Editing Snoop Dogg (section)

==Early life==
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born on October 20, 1971, in [[Long Beach, California]], to Beverly Tate (1951–2021) and Vernell Varnado.<ref name="wargs.com" >{{cite web|url=http://www.wargs.com/other/broadus.html|title=Ancestry of Snoop Dogg|work=www.wargs.com|access-date=September 11, 2019|archive-date=December 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202015931/http://wargs.com/other/broadus.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2774325/2007.pdf|title=Snoop Dogg Charged with Gun Possession|date=April 10, 2007|access-date=May 31, 2016|publisher=[[Los Angeles County District Attorney|Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office]]|page=277|quote=The 35-year-old musician, whose real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus, (dob 10-20-71)....|archive-date=June 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601025049/https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2774325/2007.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Varnado, who was a [[Vietnam War]] veteran, singer, and mail carrier, left the family only three months after Snoop Dogg's birth, and thus he was named after his stepfather, Cordozar Calvin Broadus Sr. (1948–1984).<ref name="allmusicbio" >{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p41625|title=Snoop Dogg Biography|publisher=[[AllMusic.com]]|access-date=July 4, 2008|quote=Born October 20, 1971|archive-date=October 27, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027053345/http://allmusic.com/artist/p41625|url-status=live}}</ref>{{not in source|date=January 2025}} His biological father remained largely absent from his life. As a boy, his mother nicknamed him "[[Snoopy]]" due to his love for and likeness to the cartoon character from ''[[Peanuts]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/entertainment/music/Snoop_Dogg_Tells_Money_Honey_He_Was_Named_After_Snoopy-70238792.html|title=Snoop Dogg: I Was Named After Snoopy|website=NBC Chicago|date=November 17, 2009 |access-date=February 13, 2019|archive-date=December 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224220314/https://www.nbcchicago.com/entertainment/music/Snoop_Dogg_Tells_Money_Honey_He_Was_Named_After_Snoopy-70238792.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was the second of his mother's three sons. His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975.<ref name="wargs.com" />

Snoop Dogg was raised [[Baptist]] and began singing and playing piano at Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church when he was very young.<ref name="NY Times 1993 Growl">{{cite news| author = Toure| title = Snoop Dogg's Gentle Hip-Hop Growl| url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEFDB133DF932A15752C1A965958260&sec=&spon=| work = [[The New York Times]]| date = November 21, 1993| access-date = April 24, 2008| archive-date = February 15, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220215002519/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/21/arts/pop-music-snoop-dogg-s-gentle-hip-hop-growl.html| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/snoop%20unveils%20church.going%20past| title= Snoop unveils church going past| date= November 3, 2004| access-date= February 4, 2008| archive-date= August 3, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090803131625/http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/snoop%20unveils%20church.going%20past| url-status= live}}</ref> His mother, a member of the church choir, was one of his "prime musical influences" growing up and introduced him to old-school R&B music.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Snoop Dogg |title=Tha Doggfather |date=1999 |page=14 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-688-17158-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/thadoggfathertim00snoo/page/14/mode/2up?q=%22prime+musical%22 |quote=Mama was one of my prime musical influences growing up. First off, there was the church. She herself was a member of the choir.}}</ref> In his youth, Snoop Dogg sold candy, delivered newspapers, and bagged groceries. Snoop Dogg was described as having been a dedicated student and enthusiastic churchgoer, active in choir and football.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-snoopphilips7nov0793-story.html|title=The saga of Snoop Doggy Dogg|date=November 7, 1993|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=August 30, 2019|archive-date=August 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830023436/https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-snoopphilips7nov0793-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In sixth grade, Snoop Dogg began rapping.<ref name="NY Times 1993 Growl" /> He would frequently rap in school, as he recalled: "When I rapped in the hallways at school I would draw such a big crowd that the principal would think there was a fight going on. It made me begin to realize that I had a gift. I could tell that my raps interested people and that made me interested in myself".<ref name=":0" />

In his teenage years, Snoop Dogg began engaging in unlawful activities and joining gangs, despite his mother's preventive efforts.<ref name=":0" /> He was a member of the [[Rollin' 20s Crips]] gang in the [[Eastside, Long Beach, California|Eastside]] neighborhood of Long Beach;<ref name="Most Lovable Pimp">{{cite magazine|author=Toure|title=America's Most Lovable Pimp|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12676363/cover_story_americas_most_lovable_pimp/print| magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] |date= December 14, 2006|url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621111652/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12676363/cover_story_americas_most_lovable_pimp/print| archive-date=June 21, 2008}}</ref> in 1993, however, he denied the frequent police and media reports by saying that he never joined a gang.<ref name="NY Times 1993 Growl"/> Shortly after graduating from [[Long Beach Polytechnic High School]] in 1989, he was arrested for possession of [[cocaine]], and for the next three years was frequently incarcerated, including at [[Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center|Wayside Jail]].<ref name="allmusicbio"/> With his two cousins, [[Nate Dogg]] and Lil' ½ Dead, and friend [[Warren G]], he recorded homemade tapes, with one titled ''Over the Counter'' attracting some label interest.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} The four called their group [[213 (group)|213]] after the [[area code]] of their native Long Beach at that time, and recorded their first four-song demo at their local [[VIP Records (Long Beach)|VIP Records]] store.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quinones |first=Sam |last2=Times |first2=Los Angeles |date=2012-02-07 |title=World Famous VIP Records in Long Beach struggles to stay relevant |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-feb-07-la-me-vip-records-20120207-story.html |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> One of Snoop's early solo [[freestyle rap|freestyles]] over "[[Hold On (En Vogue song)|Hold On]]" by [[En Vogue]] was on a [[mixtape]] that fortuitously wound up with [[Dr. Dre]]; the influential producer was so impressed by the sample that he called Snoop Dogg to audition in 1991 for his label [[Death Row Records]] (then known as Future Shock). Former [[N.W.A]] affiliate, American rapper Tracy Lynn Curry, better known as [[The D.O.C.]], taught him to structure his lyrics and separate the themes into verses, hooks, and choruses.<ref name="Hip Hop Honours 2007">According to Snoop Dogg's memoirs, as told by himself in VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2007</ref>