Snoop D-O-Double G. It’s been 17 years since we were introduced to the man with the silky smoove gangster rhymes alongside Dr. Dre on the song “Deep Cover” for the movie of the same name. Well, fast forward 17 years and 9 albums later, the man is preparing to release his 10th studio album in the fourth quarter of 2009, currently called Malice in Wonderland. The project features guests such as Dr. Dre, Lalo Shifrin and The Neptunes to name a few. To celebrate, Snoop has launched a Summer long tour that will see him hit numerous cities across North America and we were lucky enough to take 5 minutes out of the man’s busy schedule and talk all things Snoop.
Killahbeez: Tell us about the upcoming tour, “Blazed and Confused”. What can folks expect to hear from yourself on this latest tour?
Snoop Dogg: Hot music. One big ass party. Alotta fun. It’s tha party of 09′ so be there. It’s gonna be off tha chain ya dig? And more of it to come….
KB: Word. You recently released the single “I Became a Snoop Dogg Millionaire”. Is there a time frame for the album and a title?
Snoop Dogg: Yeah, fourth quarter 2009. Alotta hot ish is on there. Lalo Shifrin and Dre producin’, plus many more. Tha album is called Malice In Wonderland and it is a definite Snoop Dogg classic LP. You gonna start seein’ singles soon, ya dig?
KB: You were nominated for a Grammy this year. Your first Grammy nomination came back in 1995. How have you been able to stay relevant and top of mind when so many folks in music, in general not just hip-hop, come and go?
Snoop Dogg: You gotta make sure that you know what your fans want and are open to see you grow and evolve. I have a loyal fan base and I owe a lot to them…they keep me relevant and let me know what they are feelin and not feelin. You gotta make sure you got a stage show, a brand and keep makin hit music. If you do that, you gonna keep it movin and your fans wantin more, ya dig?
KB: Having been in the industry for so long, how have things changed in your opinion?
Snoop Dogg: The game has really switched to the internet so you gotta make sure and step yo internet game up. It’s a blessing and a curse but it definitely gives young ones a shot at doin it big and makin it happen. It’s only gonna get more bigger and relevant and you gotta make sure that you gonna roll with it and make sure to capitalize off of it, ya dig?
KB: It’s no secret that you grew up around gangs and gang violence. You’ve seem to seamlessly transform yourself from that image to the person we all see today. How have you been able to take that situation and turn it into a positive?
Snoop Dogg: You can either choose to make yo life positive or negative. There are alotta distractions to keep it from positive but you gotta make sure that you rise above tha negative and make sure that fans love and respect what you doin – and I’ma make sure that I’m doin it positive. Haters are always gonna hate, but they can’t stop you.
KB: I can definitely agree with you on that.
KB: On to other recent events. Sadly Michael Jackson recently passed away. On the day of his passing you were playing a medley of his songs and tweeting the jams. How did Michael’s style influence Snoop Dogg’s style?
Snoop Dogg: He the King of Pop. A legend. Me and Mike got alotta ish in common and it was sad to see [that] happen. My prayers go out to his family and loved ones. We gonna keep thinkin of him and keep playin his classic music.
KB: What were some of your favorite songs by Michael or the Jackson 5?
Snoop Dogg: “Beat It”, “I’ll Be There”, “Billie Jean”, “Black or White”, it’s tough to say what my favorite ones are….but I definitely got alotta of em, ya dig?
KB: On a lighter note. You’re a known avid video gamer. You recently played against Mike Tyson in Fight Night and you’re going to be on Rock Band…
Snoop Dogg: Definitely. I am a video game fanatic and love playin them. My favorite is College Football and College Basketball, as well as Madden. I had a video game tourney last Super Bowl in Tampa and all tha stars showed up. It’s definitely a luv of my life and alotta games go down in tha man cave. So anyone who wanna step up holla at cha boy.
KB: Musically, are there any collaborations that you can talk about that are coming up on Malice in Wonderland or other projects?
Snoop Dogg: Be on da lookout. I got Dre and Lalo Shifrin on tha new album but got many more surprises for ya…..it ain’t a surprise if I tell ya….
KB: True enough.
KB: Thanks again for taking the time. Any words of wisdom for the kids out there?
Snoop Dogg: Make sure and be at tha “Blazed and Confused Tour” comin to a hood near you. Malice in Wonderland droppin fourth quarter and comin’ to yo local record shop. Snoop Youth Football League is growin and movin – its gonna be a big summer and a bigger year, ya dig?
***For tour dates and ticket information visit Livenation.com.***
July 19th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
ya dig?
July 19th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
niiice
July 20th, 2009 at 9:41 am
hahaha. ya he said “ya dig?” a lot. but it was funny. smooth snoop styles.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Great interview!
You asked some great questions about his transition from growing up with the gangsta lifestyle to the celebrity life. Very interesting.
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:28 am
dig!