It's bright and early and we've got Snoop Dogg high and on the line!
Cudos started off shouting out Snoop's great work with DMX during their Verzuz challenge. While we were happy to see these two greats go at it, we learned of another opponent he was was supposed to battle that didn't end up happening: Busta Rhymes. No matter how bad the artists wanted the "positive celebration" of each others' skills, it was the battle of conflicting schedules that made them miss out on the chance. Luckily, since DMX was already on his way to L.A. to get in the studio with Swizz Beatz, challenging his fellow brother dog was a no brainer.
"I always had a love and a respect for X and I remember when he was running the rap game for two years straight, and I had to take the backseat to him. So I felt like this would be a very interesting battle because I had the rap game in the palm of my hands at one time and he did, as well...We both mutually goons and gangsters but we respect each other."
Uncle Snoop went on to explain the importance not being threatened by another artist because they may have had more to offer than him. It's a humbled outlook on life that the 48-year-old carries into this day. Rather than be intimidated, he looks at peers as inspiration.
"I don't have no problem with being the least amount in the room. Because if I'm the least amount in the room, that means there's some great people in here that's gonna force me to step up my game. Since I came in the rap game when we started Death Row Records, I wanted RBX and Kurupt and all these great MCs around me to challenge my penmanship. I wanted Tupac on Death Row to challenge my penmanship...That's why you see me on so many songs with so many different artists because it's never competition. It's compliments."
The Doggfather also shared about a time where Jay-Z gained a lot of respect in his eyes after writing the entire record "Still Dre."
While there's always recognition for Dr. Dre's success, his discovery of Eminem is one where Snoop's opinion differs from the public. It's commonly known that Em has secured a highly-debated spot being in the top ten greatest rappers of all time list. But Unc thinks there are a number of OG who came before him and will forever reign.
"There are some n***** in the 80s that he can't f*** with. Like Rakim, like Big Daddy Kane, like KRS-One, like LL Cool J. Shall I go on? Like Ice Cube. I ain't got no time to play with it. It is what it is. It's like, cuz did that. He did that to the fullest. That's one of my teammates. That's one of my brothers. He did that. But you talking this hip-hop s*** that I can't live without? I can live without that."
While we're still on the topic of music, Snoop was sure to clear up the backstory about a picture floating around of him in the studio with Kanye West.
"Let me say this, Dr. Dre called me to the studio. Cause Dr. Dre was producing Kanye's album. I don't know if y'all knew that or not. I may be spilling the beans, but I gonna clear this s*** up. Dre called me to come get on the project that he was doing with Kanye so I said, 'I'll do anything for you, Dr. Dre.' When I get there, cuz is there. He playing me his s***, it's sounding good. The n**** mind sound like he right. He in the right spirit...I'm telling him like, 'N****, you back.'"
Eventually Kanye showed Snoop the track he wanted him on and he obliged since the song was spiritually-gifted. However, though his admiration for Ye runs back to "before he went crazy," it was Dogg's respect for his mentor, Dre, that sealed the deal. Unfortunately when it comes to his creative works, he feels West is starting to "lose the message behind what's real and what's fake."
Find out why it was important for Snoop to relate to the east coast while making The Chronic, where inspiration from his gospel album came from, and why he wants Travis Scott to watch himself while associating with the Kardashians.