Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr went through his first name change early in his life, and he wasn’t the one who came up with the alias. The young boy was crazy about Snoopy, one of the characters from the comic Peanuts. In addition, his mom and stepdad thought the little boy who played the piano and sang so sweetly in church also resembled the Beagle he loved. And so the nickname was born.
When Calvin went off to record his first demo tapes in the early nineties, there was no way he was sticking with his birth name. As a rapper, he needed something cool, and become one of many celebs to change their names (and Calvin did so multiple times). And so he left Calvin behind and Snoop Doggy Dogg hit the scene.
Snoop Has Used A Lot Of Names
Generally known amongst his fans as Snoop, the artist is known for a wide range of interests in addition to his music. A timeline of Snoop Dogg's acting career shows over 200 credits, He's also an entrepreneur and football coach. Plus, 2016 saw him become the first musician to get a WWE Hall of Fame Induction.
He's even hosted a cooking show with Martha Stewart, a combination that’s been called one of the oddest in showbiz. Snoop has referred to Martha as "the big sister I never had."
Snoop's large number of interests is almost matched by the amount of names he’s gone by, among them DJ Snoopadelic, Snoopzilla, Tha Doggfather, and Snoop Lion.
In 2014, he briefly changed his name to DJ Snoopadelic. The occasion was for "Snoopadelic Cabaret," which was a 1920s-inspired event staged in Las Vegas.
The First Change From Snoop Doggy Dogg
Snoop's career kicked off with the help of Dr. Dre, who included the young muso on his 1992 hit Deep Cover. The next year, Snoop's debut album, Doggystyle, was released on the Death Row label, becoming the fastest-selling hip-hop album of all time, ensuring global fame for Snoop.
When Snoop left Death Row two years later as a star, he chose to move to No Limit Records. When he discovered he had to change his name for contractual reasons, he ditched the "Doggy" and settled on the abbreviated Snoop Dogg.
He released several albums under this name on No Limit before striking out on his own. Of course, with the move came an inevitable name change.
This Time The Rapper Chose 'Big Snoop Dogg'
Snoop was now more independent. He was also more responsible, even making the decision to quit smoking. With his lifestyle change, he felt he needed a new name that reflected his more mature persona, and so he settled on Big Snoop Dog.
He’s not the only artist to adopt a new alias, the list is pretty long, although few have seen as many nom de plumes as Snoop.
Snoop Dog Became Tha Doggfather
Snoop has had quite a few brushes with the law. During his high school years, he was a member of a gang, which saw him land in hot water a number of times.
After graduating, he spent time in jail for possession, just one in a long line of arrests. He’s also been charged for the illegal possession of a firearm.
1993 saw the most serious incident, when the rapper, along with his bodyguard was charged with first-degree murder for the shooting of a rival gang member.
Both Snoop and his bodyguard were later acquitted, but the event had a huge impact on the musician, and Snoop made a decision to stop glorifying death through his music.
The result was his album Doggfather, and for a while, the rapper also used that as his name.
A Religious Experience Led To A Name Change
Even his religious leanings have had an impact on his name. In 2012, Snoop started work on a reggae album. While recording in Jamaica, he took the decision to embrace the religion of Rastafarianism and wanted a new name that reflected the changes in his life.
A Rastafarian priest inspired him to change his name to a stronger image. And so, fans were introduced to Snoop Lion's Reincarnated album.
They didn't have to stay with his latest name for long, though. A year later the musician went in a funk direction and changed his name to one of the craziest yet: Snoopzilla released the album 7 Days of Funk.
Are There More New Names In The Pipeline?
No one knows when Snoop will next hit the headlines with a new name. Between rubbing elbows with the Royal family (supposedly), buying his old record label, and working on new music, he's a busy man.
Whatever the next name might be, most fans are happy to call him Snoop, while they wait for the next chapter.