

At the end of 2007 Andrew accepted an invitation to produce a new album, Repentance, for veteran reggae artist Lee "Scratch" Perry. The two had met when Andrew interviewed Perry for DirecTV.^[31] "Repentance" was nominated for "Best Reggae Album" in the 2009 Grammy Awards.^[32]

On February 20, 2008, Andrew released an exclusive ringtone commissioned by Universal Music Japan for the Japanese mobile phone market. The song is called, "Sonnna no Kankei Ne Rock", which celebrates a then popular catch-phrase by a TV Talent, "Sonna no Kankei Ne, Hai Oppappi!" This translates to, "I Don't Give A Damn, Yes Oppappi!" The ringtone was first announced on a Japanese national T.V. program called Music Station and had over 3,500 downloads that day. Cumulative sales of ringtone are over 20,000. Andrew's song debuted at No.1 in Label Mobile's International daily ringtone chart. Label Mobile is the biggest mobile retailer in Japan.^[33]

Nightclub and live music venue[link]

In Spring of 2008, Andrew and three partners opened a multi-level nightclub and live concert hall in downtown Manhattan, New York City. The venue is named Santos Party House, and features 8,000 square feet (740 m²) of dance floor and concert facilities, and over 150 loud-speakers.^[34] The space is designed for disco dancing and live music. It was one of the few new venues in New York City to be granted a liquor license and a cabaret license. The cabaret license means people can legally dance until 4am.^[35] Since opening, Santos Party House has received numerous awards, including: The People's Choice Award for Best Night Club, Best New Club, Best DJ Night (from Paper Magazine),^[36] Best New Dance Floor (from The Village Voice),^[37] and many more. In May 2009, Andrew and his work with Santos was the subject of an extensive four page article in New York Magazine.^[38] In 2010, the world famous Zagat Survey rated Santos Party House the "Top Dance Club" in all of New York City.^[39]

Record label[link]

In February 2009, Andrew found a loophole in his contractual constraints and formed the record label, "Skyscraper Music Maker", based in London, England and Manhattan, New York City, United States. The label is manufactured and distributed exclusively by the UK based, Cargo Records. The first release for the label was the promotional compilation CD, "DAMN! The Mixtape Vol. 1", featuring Andrew's work as a producer for Skyscraper Music Maker artists, Bad Brilliance, Aleister X, and Cherie Lily and music by New York producer, DJ B-Roc. The CD was released in the UK on May 25, 2009, and on digital download sites like iTunes and Amazon.

The second release on the Skyscraper Music Maker label was Andrew's album of "spontaneous solo piano improvisations", entitled 55 CADILLAC, on September 9, 2009. This was Andrew's first album made "by himself", as he told the UK newspaper, The Guardian.^[9]

The third release on the label was the debut 12" EP from artist, Aleister X. The EP was called Bangers & Beans, and featured four songs written by Aleister X and produced by Andrew W.K. The EP was released on November 10, 2009. In May 2010, it was announced that Aleister X would be releasing a second EP, The Git.^[40]

In late 2009, the Louise Harland Corporation (LHC) went into heated negotiations with Andrew's management and the owners of the first "Andrew W.K. record label", Skyscraper Music Maker, based in London, England. LHC fought to take control of the label, after Skycraper released Andrew's 2009 solo piano album, 55 Cadillac - which was recorded with their involvement - but sold without their permission. LHC demanded credit on each future Skyscraper release, among other financial stipulations. As a result, the Skyscraper Music Maker label name was changed to "STEEV MIKE".^[41]

In March, 2010, the newly named STEEV MIKE label presented its first official release: the repackaged 2-disc version of Andrew's 2006 album, Close Calls With Brick Walls. In September, 2010, it was announced that Cherie Lily would be releasing her debut EP WERK, on the STEEV MIKE label, which features her original song and six remixes.^[42]

In March 2011, Andrew released a new EP entitled Party All Goddamn Night. It consists of five new tracks and two previously released singles.^[43]

"Steev Mike" accusation[link]

Rumors suggest that another person, known as "Steev Mike", is behind Andrew W.K.'s music.^[44] The rumors began in late 2001 with the release of Andrew's first album, I Get Wet, when music critics and industry insiders like Gary Mullholand (of the Guardian) and Ryan Schreiber (of Pitchfork) accused Andrew W.K. of being a corporate construction.^[44][45][46]

In late 2000, an article in UK magazine Dazed & Confused featured a full-page story on "Steev Mike", but showed a photo and discography of "Andrew W.K.".^[47] In April 2001, Bulb records (who had released the first AWK record), made a page with lots of references to Steev Mike where it would later be changed to "Andrew WK".^[48] The name, "Steev Mike" was listed as "Executive Producer" on Andrew's first album I Get Wet in 2001, and again in 2006 on Andrew's DVD Who Knows and third album, Close Calls With Brick Walls. Steev Mike was not credited on the second album, "The Wolf", released in 2003.

A series of websites appeared in November 2004, supposedly created by someone calling himself "Steev Mike", consisting of easily decipherable coded messages. These messages included references to the Creative Artists Agency, a casting agency, and promises to reveal something.^[49] In the final message, a letter addressed directly to Andrew W.K., "Steev Mike" stated: "You know how much I believe in you and all that you stand for, because I stood for it first. You know how much I love your music, because I created it. You know that I love the way you look and act and talk and sing and dance because it was born in my brain." The message goes on to say: "Your recent efforts to exclude me from the 3rd album material will not be tolerated. I did not work for the last year on these new songs in order to have you break promises." and later: "If you refuse to comply, I will have no choice but to let the world know that you’re a backstabbing fraud."^[50]

Andrew W.K.'s official website also appeared to have been hacked during the same period, with someone leaving the same coded messages, taunting and insulting users.

It is unclear who was behind these messages, but they provoked a statement by Andrew himself, addressing the confusion, posted on his official website. In the statement, addressed "Dear everyone", he wrote, "PLEASE DON'T BELIEVE STEEV MIKE. I USED TO CALL MYSELF STEEV MIKE A LONG TIME AGO AND IT'S NOTHING NOW. Someone is trying to confuse you and make me look bad."^[51]

In March 2006, a 1992 Bulb Records 7" 45 recorded under the name "Steev Mike" was discovered.^{[citation needed]} The tracks on the record were found to be from another Bulb band known as Couch.^{[citation needed]}

In May 2009 Andrew discussed the "Steev Mike" rumors once in an interview with British magazine, Front. In the interview he stated, "Steev Mike is the executive producer on my first album. The nature of how we presented my initial offerings caused some confusion, even though I tried to make it as straightforward as possible". He also added, "most of what you've heard is exaggerated but the parts that are true may be more disturbing than you'd hoped".^[52]

According to corporate records filed with the Secretary of State of Michigan, "Andrew W.K. Inc." filed a certificate of assumed name on May 28, 2010 to transact business under the name "Steev Mike." Also according to corporate filings in Michigan, Andrew Wilkes-Krier is the president and sole officer of "Andrew W.K. Inc." and has been since the corporation's first annual report was filed in April 2000 if not earlier. "Andrew W.K. Inc." was formed in December 1999.^[53]

In an interview with MTV in January 2010, Andrew WK did his best to explain who "Steev Mike" is, noting that legal restraints prevent him from revealing everything: "The best way I can answer is [that Steev Mike is] a name given to a group of people who don't want to be named."^[54]

Legal disputes[link]

In September 2009, writing in the British newspaper, The Guardian, Andrew apparently acknowledged the "Steev Mike" website hacking: "At the end of 2004, an old friend of mine got in some business trouble and basically decided to take it out on me. To cut a long story short, this person is someone I worked very closely with and had a formal and family business relationship with. Due to various complaints this person had with me, they were able to turn my life and career upside down. I wasn't allowed to use my own name within certain areas of the US entertainment industry and we were in a debate about who owned the rights to my image, and who should get credit for "inventing" it. This made my life complicated and intense for a few years, but I kept working and doing whatever I could to keep moving forward."^[9]

Andrew WK's third album, Close Calls with Brick Walls apparently suffered from legal problems, possibly relating to the ones mentioned above, and was only released in 2010, despite being ready for release in 2006.

In December 2009, a lecture recorded at Madame Jojo's in London in September 2008^[55] was published online. During the lecture Andrew W.K. jokingly stated that the Andrew W.K. persona was created by a committee including himself, his father, and other individuals, and that he was the "next person playing Andrew W.K." Claiming, "I'm not the guy you've seen from the I Get Wet album... I'm not that same person. I don't just mean that in a philosophical or conceptual way. It's not the same person at all."^[56]

He went further on to say: "Andrew W.K. was created by a large group of people. They met, and I was there, and we talked about how we could come up with something that would move people. It was done in the spirit of commerce. It was done in the spirit of entertainment, which usually goes hand in hand with commerce. I was auditioned, along side many other people, to fill this role of a 'great frontman', 'a great performer'. On the one hand it may be a little scary to admit this to you all, that I may not be exactly who you thought I was, and that the guy who was, in fact, first hired as Andrew W.K. is a different person than the guy sitting here on the stage tonight. I'm the next person who is playing Andrew W.K."^[56]

Finally, in an interview before the performance he said, "I thought it would be more interesting if my secret history was revealed after the fact rather than as a precursor".^[57]

On January 3, 2010, apparently in response to criticism to his previous statements, Andrew W.K. published an article on his official website declaring, "I am a real person who thinks for himself and am not the victim of anyone or group of people trying to influence my career or life. I take responsibility for everything in my life, including who I work for and what happens to me because of it. Just because a person has mentors or advisers doesn't mean they don't have their own brain and soul. And just because I work with other people who advise me doesn't mean that I am a puppet for an evil cult or have some sort of master plan."^[45]

"Ask Andrew WK Anything"[link]

On February 14, 2010, Andrew WK hosted an event at Santos Party House in New York, where members of the public could ask him anything they liked.^[58] At the event W.K. admitted he could not answer certain questions, and that "when I agreed to do this, in 1999 or 2000, no one anticipated this level of questioning and doubt".^[59] He also stated that "I am Andrew W.K., the same that has been here from the beginning... I am... I am, I am the same Andrew W.K. at this appearance as at all Andrew W.K.-related appearances."^[60]

Personal life[link]

Andrew has said in interviews that his parents sent him to a child psychologist following exploits in arson, baseball card forgery, mail fraud, and the composition of a controversial song about a school mate whom Andrew had a crush on. The song eventually earned Andrew a juvenile restraining order which lasted until he was 21.^[61]

On October 4, 2008, Andrew married Cherie Pourtabib (also known as Cherie Lily), four years after the couple met. They were introduced by their heavy-metal voice teacher.^[62] Andrew currently resides in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City.^[63]

Discography[link]

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (May 2012)

External links[link]

• Andrew W.K. at the Internet Movie Database
• AndrewWK.com - Official site
• AndrewWKMusic.com - Fansite
• June 2009 Interview with Andrew Wk
• SantosPartyHouse.com - Official site
• Santos Party House on Myspace
• The Rumpus Long Interview with Andrew W.K.
• Andrew W.K. Interview at Disappear Here magazine
• Andrew W.K. performs and is interview on Radio Happy Hour
• Andrew W.K. interview on the Metal Injection Livecast
• Andrew W.K. On VYou!

Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg performing at the Snoop Dogg Supafest in April 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.
Born	(1971-10-20) October 20, 1971 (age 40)
Origin	Long Beach, California, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Death Row, No Limit, Priority, Star Trak, Geffen, Doggystyle
Associated acts	Tha Dogg Pound, Tha Eastsidaz, 213, Dr. Dre, Warren G, Nate Dogg, 2Pac, Pharell, R. Kelly, Ice Cube, Akon, Game, Brandy Norwood, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa
Website	snoopdogg.com

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper 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 Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records making a debut at No.1 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle quickly 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. In early 1996, Snoop Dogg was cleared of charges over his bodyguard's 1993 murder of Philip Woldemariam. His second album, late 1996's Tha Doggfather, also debuted at No.1 on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" as the lead single. The album sold only half as well, being certified double platinum in 1997.

Tha Doggfather was his last release for Death Row before he signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums. Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told in 1998, No Limit Top Dogg in 1999 (making it his last album of the 90s), and Tha Last Meal in 2000, which was his last No Limit Records album. Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released his album Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. Then he 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), his most recent release, were on Priority.

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, although the UK ban was later reversed after a long legal battle.^[1] He is the cousin of 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.^[2]

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Named after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Sr. (December 10, 1948 – November 9, 1985, Los Angeles), 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).^[3][4][5] His father, Vernall Varnado (born December 13, 1949, Magnolia, Mississippi),^[3] was a Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier who was said to be frequently absent from his life.^[6] Broadus' parents nicknamed him "Snoopy" as a child because of his appearance, but usually addressed him as Calvin at home.^[7][8] 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.^[9][10] He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and was convicted for cocaine possession, serving six months at the Wayside County Jail.^[7]

As a teenager, Snoop Dogg frequently ran into trouble with the law. Snoop Dogg was a member of the Rollin' 20 Crips gang in the Eastside of Long Beach,^[11][12] although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang.^[9] Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine.^[7] Snoop Dogg's conviction caused him to be frequently in and out of prison for the first three years after he graduated from high school. Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil' ½ Dead and friend Warren G, recorded home made tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue's "Hold On" had made it to a mixtape which was heard by influential producer Dr. Dre, who phoned to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A member The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks and chorus.^[13]

[edit] 1992–93: Doggystyle

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.^[7]

To fuel the ascendance of West Coast G-funk hip hop, the singles "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" and "Gin and Juice" reached the top ten most-played songs in the United States, and the album stayed on the Billboard charts for several months.^[7] Gangsta rap became the center of arguments for censorship and labeling, with Snoop Dogg often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians.^[14] 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."^[9]

A short film about Snoop Dogg's murder trial called Murder Was The Case, was released in 1994, along with an accompanying soundtrack. On July 6, 1995, Doggy Style Records, Inc., a record label founded by Snoop Dogg, was registered with the California Secretary of State as business entity number C1923139.^[15]

[edit] 1996–97: Tha Doggfather

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 (460 m²) 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.^[16]

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.^[7] Dr. Dre had left Death Row earlier in 1996 because of a contract dispute, so Snoop Dogg co-produced Tha Doggfather with Daz Dillinger and DJ Pooh.

This album featured a distinct change of style as compared to Doggystyle, and the leadoff single, "Snoop's Upside Ya Head", featured a collaboration with Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson. While the album sold reasonably well, it was not as successful as its predecessor. However, Tha Doggfather had a somewhat softer approach to the G-funk style. The immediate aftermath of Dr. Dre's withdrawal from Death Row Records, realizing that he was subject to an iron-clad time-based contract (i.e., that Death Row practically owned anything he produced for a number of years), Snoop Dogg refused to produce any more tracks for Suge Knight, other than the insulting "Fuck Death Row", until his contract expired.^[11] In an interview with Neil Strauss in 1998, Snoop Dogg stated that though he had been given lavish gifts by his former label they had withheld royalty payments to the artist.^[17]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that after Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg began "moving away from his gangsta roots toward a calmer lyrical aesthetic":^[7] for instance, Snoop participated in the 1997 Lollapalooza concert tour, which featured mainly alternative rock music. Troy J. Augusto of Variety noticed that Snoop's set at Lollapalooza attracted "much dancing, and, strangely, even a small mosh pit" in the audience.^[18]

[edit] 1998–2000: No Limit, Top Dogg and Tha Last Meal

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).^[7] In 2001, his autobiography, Tha Doggfather, was published.

[edit] 2002: Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$

In 2002 he released the album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$, on Priority/Capitol/EMI Records, selling over 1,300,000 copies. The album featured the hit singles "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful", featuring guest vocals by Pharrell. By this stage in his career, Snoop Dogg had left behind his "gangster" image and embraced a "pimp" image.

[edit] 2004–05: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece

In 2004, Snoop signed to Geffen Records/Star Trak Entertainment both of which are distributed through Interscope Records; Star Trak is headed by producer duo The Neptunes, which produced several tracks for Snoop's 2004 release R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), the first single released from the album, was a hit and became Snoop Dogg's first single to reach number one. His third release was "Signs", featuring Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson, which entered the UK chart at #2. This was his highest entry ever in the UK chart. The album sold 1,724,000 copies in the U.S. alone, and most of its singles were heavily played on radio and television. Snoop Dogg joined Warren G and Nate Dogg to form the group 213 and released album The Hard Way in 2004. Debuting at No.4 on the Billboard 200 and No.1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, it included single "Groupie Luv". Together with fellow rappers Lil' Jon, Xzibit and David Banner, Snoop Dogg appeared in the music video for Korn's "Twisted Transistor".

[edit] 2006: Tha Blue Carpet Treatment

Snoop Dogg's appeared on two tracks from Ice Cube's 2006 album Laugh Now, Cry Later, including the single "Go to Church", and on several tracks on Tha Dogg Pound's Cali Iz Active the same year. Also, his latest song, "Real Talk", was leaked over the Internet in the summer of 2006 and a video was later released on the Internet. "Real Talk" was a dedication to former Crips leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams and a diss to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California. Two other singles on which Snoop made a guest performance were "Keep Bouncing" by Too $hort (also with will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas) and "Gangsta Walk" by Coolio.

Snoop's 2006 album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, debuted on the Billboard 200 at No.5 and has sold over 850,000 copies. The album and the second single "That's That Shit" featuring R. Kelly were well received by critics. In the album, he collaborated in a video with E-40 and other West Coast rappers for his single "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)".

[edit] 2007–08: Ego Trippin'

In July 2007, Snoop Dogg also made history by becoming the first artist to release a track as a ringtone prior to its release as a single, which was "It's the D.O.G." On July 7, 2007, Snoop Dogg performed at the Live Earth concert, Hamburg.^[19] 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". He also appears in the movie as himself.^[20] The album featuring the song was released on June 8, 2008 on Junglee Music Records.^[21] 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 No.7 on the Billboard 100, featuring Snoop using autotune. The album featured production from QDT (Quik-Dogg-Teddy).

[edit] 2009–10: Malice n Wonderland and More Malice

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 No.35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at No.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 No.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.

[edit] 2011–12: Doggumentary

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 also collaborated with American comedy troupe The Lonely Island in their song "Turtleneck & Chain", in their 2011 album Turtleneck & Chain.

Snoop Dogg's newest studio album is Doggumentary. The album went through several tentative titles including Doggystyle 2: Tha Doggumentary and Doggumentary Music: 0020 before being released under the final title Doggumentary during March 2011.^[22] Snoop was featured on Gorillaz' latest album Plastic Beach on a track called: "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" with the The Hypnotic Brass, he also completed another track with them entitled "Sumthing Like This Night" which does not appear on Plastic Beach, yet does appear on Doggumentary. He also appears on the latest Tech N9ne album All 6's and 7's (released June 7, 2011) on a track called "Pornographic" which also features E-40 and Krizz Kaliko.

[edit] 2012–present: Reincarnated

On February 4, 2012, Snoop Dogg announced a new documentary alongside his new upcoming studio album entitled Reincarnated.^[23] Snoop Dogg is set to headline the Osheaga Festival in Montreal, Canada this summer. ^[24]

Other ventures[link]

Media appearances[link]

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".^[25] 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.^[26] Snoop then directed Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp in 2002 (using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").^[27]

In 2001, Snoop lent his voice to the animated show King of the Hill, in which he played a white pimp named Alabaster Jones.^[28] 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.^[29] 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.^[30] On November 8, 2004, Snoop Dogg was starred in the episode "Two of a Kind" of NBC's series Las Vegas.^[31]

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,^[32] and made an appearance on the TV shows Entourage^[33] and Monk,^[34] for which he recorded a version of the theme, in July 2007.

Snoop Dogg at WrestleMania XXIV at Orlando's Citrus Bowl with Ashley Massaro and tag team partner Maria, March 30, 2008

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.^[35]

In December 2007, his reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood premiered on the E! channel.^[36] Snoop Dogg joined the NBA's Entertainment League.^[37] 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.^[38]

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.^[39][40] 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.^[41] 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".^[42] 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 while touring in the UK. However ITV bosses were said to be less keen.^[43]

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."^[44][45]

In March 2011, Snoop participated in Comedy Central's Roast of Donald Trump with other comedians and media personalities.^[46]

January 2, 2012, appeared on the The Price Is Right and raised $72,000 for his charity, Snoop Youth Football League.

Endorsements[link]

Snoop Dogg performing live in Hawaii, July 23, 2005.

• St. Ides
• Snoop Dogg 40 Oz Malt liquor
• Adidas Originals
• Boost Mobile cell phone
• Chrysler 300
• Colt 45 Blast
• Metro PCS Samsung Galaxy 4G
• Orbit Gum
• AOL commercial with Jerry Stiller
• 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^[47]
• "Snoop Dogg Board Company (SDBC)" – skateboards and Luggage fabrication company (with Pentagon Distribution)
• "Snooperbowl" and "Snoop Youth Football league"^[48]
• "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^[49]
• 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^[50]
• 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)^[51]
• "Snoop Dogg Clothing" – streetwear (distributed at Macy's)
• "WRFF" – unique design scooters (in cooperation with Salton, Inc.)^[52]
• "Hip Hop Gaming League" – a celebrity online gaming competition (hosted by Global Gaming League)^[53]
• "Snoop Dogg figures" (Vital Toys, SOTA Toys)^[54]
• "Snoop Dogg Boxing" – mobile phone game (Sony Pictures Mobile)
• "Snoop Dogg Pet Accessory Line" (in conjunction with Jakks Pacific)^[55]
• Snoop Dogg is a celebrity voice of a TomTom GPS navigation system.^[56][57] 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.^[58]
• "Hack is Wack" – Promoting Norton AntiVirus.^[59]
• "Coffee Cup With A Cause" with 7 Eleven.^[60]
• "Serious Pimp" clothing line.^[61]
• "iFizzle" iPhone Application.^[62]
• "Vybe Mobile"^[63]
• "Pepsi Max" – Zero Calories^[64]

Style and rap skills[link]

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",^[65] and "flavor-filled melodic rhyming".^[66] Peter Shapiro describes Snoop's delivery as a "molasses drawl"^[67] and Allmusic notes his "drawled, laconic rhyming" style.^[7] 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".^[68]

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,"^[69] 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"^[70] and adds that he "showed where his style came from by covering Slick Rick's 'La Di Da Di'".^[67] Referring to Snoop's flow, Kool Moe Dee calls him "one of the smoothest, funkiest flow-ers in the game".^[66] How to Rap also notes that Snoop is known to use syncopation in his flow to give it a laidback quality,^[71] as well as 'linking with rhythm' in his compound rhymes,^[72] using alliteration,^[73] and employing a "sparse" flow with good use of pauses.^[74]

Snoop re-popularized the use of -izzle speak, particularly in the pop and hip-hop music industry.^[75]

Personal life[link]

Snoop Dogg in August 2009

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.^[76] The couple renewed their wedding vows on January 12, 2008.^[77] R&B singers Brandy and Ray J are his first cousins.^[78] In 2002, the rapper announced he was giving up marijuana, one of his image trademarks, for good.^[79] According to his IMDb biography, Snoop is a fan of the thrash metal band Metallica^[80] and performed their song "Sad But True" on the band's 2003 MTV Icon Special which is available on YouTube.^[81] 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.^[82]

Snoop is an avid fan of hometown teams Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Snoop is also an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan.^[83] 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.^[84] In the 2005 offseason, Snoop mentioned that he wanted to be an NFL head coach, "probably for the Steelers".^[85] The following year, he was in attendance for the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XL and later in Super Bowl XLIII. He is also a fan of the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, often wearing a No.5 jersey, and has been seen at Raiders training camps.^[86] He did his own free style rap based on his similarities with Tony Romo.^[87][88] He is also a fan of the USC Trojans Football team. 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.^[89][90] On August 6, 2009, Snoop visited the training camp of the Baltimore Ravens at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.^[91] 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.^[92][93]

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.^[94]

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 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.^[95][96][97]

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 of some of the other pimps he knew, he eventually gave up pimping to spend more time with his family.^[98]

Legal issues[link]

Mug shot of Snoop Dogg taken in September 1993.

Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine.^[7]

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.^[99] 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.^[100]

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 pleaded guilty to possession of a handgun and was ordered to record three public service announcements, pay a $1,000 fine, and serve three years' probation.^[101][102]

In May 1998, Snoop Dogg was fined and arrested for a misdemeanor of marijuana possession.^[103]

In October 2001, Snoop Dogg was arrested again for a misdemeanor of marijuana possession.^[103] In 2002 he pleaded no contest and was fined a total of $398.30 and received a suspended 30-day jail sentence.^[104]

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.^[105] 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.^[106] 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 jail, 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."^[107][108] 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.^[109] 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.^[110][111] Snoop Dogg's visa card was rejected by local authorities on March 24, 2007 because of the Heathrow incident.^[112] 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^[113] and Budapest (due to rescheduling).^[114] As of March 2010, Snoop Dogg has been allowed back into the UK.^[1]

On September 27, 2006, Snoop Dogg was detained at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California by airport security, after airport screeners found a collapsible police baton in Snoop's carry-on bag. The baton was confiscated but Snoop was allowed to board the flight. He has been charged with various weapons violations stemming from this incident. Donald Etra, Snoop's lawyer, told deputies the baton was a prop for a musical sketch. Snoop was sentenced to three years' probation and 160 hours of community service starting on September 20, 2007.^[115]

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.^[116]

He was again arrested on November 29, 2006, after performing on The Tonight Show, for possession of marijuana and a firearm.^[117]

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. The results on urine determined whether charges would be pressed. However the rapper denied all charges.^[118][119]

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.^[120] 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."^[121]

Snoop Dogg's many legal issues forced San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to withdraw his plan to issue a proclamation to the rapper.^[122]

Snoop Dogg was banned from Parkpop, a festival in the Netherlands on June 27, 2010, where he was scheduled to perform. The mayor and law enforcement officials asked organizers of the festival to find an artist more “open and friendly” to play the event.^[123]

Snoop Dogg was arrested again on January 7, 2012 for possession of Marijuana charge after Border control agents discovered a small amount of marijuana on his tour bus. Snoop Dogg was stopped at the same Sierra Blanca, Texas, checkpoint where country singer Willie Nelson was arrested for marijuana possession in 2010. The agents conducted a routine inspection of his tour bus at the U.S.– Mexico border checkpoint, east of El Paso, Texas and thought they smelled marijuana. Snoop Dogg was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia, released and given a court date of Friday, January 20, 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

• 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)
• R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004)
• Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)
• Ego Trippin' (2008)
• Malice n Wonderland (2009)
• Doggumentary (2011)
• Reincarnated (2012)

Filmography[link]

• 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 Invisibles (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: Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (voice)
• 2009: Dogg After Dark: Himself
• 2009: Xavier: Renegade Angel (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: Freaknik: The Musical
• 2010: Malice n Wonderland as Malice
• 2010: Big Time Christmas as Himself
• 2011: 90210 (TV series) as Himself
• 2011: Roast of Donald Trump

Awards[link]

Snoop Dogg was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.^[124]

Further reading[link]

	Book: Snoop Dogg
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Snoop Dogg (1999). Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg. New York, N.Y., U.S.: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0-688-17158-3 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Snoop Dogg

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Snoop Dogg

• Official website
• Snoop Dogg at Geffen Records
• Snoop Dogg at Allmusic
• Snoop Dogg at MTV
• Snoop Dogg discography at Discogs
• Snoop Dogg at the Internet Movie Database

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Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American hip hop band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in late 1993, when Bone Thugs debuted with EP Creepin on ah Come Up. The EP included the hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone".

In 1995, the group released its second album, E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "Tha Crossroads." A tribute to the recently deceased Eazy-E, "Tha Crossroads," won a Grammy award in 1997. The Art of War, the group's third album, was also released in 1997. Bone Thugs is also the only group that has worked with deceased artists 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Eazy-E & Big Pun while they were still alive.

In 2000 BTNHResurrection reached platinum in one month and Thug World Order (2002) received more moderate sales and promotion. After the album the group went on hiatus and released their sixth studio album Thug Stories independently before returning in 2007 with the major label release Strength & Loyalty, this time released by Swizz Beatz's label Full Surface Records. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony officially returned with their new album Uni-5: The World's Enemy, released in 2010 by their own record label, BTNH Worldwide, with distribution by Warner Bros.. Due to internal conflicts with the group, longtime members Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone officially left the group in April 2011. Despite speculation that the group was splitting up, Flesh-n-Bone announced that a new album with him, Layzie and Bizzy will be released soon. Krayzie and Wish are currently working with upcoming artists on their label The Life Ent.