Snoop Slapp'd With Suit Over Suge Dis Posted Friday, March 28, 2003 by Jason
It's one thing for Snoop Dogg to take potshots at his former Death Row label boss, Marion "Suge" Knight. At least Snoop has security guards and bulletproof cars.

But a man without the benefit of professional protection filed suit against the rapper in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday for including a voice message he left for Snoop on last year's Paid Tha Cost to Be Da Boss album.

A California man identified only as "John Doe" filed the civil suit, claiming that his life is in danger because of the message, which taunts Knight using the nickname "Simon." Snoop also uses "Simon" in the song to identify the founder of Death Row Records, now called Tha Row.

The message, left in October on Snoop's answering machine, appears at the end of "Pimp Slapp'd," a harsh series of disses aimed at Knight. Doe is heard saying, "This is Big Jim Bob. I just heard that little cut you put out the other day. I got much love for you, boy. Expose that big old, fake-ass n---a Simon. That n---a ain't never been from the streets."

The suit claims Doe notified Snoop and his label in January that the message was sampled without his permission and that when asked why he used it, Snoop answered, "[because] it was so real."

According to the suit filed against Calvin Broadus (Snoop's real name), Priority, Capitol and Doggy Style Records "Unfortunately, it is so real that the plaintiff now fears for his life and that of his elderly mother, because it appears that he, as a Compton resident where a rival of Broadus', 'Suge' Knight, apparently has a lot of 'pull' and is feared is supporting Broadus in the turf war. ... Mr. Knight is a burly, convicted felon and is rumored to be involved with gangs, to threaten, assault and hurt people."

Knight was released from prison in February after serving two months for parole violations.

The suit claims misappropriation of voice and intentional infliction of emotional distress and asks for damages and injunctions against distribution of the album. A Capitol/Priority spokesperson had no comment on the suit. A spokesperson for Knight could not be reached.

At first the song identifies Knight only as "Simon", claiming, "I got the word on you, Simon/ You need to just start rhymin'/ 'Cause you the biggest star on your label/ And them other n---as just crumbs off my table/ You're not able to compete with the sh-- that I drop/ And I still ain't been paid for 187 on the cop." The last line is a reference to the song "187," which Snoop recorded with Dr. Dre while both were signed to Knight's label.

Snoop later calls him out by name, rapping, "Suge Knight's a bitch, and that's on my life"

Major Snoop Dogg Fans Needed for MTV! Posted Tuesday, February 11, 2003 by Jason
Major Snoop Dogg Fans Needed for MTV!
If you are a major fan of Snoop Dogg and think you know everything about him
- MTV wants YOU to tell his story.

MTV is casting right now for a new episode of FANography. Let us know who
you are, your age, state and what you know about Snoop.

Email us at fanographycasting@mtv.com

FootBall Posted Tuesday, December 17, 2002 by Jason
SNOOP DOGG TO PLAY FOOTBALL AGAINST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 1ST ANNUAL SNOOP BOWL FUNDRAISER FOR THE LAMA LINDA CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

Making a pause for a good cause, Multi-Platinum Rapper Snoop Dogg will host the 1st Annual Snoop Bowl, a football fundraiser for the Lama Linda Childrens Hospital. Interesting enough, Snoop Dogg and his All-Stars will play against the Inland Empire Police Department (The Enforces) on December 19, 2002 at Long Beach City College Veteran Stadium. We look at this game as a charitable affair allowing us an opportunity to become involved in community affairs, says The Enforcers. In addition, Snoop and several officers from the IEPD will visit the childrens hospital over the holidays.

Tickets are $12 however; attendees can receive a $2.00 discount by donating a can food item. A portion of the proceeds will also be donated to the Boys and Girls Club to continue the much needed work in the communities. This is for the youth man, thats what all of this is about, explains Snoop Dogg.

Event: Snoop Doggs 1st Annual Snoop Bowl
When: Thursday, December 19, 2002
Time: 6:00 PM
Where: Long Beach City College Veteran Stadium
4901 East Carson Street
Long Beach, California 90808

Snoop Dogg Explains Slang In New Song Posted Sunday, December 8, 2002 by Jason
Curious about exactly what Snoop Dogg means when he makes reference to the "chuuuch" in his song "From Da Chuuuch To Da Palace?," the first single from his sixth studio album, Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Boss, out Tuesday (November 26) on Priority/Capitol Records?

The popular Dr. Dre protege, who recently announced that he stopped drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, said the term "chuuuch" was presented to him by his colleague and renowned pimp, the Archbishop Don Magic Juan. "It's simply stating that we keep God in everything we do, and we try to be more positive than negative," Snoop told LAUNCH. "By us saying chuuuch, it's a positive greeting. And it just brings joy to our heart and soul."

Snoop has been so taken by the term, that he uses it as the name of his recording studio. "You got to have our spirit right here first of all when you making these records," Snoop said. "You got to have your mind on the spirit on right so people can feel what you saying."

In related news, Snoop Dogg aired Monday (November 25) the pilot episode of his variety show, Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, on MTV.

The following is the tracklisting for Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Boss that features a slew of guest appearances: "Don Doggy"; "Da Boss Would Like To See You"; "Stoplight"; "From Tha Chuuuch To Da Palace"; "I Believe In You" featuring Latoiya Williams; "Lollipop" featuring Jay-Z, Soopafly and Nate Dogg; "Ballin'" featuring the Dramatics and Lil' Half Dead; "Beautiful" featuring Pharell and Uncle Charlie Wilson; "Paper'd Up" featuring Mr. Kane and Traci Nelson; "Wasn't Your Fault"; "Boss Playa"; "Hourglass" featuring Mr. Kane and Goldie Loc; "The One And Only"; "I Miss That Bitch" featuring E-White; "From LB To Brick City" featuring Redman and Nate Dogg; "Suite N Boosted"; "You Got What I Want" featuring Ludacris and Goldie Loc; "Batman And Robin" featuring Lady Of Rage and RBX; "Message 2 Fat Cuzz"; and "Pimp Slapped."

-- Billy Johnson (news) Jr., Los Angeles

Smoke-Free Snoop Blows Up Smoke Out; Bone Thugs, Slash Drop In Posted Tuesday, December 3, 2002 by Jason
LOS ANGELES Snoop Dogg ignored the persistent audience chant of "Hit the bong!" for a large portion of his set at the Smoke Out festival on Saturday before he finally made the mistake of asking, "What bong?"

A short time later, the 20-foot glass apparatus that members of Cypress Hill and host Tommy Chong had toked on earlier was carted out. But despite the day's marijuana-centered theme, Snoop left the stage without inhaling. His set capped off a day's worth of performances from a diverse bill that included Taproot, Adema and Everlast, among others, and surprise appearances by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Slash and Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn.

Backstage, Snoop said that it was a "personal invite" from B-Real that brought him to the fifth Cypress Hill Smoke Out, held for the first time at the Los Angeles Coliseum. "Me and him go way back," Snoop explained. "He played on my new record, he played the congas on it. We family like that. This is an annual event for him. I'm local. I'm in the 'hood. So it's a good thing, I appreciate [the invitation]."

"Each year you got to try to step it up," B-Real said of putting together the Smoke Out, an all-day event staged to promote the legalization of marijuana and to celebrate the smoking of it something Snoop has recently sworn off. "I think it's cool that he would still do it," B-Real said, "because it shows that he may not smoke it, but he's still down with the people who recognized him as being one of the frontrunners, as well as Cypress Hill, to pump that whole movement. So for him to be here with us, and Tommy Chong as well, it's great, man."

Earlier in the evening, it was with an emphasis on the celebratory atmosphere of the day that B-Real took the stage with Kush and announced that Smoke Out is "my party." Kush, the long-in-development project featuring B-Real, Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter, Cypress Hill bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and his ex-Fear Factory mate Raymond Herrera, sounded much as one might expect. Namely, it was the staccato low-end punch of Fear Factory and the trippy distorted harmonics of the Deftones topped off by B-Real's nasal-based flow that drove songs like "Psycho Killer" into rap-metal overdrive.

Over on the main stage, Mos Def and Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn joined Pharoahe Monch for a short set of ruggedly earthy hip-hop, just before singer Keith Morris' reinvigorated punk vets Circle Jerks took the stage. "We got to play with the Circle Jerks, man!" gushed Kris Kohls, drummer for hard-rockers Adema, who used Smoke Out as an opportunity to debut an adrenaline-pumped new tune called "On Top."

"It's basically about paying your dues on the road," vocalist Mark Chavez said of the song, which is set to be included on their second album. "Tonight we shook those cobwebs off. It's been about two months since we've played. It was good."

Adema's studio-imposed hiatus was nothing compared to Everlast's. Save for an appearance on "Last Call With Carson Daly," Whitey Ford had not performed in well over a year until Smoke Out. He dusted off "What It's Like" and even set down his guitar to rock the mic with "Jump Around," the enduring hit he co-wrote with Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs and recorded with his old group House of Pain over a decade ago.

"They always wanted me to play the Smoke Out," Everlast said of his Soul Assassins partners in Cypress Hill, "but I'm always on the road. This year I was home." Everlast took the stage wearing a Biggie Smalls T-shirt, and dedicated the somber "Put Your Lights On" to another fallen hip-hop hero, Jam Master Jay.

Jay's name was on many artists' lips during Smoke Out. Turntablists, including Joseph Hahn, paid tribute to the slain Run-DMC DJ during the event. Surprise performers Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, whose mentor Eazy-E passed away in 1995, also gave praise to Jay's memory. "[Jam Master Jay], Left Eye, every time something like that happens, we always think about Eazy-E [and] all of the fallen soldiers in the game," Wish Bone said. "It's tragic, but unfortunately, it's part of life."

Bone Thugs' brief appearance was later eclipsed in surprise-factor by Cypress Hill, who wound up a set comprised mostly of well-known classics with a show-stopping rendition of "(Rock) Superstar," embellished by some hot licks from hat-wearing, leather-jacketed guitar hero Slash. "I was gonna come down tonight anyway," Slash explained before he took the stage to huge applause, "and then I talked to Sen Dog and he was like, 'Do you want to come down and play on '(Rock) Superstar,' which is one of my favorite songs." The ex-Guns N' Roses axeman said he jumped at the chance, rehearsing with Cypress two days before, and even turning up at the event in a pot-leaf T-shirt.

Mudvayne's cancellation, reportedly due to vocalist Chüd's bout with bronchitis, did nothing to bump up the show's schedule, as Snoop Dogg arrived via armored vehicle well after 1:00 a.m. With Warren G, a skull-masked homey, security guards and several other hangers-on all dressed in some shade of blue, Snoop hit the stage with "Murder Was the Case," then dipped liberally into his Death Row, No Limit and Doggy Style Records catalog. The estimated 20,000-strong audience rapped along to nearly every word until the bong came out. Then Snoop, wearing a wide smile, left the stage.

Meet Snoop And Be On TV! Posted Friday, October 25, 2002 by Jason

Are you a fan of Eve, Busta Rhymes, LiL Kim, Missy Elliot, Snoop Dogg or Ice T? Want to meet them and be on tv? An upcoming Vh1 series is looking for their biggest fans. If you are 21 or older, and are interested on being on a upcoming tv show email us at musicfans@vh1staff.com to enter our contest. Please include your name, contact info and story to be considered. Also, if possible, send us a video of why you are the biggest fan (you may include your name/contact info with the tape).

Mail the tapes to:
VH1/Fansearch
2600 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404.
musicfans@vh1staff.com

Snoop Quotes Pootie Tang And Cheers: 'Pimp, Pimp Hooray! Posted Friday, October 25, 2002 by Jason
When you ball as much as Snoop Dogg, you need your own patented call to express enthusiasm when you're running your game.

With "sis boom bah" being as played out as polka dot shirts, the Doggfather has come up with another wholehearted yell on his new album, Paid the Cost to Be the Boss: "Pimp, pimp hooray!"

"Like a rose dippin' down the street/ Look so sweet/ Bumpin' to the beat," the Dramatics harmonize with Snoop on the melodic "Ballin'," which introduces his new phrase.

The odes to the oldest profession continue on "Boss Player," which features Archbishop Don "Magic" Juan, a notorious former agent to ladies of the evening, kicking off the song off calling for "Chuuch." He also testifies to Snoopy being the mack-aroni with the cheese. Meanwhile, the album's star freestyles and even quotes another player extraordinaire, Pootie Tang.

But as Don Juan proved by giving up his job years ago, having a cavalcade of girls can grow wearisome. Snoop, with a little help from the Neptunes, searches for real love on Paid the Cost's probable second single, "Beautiful."

"Beautiful, I just want you to know you're my favorite girl," Pharrell Williams croons on the hook. During the verses, the Dogg warns all who are sniffin' around his babe to keep their paws to themselves. "I get foolish/ Smack a guy who tries to pursue it/ Don't make Snoop Dogg lose it."

His idea of a dream girl? One who listens to Pat Boone and doesn't ask why he throws gang signs and wears dark blue. The love is vocally reciprocated on "I Believe in You," featuring one of Snoop's Doggystyle Allstars, LaToiya Williams. Over the slow, soulful piano strokes provided by producer Hi-Tek, Williams sings, "I know I'm gonna like what you're about to do/ Because I believe in you."

"I believe in you, too," Snoop hollers back. "I couldn't give you away no matter what my friends say."

The rap O.G. stays East Coast, teaming with sardonic track maven DJ Premier on "The One and Only." Primo uses a turntable to scratch up the lyrics "It's the one and only D-O-double-G," and his microphone-holding co-defendant tells some of his life story, including how he came from selling rocks to rocking crowds: "I stayed sharp and played my part."

Snoop and Death Row escapee-turned-Dogg House Records artist Lady of Rage play the part of Gotham City's caped crusaders on "Batman & Robin." When RBX, as Commissioner Gordon, puts the call out that villains are terrorizing the dark city, the pair start hoobangin', set out to bring heat to Mr. Freeze and even go after Two Face and Clay Face, among others baddies.

"When it's beef in Gotham City/ I got to flip," rhymes Rage, who's real name happens to be Robyn. "Robin, I'm more than a sidekick/ ... Switch on my utility belt/ Make your facility melt."

"No one can save the day like Baaatmaaan," the duo sing on song, backed by effects similar to the sounds that signaled somebody being hit on the classic campy TV show.

Snoop, who recently gave up marijuana (see "Snoop Says, 'It Is Cool To Say No To Drugs' "), equates giving up his chemical vices with breaking up on "I Miss That Bitch." "If you been in love like I been love," he begins, "One hit and I couldn't stop trippin'/ ... You used to have a hold on me/ ... I'm leaving you alone because you're driving me crazy."

The slim, trim MC, who also has guest spots from Jay-Z and Ludacris on the record, promises to never leave the West Coast alone on his new project, which drops on November 26.

"My main objective right now is to make the hottest record on the market when November hits," Snoop said a few weeks ago on the set of his video for "From the Chuuch to the Palace." "The West Coast rap game is sort of invisible right now. They need me to come back home and bring it back home. I'm'a do everything to make sure everything looks good and sounds good and feels good."

No To Drugs Posted Thursday, October 10, 2002 by Jason
Snoop Dogg isn't himself in his new video, and it has nothing to do with not smoking pot anymore.

Something else has taken over his actions.

"A little Snoop Dogg fan of mine, he's got my little action figure doll and somehow, some way, he makes the action figure move me, so whatever the doll does, I does," Snoop explained on the set of the video, directed by Diane Martel (Eve, N.E.R.D.).

"He's controlling me and making me knock things over, touch people in different ways. And I finally meet up with him and get control of him and grab my doll back and just save the day. (See photos from the set of the video.)

"It's a nice, fun video," the laid-back rapper continued. "I'm just trying to have fun and leave the violence to the left. I got violent [songs] on my record, but this video's a fun [song], and it's all about me having fun."

The Neptunes-produced "From Tha Chuuch to Tha Palace" is Snoop being himself, dropping brag rhymes like "I still got the gin and juice in hand."

"It's just sayin' I'm back, even though I ain't never went nowhere," Snoop explained. "It's been two years since I had a song on record, so [I'm] just lettin' everybody know that I been listenin', I been hearin' about this and that and whatnot, and I'm back to take my throne back from all these suckers in the game."

In general, Snoop's sixth album and first on his own Doggy Style label, Paid Tha Cost to Be Da Boss, is about celebrating his successes and reclaiming the respect he feels is due.

"I was the under-boss in the beginning, and I moved up to the captain and I became a general," the rapper said, recalling his days on Suge Knight's Death Row and Master P's No Limit labels. "And now I'm the muthaf---in' boss, so I paid the cost to be the boss. It speaks for itself."

Along with the Neptunes, Snoop's November 26 release features production work from DJ Premier, Hi-Tek and Jelly Roll as well as guest vocals by Ludacris, Redman, Lady of Rage and others. Jay-Z also appears, along with Nate Dogg, Soopafly and producer Just Blaze on the track "Lollipop."

And speaking of lollipops, Paid Tha Cost to Be Da Boss includes what is bound to be a memorable dis track in "Pimp't Slapped" (see "Snoop Calls Suge Knight A Bitch On Upcoming Album").

"Anybody that calls me out is a lollipop, a sucker," Snoop said as he licked his own pop. "I never paid no attention to him, but it just got to a point to where it was like every time I put a record out, [Knight] put a record out with me on it. And [he's always] talkin' about me and tryin' to get at me and just doin' negative things towards me and mine, so I just wanted to stand up to him and let him know that I ain't no punk and I ain't no little boy. I'm a grown-ass man and the way you bring it is the way you gotta take it."

While "Pimp't Slapped" also calls out Kurupt and Xzibit and appears to address frustrations about other West Coast rappers not standing up to Knight, Snoop said his only beef is with the Death Row founder.

"I got love for everybody that I started with, Dr. Dre, Daz ...," Snoop said. "I still love Kurupt even though he made a stupid-ass move by signing with Death Row, doing whatever he doing.

"I respect Dr. Dre to the utmost," he continued. "When I make a record, I always present him with a CD before I put the record out to get his say so on it, to hear what he thinks about it, what's strong, what's weak, what's good, what's bad. I know and understand what Dr. Dre means to me. Without Dr. Dre, without Warren G, without these key people in my life, Snoop Dogg wouldn't be where he is, because they believed in me before the whole world got a chance to see and hear who I was."

Who exactly Snoop is these days has the hip-hop world wondering, now that the man known for rapping "rollin' down the street smokin' indo" has gone clean. The news came as such a shock that rumors of health issues immediately ensued.

"I been smoking weed and drinking every day of my life for the past 10 years, and I just wanted to get high off of life and take a new direction and see what it sounds like and what it looks like from that point of view," Snoop said. "I'm also coaching my son's football team, and being around kids five days a week, I wanted to be inspirational to the kids because they all look up to me. And I wanted to give 'em something to look up to, because it is cool to say no to drugs, and that's what I'm doing right now.

"I'm 30 years old, and as you get older you get wiser, and that's what it's all about," he continued. "No, I don't have lung cancer, and I don't have throat cancer. I wanted to become a better Snoop Dogg, feelin' good, full of water, proteins, cholesterols and all kinds of stuff to keep me alive lollipops and Big Macs."

Corey Moss, with additional reporting by Nick Zano

Be On TV - VH1's Ultimate Fan Posted Wednesday, October 2, 2002 by Jason
ARE YOU A FAN OF ICE-T; SNOOP DOGG; or USHER? An upcoming Vh1 series is looking for their biggest fans. If you are older than 21, email us at musicfans@vh1staff.com to enter our contest before you miss out!

Girls Gone Wild Posted Thursday, August 22, 2002 by Jason
The release date of the Snoop Dogg hosted Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style has been pushed up two weeks to September 3. The 60-minute VHS and DVD package priced at $9.99 was taped during Mardi Gras 2002 in New Orleans.



Snoop recently told LAUNCH why he decided to participate in the popular adult series. "Well, when girls go wild, you need to film them," he said. "And they decided to film them, and they had me there present, so it's doggy-style Girls Gone Wild. And it's a good thang because that tape has been blowing up for a little bit of time now, and for me to be able to put my input in on it, is a good thang. You know, the owner, and the inventor of that, Joe Francis, is my buddy. My personal friend. My millionaire, I mean, billionaire buddy."

Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style purchasers will receive as a free bonus Girls Gone Wild Spring Break 2002 that was taped in South Padre Island, Texas; Panama City, Florida; and Mexican cities Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.

Infomercials promoting Doggy Style will air daily from September through December.

Last year, Snoop Dogg released the successful Hustler Video Doggystyle that received two AVN Video Awards: best music, and top-selling tape 2001.

Eminem is also working on a Girls Gone Wild segment due out next year.

Next Cameo Posted Friday, August 16, 2002 by Jason
Snoop Dogg's next episode will be a cameo in "A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie," according to his publicist. Other stars expected to get in on the Muppet action are Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Cusack and David Arquette, who are said to have starring roles in the NBC TV movie

Posted Wednesday, August 14, 2002 by Jason
Snoop once accused fans of only loving his Doggy Style, and this week, that just might be true. Hopefully going over better than Doggy's Angels is Snoop Dogg Presents... Doggy Style All Stars: Welcome to Tha House, Vol. 1, featuring tracks by the Doggfather himself plus Lady of Rage, RBX and Soopafly.

Snoop Dogg, Layzie Bone, Bad Azz Guest On 'Living In Sin' Posted Thursday, August 1, 2002 by Jason
Sixteen-year-old rapper Sin has secured appearances by Snoop Dogg, Layzie Bone, Bad Azz, and others on his debut album, Livin' In Sin, which is tentatively scheduled for release in September via Panther Productions.

Livin' In Sin will be the first project from the label targeting the teen rap market. In addition to Sin, the label also boasts underage MCs MoFos, Bandits, Weapon X, and Lost Panthers.

Label head Tony Shahid Rasid said he focused on young rap fans to fill a void. "I noticed that not too many of today's artists cater to the teen, young adult market," Rashid said in a statement.

Claiming influences from Big Pun, Mobb Deep, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg, Sin's rap style has garnered comparisons to Rakim and Tupac. "It's not too hard, but it leans on being edgy," Sin said via statement.

Livin' In Sin will additionally include appearances from Jayo Felony, the Eastsidaz's Tray Deee and Goldie Loc, RBX, Yukmouth, and Rappin' 4-Tay.

-- Billy Johnson Jr., Los Angeles

Snoop preparing Doggy Style compilation, working on solo LP Posted Thursday, August 1, 2002 by Jason
The first album spawned by Snoop Dogg's Doggy Style Records partnership venture with MCA is about to hit. Welcome to Tha House Volume 1, featuring Bigg Snoop Dogg, Soopafly, LaToiya Williams, Mr. Kane and E-White (collectively known as the

Doggy Style All-stars), will be released on July 30, according to a source close to the project.

The first official single will be Williams' R&B tune "Fallen Star." That video is set to start filming May 1 in Los Angeles. "Locs at Night," by Mr. Kane, and the camp posse cut

"Doh'Doh'," produced by Hi-Tek, will also be released to mixtape and mix show DJs in the next few weeks. Around the same time the album drops, a documentary will be released - also titled "Welcome to Tha House" - on VHS and DVD.

On the solo tip, Snoop is working on his next LP, Bigg Snoop Dogg Has Paid Tha Cost to Be Tha Boss, which is set to drop in late September. Hi-Tek, Just Blaze, Fredwreck, Battle Cat, the Neptunes, DJ Scratch and new Dogg House in-house producer Quazedelic have all supplied beats.

As he's doing with the label compilation, Snoop is also going to put out a film to accompany his album. He's starring in "Boss'n Up" as a hustler from Long Beach, California, named Corde, who moves to Miami. While in the M.I.A, Corde learns the ins and outs of pimping and builds a dynasty with the help of hordes of ladies of the evening.

Interestingly enough, Snoop's fans will have a chance to own his real-life big pimpin' mobile, the Snoop Deville. He's going to be giving the vehicle away as part of a contest that promotes his album.

Snoop's other acts, Tha Eastsidaz and Doggy's Angels, whose albums are put out by TVT Records, are both in the lab working on LPs as well.