Snoop Dogg

📍Long Beach, CA, USA

“Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born in Long Beach, California, in October 1971, and grew up on the city's tough east side. His father left when he was a baby, and he was named after his stepfather; his mother, Beverly Tate, raised him and his brothers, and he has said, basically my mama raised me. She nicknamed him Snoopy, because he loved the Peanuts cartoon and looked like the dog. Money was tight, and as a boy he sold candy, delivered newspapers and bagged groceries to help out. Church was at the centre of his childhood. At Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church in Long Beach, he sang in the choir and played the piano from a young age, and his mother, who sang in the choir too, introduced him to the old-school R&B he loved. His aunt, mother and grandmother made him give speeches and perform in church plays, teaching him to hold an audience. He was a keen football player, and in sixth grade he started rapping. At Long Beach Polytechnic High School, he rapped with his friends Warren G and Nate Dogg, recording tapes as 213, named for the local area code. After he graduated, he got into trouble with the law, and spent time in and out of jail. Warren G gave one of his tapes to his stepbrother, Dr. Dre, who was amazed and recruited him for The Chronic. Snoop's debut, Doggystyle, in 1993, made him a star, and his laid-back style and humour made him one of the most popular entertainers in the world. He has never left Long Beach behind, and he founded the Snoop Youth Football League to help children in his city.”

Sources: aol.com Wikipedia: Snoop Dogg