0:05

His message packs and knockout punch, but

0:08

his moves are silky, smooth, stylish,

0:10

even seductive. Cool

0:12

cat from the mean Street, Snoop Dogg was

0:14

a modern day outlaw who put a wicked new

0:16

wrinkle on West Coast wrap. Raised

0:19

a choir boy, Snoop was seduced by the

0:21

glamor of gangs, guns and high

0:24

stakes drug dealing. But

0:26

after two stints in the slammer, Snoop Dogg

0:28

went straight and found the mentor that would

0:30

make him a star. Paired

0:33

with pioneering producer Dr Dre, he was

0:35

crowned the dog father of gangster Rap.

0:38

But then Snoop Dogg was collared for

0:41

murder. A

0:44

deadly confrontation left Snoop facing

0:46

twenty five years to life.

0:52

Acquitted but rattled, Snoop quickly

0:54

changed his tough guy too. Now

0:57

the tale of a dog whose bark is worse

1:00

than his bite, Snoop

1:02

Dogg the story behind the music.

1:15

It was an irrespectacle, a lavish,

1:17

if not bizarre production featuring

1:19

a gospel choir, a preacher, and

1:21

throngs of mourners grieving before

1:24

a casket in

1:26

elaborate and morbid display stage

1:28

to announce the arrival of the reigning King

1:30

of Rap. At MTV

1:32

Video Music Awards, Snoop

1:36

Doggie Dog song was called murder was

1:38

the case, and that's exactly what he was, facing

1:41

twenty five to life for a cold bloody

1:43

killing with millions watching

1:45

Snoop to five, and he made his plea

1:48

no innocent on innocent.

1:52

You can't really work from violence, you know what I'm saying,

1:54

because it tends to come find you when

1:56

you come from this lifestyle. And on front, it

1:59

was just only three years old and after selling

2:01

nine million albums, was the biggest name on the

2:03

hip hop scene. But he learned that ruling

2:05

the world of gangster rap made him a target

2:08

for trouble. No matter how much money you make,

2:10

how much you got, and you can't change time and you

2:12

can't change your destiny. Snoop

2:16

seemed destined to be something special from the very

2:18

beginning. He started his extraordinary

2:21

life with an extraordinary name, Cordoza

2:24

Rhotus. We figured that

2:27

nobody with Binasa's real name right, so

2:29

we decided naming Snoopy. I used

2:31

to watch Charlie Brown, and they

2:33

used to say I lived back him because I used to watch him

2:35

so much. To this day.

2:38

My MoMA never called me by my real name.

2:40

She always called me Snoop. Born

2:43

in Long Beach, California, on October twenty

2:45

one one. Snoop

2:47

was the second of three boys. His mom,

2:49

Beverly Rhotis, was a struggling single parrot

2:51

who often worked two and three jobs just

2:54

to keep her family alive in one of southern

2:56

California's toughest neighborhoods Long

2:59

Did you spetch you? Just like any other

3:01

part of the world, specially you just had to put a spotlight

3:03

on it, And that is shown, But in Snoop's

3:05

neighborhood, the spotlights blazed down from

3:07

police helicopters. The city is

3:09

home to more than twenty gangs, unrelenting

3:12

crime, and rampant poverty. Snoop's

3:15

mother did what she could to combat the mean streets,

3:18

so church was part of their weekly ritual

3:21

and attend Snoop joined the Sunday choir.

3:24

Becky let some songs inquire Um.

3:27

That's when I found out how talented he was. When

3:30

I heard him sing. My mama had

3:32

me leading song. I didn't really want to do it, but knowing

3:35

your kids, you can't really fight your mom. And I

3:37

mean it was moorifying guy's name,

3:39

So I mean, I feel proud about it now, but I was

3:41

kind of bearsed back in. But his

3:43

mom had an unconventional side. Saturday

3:46

night, she and Snoop would spend her favorite records

3:48

and the strict rules of the house were loosened

3:50

for the night. Sometimes

3:53

Snoop would be my company, so I'd

3:55

go to the store and bous the sixth pack of Slip

3:57

Mount liquor and he

3:59

would with me. We listened to all the school

4:01

R and B music. We did to bump, we drunk sliss

4:04

month like, oh we party. I

4:06

mean, we just had a good time. And that's what life

4:08

was about back then. But

4:11

by the age of twelve, Snoop was finding his

4:13

own kind of music. In three,

4:15

he discovered the emerging sound of wrap and

4:18

began inventing rhymes with his friends.

4:20

My home with two turner tables, and he had

4:22

to record. Now, I should just wrap on

4:25

like every day. I just called you

4:27

mean. He was tight way back then because he was

4:29

coming straight off freestyle and his

4:32

classmate Warren g encouraged Snoop

4:34

to develop his talent. I will tap him

4:36

on the shoulder and then I will point at something and then

4:38

he'd start freestyle and he pointed

4:41

out my shoes. I wrapped by my shoes. Whatever

4:43

he pointed, I'm just flowing, just busting.

4:45

It's like he was training me, you know what I mean. By

4:49

the time he reached high school, Snoop was becoming

4:51

a schoolyard celebrity and a favorite

4:53

with the girls. Chante Taylor

4:56

was just fourteen years old when she met Snoop.

4:59

We can't run in to each other, and

5:01

he was just the coolest. I just had

5:04

to talk to him. She was nice. Different

5:08

in order of other girls. You know what I'm saying. Somebody

5:10

did I like got custed on all

5:12

that. Snoop and Chante

5:14

dated off and on as teenagers, but at

5:16

the time, Snoop's priority was music.

5:20

He and his friend Warren hooked up with a kid named

5:22

Nate Hale and formed a group called

5:24

To One three. We came up with

5:26

this song called Long Beach as a Mother, me

5:29

and him and Wongy, and that was our first

5:31

song we did together. And I was just trying to make

5:33

music to represent Long Beach because

5:35

Long Beach was never getting no props, and I was

5:37

just like, I'm from Long Beach, LBC

5:40

East Side, going to put it down from my city

5:43

after school. Two on three recorded tracks

5:45

in a tiny studio in the back of a record store,

5:48

and every week Warren would take the tapes to his

5:50

stepbrother Dr Dre, co founder

5:52

of the Seminal gangster rap group in w

5:54

A. That was our only

5:56

hope in w A. Was just the top

5:59

of the world, you know, and and and warm.

6:01

Being Dre's brother, Man, we just saw

6:03

that one avenue where we get it. One

6:06

was coming at me like in a crazy way about

6:08

this group two one three, But you know, it

6:10

was like the big brother, little brother kind of thing going

6:13

on, like yeah, yeah, okay. I listened

6:15

to him when I get a chance. For

6:18

months, Dray kept the boys at arms length, tossing

6:20

their tapes, ignoring their pleas. It

6:23

got certain points in the game while I was like, Man,

6:25

I give up on this, throw all my wraps

6:27

in the trash can. I will go downstairs

6:30

and I'll take it out the track, you

6:32

know, and tell him, man, we're about to do this.

6:34

We gotta sacrifice. But

6:36

the seventeen year old snoop sacrifice

6:39

seemed senseless when everywhere he

6:41

looked drug dealers were getting rich while

6:43

he bagged groceries for minimum wage. I

6:46

had a job working at Lucky,

6:49

and I was getting like eighty

6:51

five ninety dollars a week, and

6:54

my home boy was standing out in front of my apartment

6:56

where I lived at making life

6:59

a night tall one

7:02

plus one eagles too. With

7:05

money is his motive. Snoop started selling

7:07

crack cocaine for the Crips, one of l A's

7:09

most feared gangs. Before

7:11

you know what, I made six and

7:14

two nights, something I wasn't

7:16

gonna make him six to seven weeks and Lucky. So

7:19

before you know it, my mama's

7:21

house becomes a target for being

7:23

shot at. And somebody drove

7:25

by shot and the bullet went up over my

7:27

head. And uh, it's just

7:29

the point that I had to say, enough is enough. I

7:32

just told him that I got two other kids, I got a raise,

7:34

you know, and then I'm working hard too, and

7:37

m he just made his mind that he's gonna do what

7:39

he wants to do, and that's what he did.

7:42

His decision broke his mother's heart. Beverly

7:45

took her other sons and moved out of the neighborhood,

7:47

severing all ties with Snoop. Just

7:50

seventeen and still in high school, Snoop

7:52

was on the fast track to trouble. He

7:55

bounced around, crashing on couches, sleeping

7:57

in cars, dealing on the street.

7:59

His old partner, Warren G, begged him to clean

8:01

up his act and get back to muse it. I

8:04

will just tell him, you know, man, we need to try

8:06

to do something different. Man, I'm not trying

8:08

to die out on the street over

8:10

nothing. I don't want you to end up getting

8:13

killed over nothing. Snoop managed

8:15

to graduate in May of but

8:17

less than a month later, his dealing days came

8:19

to an abrupt den. I

8:22

sold to an undercover officer and

8:24

when they finally came back to get me, and I still

8:27

had the drugs on me, so I was like, I

8:30

want to and just pleading guilty. And

8:34

with that, eighteen year old Snoop was sentenced

8:36

to four years in the Los Angeles County Jail.

8:40

Next from the Big House to the Doghouse,

8:43

Snoop Doggy Dog charges to the front

8:45

of the rat pack when behind

8:47

the music continues. Just

9:04

out of high school, Snoop Dogg was doing time

9:06

for selling crack cocaine. Once

9:08

he aspired to be a rap star, but by

9:10

the summer of nineties, Snoop was resigned to

9:12

a life as an inmate. A lot

9:14

of times it was cool, you know, sneak

9:17

a little bit of weed in there, smoke weed, played

9:19

basketball, drink coffee, rapping

9:21

all night. No just having a

9:23

good time. I mean, you know, after you get aggested,

9:25

you adjested, you know, just his home getting

9:28

used to it. But his cellmates

9:30

urged Snoop to get out and stay out of prison.

9:32

He was far too talented to waste his

9:34

life behind bars. They was like, man,

9:36

dog, when you get up out of here, you need to be wrapping home.

9:39

You need to go really seriously put it down and get you gonna

9:41

wrap home as you tie. After

9:44

serving less than a year, Snoop was released

9:46

in the spring of one. Determined

9:49

to make something of his life, Snoop steered clear

9:51

of trouble put all his energy into

9:53

making music. The going was tough,

9:55

but Snoop got by with help from his

9:57

friends. They all let

9:59

me stay with him and you know, just took care of

10:01

me and help me with this rap thing. I

10:04

wasn't making no money, but I was just determined

10:06

to get it done. We had left the hustle

10:08

alone, were starving. It

10:10

was bad, you know, we didn't have nothing to eat. Desperate

10:13

for a break, Warren g tried one last

10:15

time to get his stepbrother Dr Dre to listen

10:18

to the music he'd been making with Snoop if

10:20

I called him and I was asking if I could come

10:22

hang with him, So he was like, yeah,

10:24

one of my buddies having a

10:26

bachelor party. Just as the party

10:28

got rocking, Warren slipped their demo tape

10:31

into the mix. Dray

10:33

was like, who was that. I was like, that's Snow and

10:35

I was like, that's what I've been telling you about the whole

10:38

time, that Snow. I was in love with the tape,

10:41

and I decided that, you

10:43

know, I at least have to get

10:45

him in the studio and see if we can bob together at

10:47

all. The chemistry was

10:49

electric. Snoop's vivid lyrics and

10:51

smooth delivery blended perfectly with

10:53

gray cutting edge style. It

10:56

was just like raw talent, like and

10:58

unpolished diamond, you know that

11:01

I had to work with, and he'd come right in there.

11:03

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's tight. That's tight. Let's

11:05

say it like this one, two

11:08

three. It took the fault. You

11:10

know what I'm saying, just coaching, but

11:13

a dangerous element would soon be added

11:15

to the mix. In early

11:18

dr Dre teamed up with Marion suge

11:20

Knight to form Death Row Records. Dre

11:23

was famous for his West Coast sound, Sugar

11:25

was notorious for his strong arm tactics.

11:28

Dre and Sugar offered Snoop death Rose

11:31

debut project, the title track to the movie

11:33

deep Cover. I mean we did the song in

11:35

a couple of hours, from nothing

11:38

out of there and no samples, none of that before

11:41

you knew being like that's

11:44

hot. We just did the song and

11:46

this happened and both

11:48

felt it was my boy, that is a hit, right

11:52

the fans of hip hop. Deep Cover became

11:54

the soundtrack for the summer of playing

11:57

the streets and the clubs and the suburbs and went everywhere,

12:00

and it introduced Snoop you know to the whole

12:02

world. Is this mysterious laid back character.

12:05

Deep Cover was hot, but their next project

12:07

would ignite a hip hop revolution. Snoop

12:10

and Dre recruited an army of talented West

12:12

Coast rappers create an album that would

12:15

take the music industry by storm.

12:18

It was all a family thing was Dre and

12:20

Snoopy worn das

12:22

corrupt, raised the well and it was

12:24

It was beautiful. The recording

12:26

sessions were fueled by large quantities

12:29

of alcohol and a constant supply of

12:31

powerful pot. The clue called the Chronic.

12:34

I started bringing a Chronic up team,

12:36

and no I was like, Draw, you should call you out

12:38

in the Chronic. I don't even think Dre was

12:41

smoking Chronic who was working on his app. I'm

12:43

the one who brought to chronicity to tail and they I tell

12:45

you. The

12:47

Chronic hit the stores in June.

12:50

The album celebrated the gritty life of gangsters,

12:53

but Snoop's disarming delivery seduced

12:55

listeners well beyond the boundaries of rap.

12:58

It shot to number three on the pop charts, making

13:00

The Chronic the biggest crossover in

13:02

the history of hip hop. The Chronic was

13:04

the first commercial gangster rap

13:06

record. It was the first gangster rap record that actually

13:10

got regular airplane.

13:12

That also showed that the hardness of the sound

13:14

was finally getting to the mass public. At

13:16

the mass public, i e. White people were

13:18

buying Another writer

13:21

had a turn for Snoop, Warringy and Dr

13:23

Dre. After the Chronic came out, which

13:25

was gangster life. It had a gangster element,

13:28

but it was still hip hop more so than just

13:30

you know, mindless gangster rap. The

13:33

Chronic was the first West Coast record that

13:36

I can remember that played immediately

13:38

on the East Coast. And I mean

13:40

that might not really seem landmark

13:43

now, but back then

13:46

it was. It was incredible. By

13:49

the beginning of the album had sold

13:52

more than four million copies. The

13:54

sudden fame was at heady rush for one

13:57

year old Snoop. The success

13:59

of the Crime was overwhelming that you know, it

14:01

had to be celebrated on a daily basis. I

14:03

had never been in that situation before, so

14:07

I still would lie. I was still

14:09

living off the Chronic, you know what I'm saying. I was

14:11

loving that. Then in the spring

14:13

of ninety three, Snoop met a kindred soul,

14:15

a rising rap star named Tupac Shakur.

14:18

It was a beautiful thing. The fresh ship was

14:20

genuine because I believe we were the same

14:22

kind of people, you know, in the same place

14:25

at the same time. Everybody out here got

14:27

cases in the real brain and

14:29

real thug loves to master these thug

14:31

records. But at the offices

14:34

of Death Row records. The atmosphere was anything

14:36

but gangster light. Sugar

14:39

Knight rode shotgun over the operation.

14:41

According to insiders, he ruled by fear

14:44

and intimidation. The FBI

14:46

was investigating Death Row suspecting

14:48

widespread corruption, extortion,

14:50

and fraud, but found

14:53

few witnesses who were willing to talk. There

14:55

were stories of you know, people being pistol

14:57

at, you know, of the people who's being

15:00

offed up. I mean people being slapped

15:02

around. I mean kind of stuff. You know that you see

15:04

the reason that you also you around the street.

15:06

It's just kind of standard operating practice.

15:09

I was a part of the problem too. I had on these

15:11

ever gang bang and that was a part of the problem of

15:13

the world. Death Row was

15:15

becoming a dangerous place. Rival

15:17

gangs mixed in the hallways, guns,

15:20

drugs, and violence were a way of life.

15:23

Through music, Snoop had hoped to escape

15:25

the perils of the street, but now he was

15:27

living in a far more hazardous world.

15:30

It was too much carelessness around me, you

15:33

know, whether it was my carelessness,

15:36

my record label, my friends, it just was too

15:38

much, you know, going on to where

15:41

stuff that had to happen, you know, to put

15:43

everybody in check. Like Snoop,

15:45

Tupac was no stranger to Trouble. He

15:48

had grown up without a father, spent time behind

15:51

bars, and found fame and wrap. Tupac

15:53

had a record deal, but Snoop thought he'd fit in

15:55

well at Death Row. I

15:58

think starting in Trouble, you know, you

16:01

know, because we didn't have you know, security, and

16:04

I lived a gang bang lifestyle, and you

16:06

know lifestyle he lived. He had gang

16:08

bangers whin the phonies with him, you

16:11

know what I'm saying. So it was like the lifestyle we

16:13

was living was you know, it was wild

16:15

and five. It would be another two

16:17

years before Tupac would join Death Row,

16:19

so it was up to Snoop and Dr Dre to keep

16:22

the label rolling. In the summer of three,

16:24

they teamed up to produce their first All Snoop

16:26

release. Our lives were straight

16:28

up like Okay, we're gonna work

16:31

and then we're gonna play, you know what I'm saying. And

16:33

I think most of

16:35

it was like play straight

16:38

up. We played like sixty seventy

16:40

percent at the time. But

16:42

the play of Dre Snoop in their Death Row cronies

16:45

went well beyond the usual recording studio

16:47

decadence. There were reports of weapons

16:49

being brandish, fist fights, erupting of damaged

16:52

and stolen property. He was so chaotic.

16:54

Malik Lee was hired to be Snoop's full time

16:56

bodyguard. A lot of times when the dumbies

16:59

come up there, they didn't really understand that, you

17:01

know, we gotta work now, we gotta work for these twelve hours,

17:04

and so people got restless. And know that's where a

17:06

lot of drama happened, where

17:08

the chronic took just four months to make Doggie

17:10

Style was becoming an epic production. You

17:13

know, I think we got kicked out of Hay Studios

17:15

beating that album because we were all like

17:18

having a bunch of fun. And you know a

17:21

lot of the people that worked at these studios didn't

17:24

understand our type of fund which

17:26

Snoop's life was about to take a dangerous

17:28

turn. It seemed he couldn't put his gang bag

17:31

in days behind him, and trouble was always

17:33

just around the corner. His bodyguard,

17:35

Malik was unconstant alert. He

17:38

was a crib you know, and

17:40

and and and he had passes, you know, true

17:42

enough, but still there was people that hate him.

17:45

No, and that's

17:47

kind of how we got involved into the situation.

17:50

Malik had successfully diffused several

17:52

volatile encounters, but on Sunday, August,

17:56

his luck ran out, and they just shouldn't

17:58

have never happened, you know. That's when people asked

18:00

me, do you wish something

18:03

that never could have happened to you? What have happened?

18:05

That's when I always saundurs that day would have never happened.

18:08

There are conflicting reports of what exactly

18:10

happened on that hot summer afternoon, but

18:12

what is known is one man's life

18:14

came to a sudden and violent end.

18:18

According to Snoop and Malik, they were leaving

18:20

Snoop's apartment for a recording session

18:22

when they heard shouting from the street below. Someone

18:24

runs upstairs and they said, you know, there's somebody else with the

18:26

guns for me. I ran and I dropped my gun. Malik

18:29

says when he looked down on the street from the apartment's

18:32

balcony, he saw one of Snoop's friends

18:34

arguing with three gang members in a car. He

18:37

claims one of the passengers, Philip Walda

18:39

Merriam, had a gun. This

18:41

is like the second or third time where something

18:43

this drastic has really happened. We were all

18:45

kind of petrified. Malik says that within

18:48

minutes the car drove away and it seemed

18:50

the danger had passed. We figured that it's

18:52

okay, everything is cool to go. So,

18:55

according to Malik, Snoop got behind

18:57

the wheel of his suv and they headed for the studio.

19:00

But just two blocks from home, Malik says, they

19:02

saw the same men sitting in a nearby park.

19:05

One flagged them down those

19:07

new pulls over to the curve, you know, And I'm already

19:09

hot, you know, so I already have to take all my gun and I put

19:12

it on my lap. I'm already just anticipating that could

19:14

possibly be a problem. Malik

19:16

says. The gang member was apologizing for

19:18

the earlier incident when Philip Walter Merriam

19:21

suddenly appeared from nowhere out

19:23

of the bishous Philip has running

19:25

up to the car and his his friend

19:28

tries to stop him. He pushes him out of the way.

19:31

Either he was gonna die, when I was gonna die, give

19:34

us up at shuret and he reaches and

19:36

I returned. Malik

19:41

fired two shots into Walter Merriam's

19:43

body. He says. They then fled the scene,

19:45

not knowing if the mandate shot was dead

19:47

or alive. According to Malik, they called

19:51

then went into hiding. The

19:53

only reason why we did not go to the police

19:55

then, it's because we had no representation.

19:57

Our attorney, David Kinner was in Miami. Attorney

20:00

David Kenner returned to Los Angeles and broke

20:02

shocking news to Snoop and Maliki.

20:05

Year old Philip Waldamarian was dead and

20:07

the police were hunting from a leak in. Snoop,

20:10

I just want to and just told him David Kenna, I want to turn

20:12

myself in because I don't want

20:14

to be you know, looked at as somebody who did a climb

20:16

and run it. In

20:19

the wake of the fatal shooting, Snoop turned

20:21

to the woman who had first warned him about the dangers

20:24

of gang life, his mother, Beverly.

20:26

The two had had little or no contact

20:28

for four years. Tell

20:31

me everything that happened, And he said, I want you to hear

20:33

it from me, because it's going to be on TV

20:35

and you're gonna hear a lot of stories. And

20:37

I could feel it, and he felt really scared

20:40

and he just he just needed

20:42

me. He just you know, it's like he just needed that

20:44

that mother's touched just and no, it's

20:46

gonna be all right. With the police still searching

20:48

for Snoop, it was rumored that he would come out of

20:50

hiding seven days after the shooting. At

20:53

the MTV Video Music Awards, the

20:57

l A p D and the Shriff's Department are combing

21:00

the audience looking for Snoop Doggie Dog. They're

21:02

here to arrest him.

21:04

Snoop did appear presenting an award with longtime

21:07

collaborator Dr Dre. After

21:10

the show, he was arrested and charged with first

21:12

degree murder. Within

21:15

hours, Death Row posted a million dollars

21:17

bail and twenty two year old Snoop was

21:19

back on the street, but the murder

21:22

charge would hang over his head for years.

21:25

Probably the worst two and a half years in my life.

21:29

Next Snoop's trial and tribulations

21:32

when behind the music continues for

21:47

Snoop Dogg. The fall of ninety three was a

21:49

time of gut wrenching highs and loads.

21:52

His long awaited solo album, Doggie Style,

21:55

was released and became the first rap album

21:57

ever to debut at number one on the pop

21:59

charts. But at the same time, Snoop

22:01

was facing twenty five years to life for

22:03

the murder of gang member Philip Walda Marry

22:06

Him. Headlines painted Snoop

22:08

as a cold blooded killer and made him

22:10

a household name for people who had never even

22:12

heard a rap song. I

22:14

think murder charge impact of the record

22:17

sales greatly, just out of curiosity.

22:19

He was like, who is this guy? Is he really all that

22:21

he raps about? I think it probably

22:23

helped the sales, but it didn't help

22:25

me because all the publicity I was getting

22:27

his megat I just was looked at

22:30

as a murderer, some evil

22:32

person that just go out and just killed people and then

22:34

rap about it and glorified, you

22:36

know, happy that somebody was dead, you

22:38

know, and that's not me, you know. I felt very remorseful,

22:40

still do. But as the press

22:43

condemned Snoop, fans were embracing

22:45

him, his Doggy Style album produced

22:47

hit after hit, selling more than four

22:49

million copies. Of course,

22:52

rap fans automatically assume he's

22:54

innocent, you know, because he snooped

22:56

up. But then there's this era of you know, mystery,

22:59

like maybe he did do it because he's a gang member.

23:02

Snoop says he tried to forget his legal problems

23:05

and trusting them to his attorney, David Kenner

23:07

to be real, which I really wasn't focused on

23:10

on this case because that's how David Kenny is. He's

23:12

like, don't worry about everything. Is everything, So

23:14

I'll leave it in his hands and leave it in guy's hand. Snoop

23:17

wasn't the only rapper running a foul of the law.

23:20

In the summer of nine. His friend Tupac

23:22

Shakur was again behind bars,

23:25

accused of assault and sexual battery.

23:27

Snoop convinced death Row to post Tupac's

23:30

one point four million dollar bail, then

23:33

Shook Knight signed him to death Row quickly.

23:36

Snoop and Tupac teamed up to exploit

23:38

their outlaw images with a song called

23:41

America's Most Wanted. That's

23:43

what we was feeling when we was in the studio, And when

23:45

you're in the studio, you didin't really given about

23:47

what you know, if it's a good idea and

23:50

making recordsistions come from your heart. And

23:52

at the time me and Tupac felt like

23:54

we were two of America's most moment. You

23:57

know what I'm saying. For what we've done in the

23:59

rap world, for what we done in general.

24:02

But in November of n Snoop

24:04

could no longer ignore his troubles. After

24:06

more than two years of motions and hearings,

24:09

his trial was finally underway. Snoop

24:12

and his bodyguard, Malik Lee, stood accused

24:14

of killing Philip Waldamarian in cold

24:16

blood. Found guilty, they

24:19

could spend the rest of their lives in prison.

24:21

Still, Snoop was shocked when the judge put

24:24

him under house arrest for the duration

24:26

of the trial, till

24:28

they took that freedom with me to where I couldn't be

24:30

out and partying all night, going to

24:32

clubs and doing this that I didn't really

24:34

understand this case and realized how vido it was.

24:38

My heart was beaten like I was smuggle

24:41

cracking in the court room

24:43

every day. Snoop and Malik

24:45

had always maintained they had been lured into

24:47

the park and acted in self defense, but

24:50

as the trial opened, prosecutor headiness and

24:52

went on the attack. He called witnesses

24:55

who testified that Snoop and his crew had pursued

24:57

the victim and his associates looking

24:59

for trouble. To me, in my mind,

25:02

the evidence clearly establishes

25:05

that that they went looking for these guys. They

25:07

were the ones who really provoked the confrontation.

25:10

Regardless of who provoked whom, the fact

25:12

was both men were armed. The question

25:14

for the jury was did Malik and Snoop murder

25:17

Philip Walter Merriam or were they acting

25:19

in self defense? The evidence

25:21

that they had at the time of the indictment was such that the

25:23

d A's office shouldn't know that they didn't have a case against

25:25

anybody, let alone Snoop. The point is

25:27

that the shooting was

25:30

occasion simply by the fact that this kid

25:33

walked up to the jeep and started to pull out

25:35

his gun. That's why I got shot. For Snoop,

25:37

the trial was a harrowing experience

25:40

every time, and they say he's looking at

25:42

twenty five life. He

25:44

just brutally murdered somebody. You know, just

25:46

depicted me sideways,

25:49

you know what I mean, something that didn't happen. It

25:52

was it was tef with

25:54

his life and his future very clearly

25:56

on the line. Snoop's friends and family

25:58

rallied behind him. Snoop was our best

26:01

friends, so we came down to give up our

26:03

supportful when we have a break or something,

26:05

I would always you know, give him that motherly hug

26:08

and let him know him there and it's gonna

26:10

be all right. Even a man who

26:12

barely knew Snoop came to court to

26:14

lend his support his father,

26:18

although the two had been estranged for much of

26:20

Snoop's life. Bernell Varnado

26:22

left his job in Detroit and moved

26:24

to l A to be with his son. I

26:27

took early retirement, just come out here to be Snooped.

26:29

I know for a fact, if you needed me, if

26:31

you needed me, you ever needed me, he needed me there and

26:34

just you know, built a relationship on the day instead

26:36

of you know what happened last year, why

26:39

he wasn't there whatnot. At

26:41

the end of January nine, after

26:43

four long months, the prosecution rested

26:45

its case. The defense, on the other

26:47

hand, believed the state had failed to prove Snoop

26:49

and Malik's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

26:52

They felt compelled to call only a single witness

26:54

to the stand. I think that by the end

26:56

of the case, the jury had had it and

26:59

they wanted to go home. And

27:01

that was one of the other reasons why we cut short

27:03

our presentation on defence.

27:06

It all went down to the twelve jurls, so

27:11

it was their name. On February

27:13

twenty one, after six days

27:15

of deliberation, the jury announced

27:18

they had reached a verdict. I was

27:20

nervous, expecting

27:23

whatever, ready for whatever whatever

27:26

they was gonna get me. I was ready for probably

27:28

the scariest day of my life. May

27:31

see, you don't know where this sport his down session. They

27:33

ran McKinley Leave's name first, we

27:36

the jury and aboveb and dial action by the dependent

27:38

McKinley Lee not guilt the

27:40

murder in the first, and then they read

27:43

my name, we the jury, abobble tile action

27:45

by the defending Calvin Brothers

27:47

not guilt feel the private murder in the first violation

27:50

of punic coat ses. You know, just bowed my hand

27:52

and just praying to God, thank

27:55

you. And it was finally overweight.

27:58

He had beaten the murder wrap and walked

28:00

away a freeman. But Snoop

28:03

would never be the same. Put everything

28:05

in a right perspective, as far as my life, as far

28:07

as not. I wanted to bring no harm and nobody

28:09

or to betray myself like that anymore. And

28:12

from that day on, I've

28:14

seen myself turn into a different person, creating

28:17

myself into a maid. Twenty

28:20

five year old Snoop Dogg had gotten rich

28:23

by glorifying gangs and guns. Now

28:25

he hoped to distance himself from that life.

28:28

But at Death Row Records, that was easier

28:31

said than done. I

28:33

wanted to put positivity in it and you

28:36

know, make peace with people. And

28:38

they didn't want to see it like that. They wanted to keep the

28:40

Death Row image the way it was. Snoop's

28:43

change of heart put a strain on his friendship

28:46

with Tupac Shakur. Tupac

28:48

was still reveling in Death Rows gangster image

28:50

and feuding with rival rappers, a

28:53

dangerous game. Snoop wanted no part

28:55

of. He expected me to be

28:57

mowed down when he was falling, like all

28:59

out. Whoever you got a problem with,

29:01

I got a problem with, and I didn't see

29:03

it like that. Distancing

29:06

himself from Death Row was a decision that

29:08

may have saved Snoop's life. In

29:11

September ninety, Tupac and Suged

29:13

Night traveled to Las Vegas to see a heavyweight

29:15

title fight. Under different circumstances.

29:18

It was a trip Snoop would not have missed.

29:22

As his old friends cruised the Vegas Strip.

29:24

A gunman opened fire on their car, but

29:27

pull at Gray Shug his head. Tupac

29:29

was hit four times, twice

29:32

in the chest. My

29:34

heart went out to him that it had to happen like that,

29:36

because you know I had love. Then

29:39

I was like out have been right in the car for

29:41

six days. Tupac fought for his life

29:43

in a Las Vegas hospital. Snoop

29:45

went to his side, and although Tupac

29:48

was unconscious, Snoop made peace

29:50

with his friend. I let him know

29:52

I love him. In you know, he probably didn't

29:54

hear me, but I know his spirit, so I'm

29:56

calling. Snoop left

29:59

the hospital, but a short time later

30:01

he heard the devastating news on the car

30:03

radio. Tupac was dead.

30:06

Immediately started crying and I

30:09

was driving in. A few people on the side of me. They

30:12

looked at me and they rolled to one of them down.

30:14

They was like he was letting me know. It was all. It

30:17

was terrible. It was the worst Emotionally,

30:20

I was lost. You

30:22

know, I didn't have dre tupacket.

30:24

He just got culled. Suga Knight was in jail

30:27

and I was on my own boss you

30:32

November Snoop, Doggie

30:34

Dog released dog Father. The album

30:36

debuted at number one, but there was little

30:39

celebration. His friend

30:41

Tupac Shakur was dead. Dr

30:43

Dre had left Death Row, and

30:45

Snoop wanted out to label

30:48

ball. Sugar Knight was serving time for assault,

30:50

but Snoop's lawyers managed to negotiate

30:52

a deal to free Snoop from his contract.

30:57

It wasn't an easy let me go, but

31:00

you know that's what Laurie's are for. They

31:02

go through all that horrorball battlet. Snoop

31:06

signed with rapping for Sario master P and

31:09

recorded for his label called No Limit. The

31:11

Game is to be Sold, I told. Received a lukewarm

31:13

reception when it was released, but

31:16

nothing could dappen Snoop's joy. He was free

31:18

at last. Master

31:20

People was willing to step up take on anything

31:23

that was, you know, coming my way as far as negativity,

31:26

and I needed that more than recallabor.

31:29

I needed a friend, and I needed

31:32

love and comfort and space

31:34

to breathe in a new environment where

31:36

I could get back into doing what I do. I

31:38

think Snoop came back to being Snoop

31:41

Dogg as far as being comfortable with being

31:43

Snoop when he went to no limits, he

31:46

felt more free. I

31:48

Snoop laid low for more than a year than

31:50

reunited with his mentor Dr Dre.

31:53

The two headed straight for the studio to record

31:55

The Chronic two thousand one, the

31:58

sequel to the album that made them this. They

32:01

didn't even look behind it. We just moved forward. I

32:03

tried to do my thing without him. He tried to do this

32:06

thing without me, and it doesn't work. As

32:08

brother. In the

32:10

summer of two thousand, Snoop and Dr Dre

32:12

we're back in the spotlight headlining and all

32:14

star hip hop to where they called up and smoke.

32:17

We got a chance, I really tell each other, you

32:19

know how we feel about each other. It's

32:21

that fond you know when you're on the road you've

32:24

seeing each other every day. It's like it's

32:26

genuine. It's something that's gonna be what it's for life.

32:30

When he's not on the road, Snoop spends most

32:32

of his time at home with his family in the suburbs

32:34

of Los Angeles. Snoop says

32:36

he sees himself as a role model, living

32:38

proof that an escape from the mean streets as

32:40

possible. I come from an environment

32:43

where I was surrounded with negativity,

32:45

and I did right, and then I did wrong, and

32:47

now I'm doing right again. So I proved

32:49

to him that you can do wrong and fall down and

32:51

make mistakes and do right today.

32:57

Snoop Dogg is not just a musician,

32:59

but a trule phenomenon. With

33:01

account of seventeen studio albums,

33:04

he has had a film and television career

33:06

to match, including cooking shows

33:08

and product lines. With friend Martha

33:11

Stewart, the unlikely duo

33:13

has become a social media sensation.

33:16

From gangster rapper to one of pop

33:18

culture's most beloved icons. Snoop

33:21

Dogg has proven that he can and

33:23

will do it all. Listen

33:28

and subscribe to Behind the Music on the I

33:30

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