“If it wasn’t for Snoop Dogg, we wouldn’t even be rapping,” Jay Rock, one quarter of Black Hippy, said to HipHopDX this week. “We was young kids growing up, singing his lyrics. We’d be like, ‘One, two, three and to the fo’.’ We was young niggas singing that. That influenced us a lot. That’s a beautiful thing.”
Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and ScHoolboy Qweren’t alone in that. Millions did the same. Millions sang along to Snoop Dogg’s lyrics, soaking up the Long Beach slang, the smooth, seemingly effortless flow and the intriguing rhymes coming from The Doggfather. Since his introduction on 1992’s Deep Coversoundtrack, the 213 representative hasn’t stopped creeping and crawling through stereo speakers. 20 years later, he remains a significant cultural figure.
Perhaps part of reason for his resilience has been a testament to Snoop Dogg’s ability to adapt. Over the years, he’s overcome the rise and fall of various trends, the coming and going of countless emcees and the numerous pitfalls of the industry. His ability to adapt has allowed him to work with several up-and-coming artists, working to prove that age doesn’t have to matter in Hip Hop, as it has in the past.
He has also helped others along the way. "I credit a lot of my success and a lot of my longevity to Snoop," adds Bow Wow, speaking with DX about The Dogg's influence. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."
Today, Snoop continues to stand tall (both literally and figuratively). He’s been recognized for his philanthropic work as well as his youth development programs. He’s worked with children, coached football teams and somehow, someway, he’s maintained a diverse portfolio that includes rapping, singing, acting and producing, among other endeavors. Standing tall, he knows he doesn’t have to stand alone. Enter: Wiz Khalifa.
Khalifa was approximately five years old when Deep Cover dropped. A self-proclaimed “goofy” kid, Khalifa would grow up to become a presence in the independent Hip Hop scene before he became a hit maker, shown by his work on the infectious chart topper “Black & Yellow.” Snoop and Wiz met at Rock The Bells, a meeting orchestrated by Guerilla Union’s Chang Weisberg and a meeting that both emcees feel was destined to take place.
Since meeting, the two have built a business partnership and a friendship. As Khalifa shares in this interview, “It’s not one-sided.” Instead, they’ve created one of mutual respect, one of understanding, despite the age difference. That may be one reason why their song, “Young, Wild & Free” became a chart topper as well, an amalgamation of generations, styles and Hip Hop eras. Whatever the reason, the two have decidedly become partners-in-rhyme and films.
In December of 2011, the two debuted their Mac & Devin Go To High School soundtrack, a project that accompanied their film of the same title. The DVD for it will be released on July 3, 2012. Snoop and Wiz recently spoke with HipHopDX about their time in school, their work giving back to students, their friendship, their similar spirits and more.
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