Game Over’s First Guest: Snoop Dogg! | Part 1

Summary

Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul
Episode: Game Over’s First Guest: Snoop Dogg! | Part 1
Date: March 18, 2026
Host: The Ringer

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Episode Overview

The debut episode of "Game Over" brings hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg to an in-depth, free-flowing conversation with sports commentator Max Kellerman and business mogul Rich Paul. This energetic, insightful, and often hilarious episode dives into Snoop's craft, legendary career, cultural impact, and his thoughts on sports, music, authenticity, and influence. The trio swap stories about creative process, mentorship, business moves, sports fandom, youth development, and the unique charisma required to last and lead across decades.

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Main Themes & Purposes

• Exploring Snoop Dogg’s Legacy: From his musical innovation to his cultural influence
• The Role of Authenticity and Mentorship: How Snoop and others inspired and uplifted the next generation
• Navigating Success and Longevity: Evolving with the times while staying true to oneself
• Intersection of Sports and Music: Parallels between hip-hop and athletics
• Commentary on Modern Culture: Social media, branding, youth, and professionalism

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Birth of Snoop’s Iconic Sound

[01:37–04:21]

• Snoop describes his early approach to rap: “I was treating my voice like an instrument. I wasn’t trying to rap to the beat. I was trying to be inside of the beat… so it all went together like marriage.” (Snoop Dogg, 01:37)
• Influences mentioned: Rakim, Slick Rick, Ice Cube. Snoop explains studying the greats, “I’m a great representation of studying... [them] and eventually became one.” (Snoop Dogg, 04:21)

Authenticity, Professionalism & Coachability

[05:15–07:46]

• Rich Paul observes that “authenticity” is what made Snoop so magnetic growing up: “You knew it wasn't an act, it was real.” (Rich Paul, 05:15)
• Snoop reflects on professionalism, continually learning, and treating rap like a profession, not just a sport.

Collaboration and Perfectionism with Dr. Dre

[06:53–08:24]

• Anecdote: Dr. Dre makes Snoop repeat a word (“motherfucker”) 55 times until perfect, even after Snoop is already established.
• The value of knowing your role in a creative partnership: “I’ll never be bigger than [Dre] in my eyes… our partnership is based off us knowing our roles and playing our positions.” (Snoop Dogg, 07:55)

Early Musical Roots & Upbringing

[08:41–10:57]

• Snoop’s musical education came from his mother’s diverse collection: “Dramatics, Lenny Williams, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gap Band, Ohio Players… R&B, gospel, disco, funk, I heard it all in my living room first.” (Snoop Dogg, 08:52)
• Childhood stories of performing/dancing at age five and how those early exposures shaped his sense of good music.

The Road to Instant Success

[10:18–11:09]

• Despite the world seeing “overnight success,” Snoop points out, “You don’t see the path taken to get to success. You just see success.” (Snoop Dogg, 10:57)
• Social media’s impact: “Instagram don’t allow you to grow into success, because they document everything before you even get to that point.” (Snoop Dogg, 11:09)

Snoop’s Business Empire & “The Hardest Kind of Charisma”

[13:52–15:20]

• Max and Rich marvel at Snoop’s global reach, brand-building despite a laid-back persona.
• Snoop credits his team: “My team don’t work for me. They work with me. I have partners, not employees.” (Snoop Dogg, 14:49)

Snoop’s Own “Ali” – Charisma Beyond Music

[15:54–16:49]

• Snoop names Muhammad Ali as his template for transcending his craft: “That’s who that was for me… the personal side is what I was more enthused with.” (Snoop Dogg, 15:58 & 16:09)

Long Beach, Rap Beginnings, Mentorship

[17:24–20:40]

• Snoop narrates high school battles, seeking out the “hardest” rappers to test himself.
• Shares the influence of Warren G acting as “Don King,” championing Snoop and helping him believe his talent could take him beyond his city.

Elevating the Beat: Emceeing as an Art

[21:08–21:46]

• Max defines what makes a great MC: “If you have a great beat and the emcee gets on and makes it better… That’s the highest level.” (Max Kellerman, 21:36)
• Snoop responds: “I feel the same way about certain artists whose voice just makes it better.” (Snoop Dogg, 21:47)

Iconic Moments: “Deep Cover,” Pressure Situations

[22:55–24:50]

• Snoop breaks down how “Deep Cover” was made: Dre handed him the first line and said, build from there.
• On embracing high-pressure creative moments: “That’s a get off for me… to have that kind of pressure and bust through.” (Snoop Dogg, 24:19)

Brand Partnerships, Cultural Influence & “Crushing the Buildings”

[30:25–34:41]

• Snoop’s introduction to branding: “They gave me $100,000 and a blue Suburban… I didn’t know anything about equity and marketing.” (Snoop Dogg, 30:47)
• Legendary battle stories, the making of “New York, New York,” and how video controversy escalated only after real-life incidents: “We came out there to show love to New York.” (Snoop Dogg, 34:23)

Snoop’s Creative Aesthetic – Fashion, Branding, and Influence

[37:17–39:42]

• Snoop tells the story of the iconic Chronic-leaf hat and the accidental marketing gold of his SNL performance: “They took [the shirt] off the mannequin, put it in my bag… That one shirt made them millions and millions.” (Snoop Dogg, 38:29)

On Timelessness, Evolving with the Game

[41:34–44:03]

• Thoughts on music’s emotional impact, Snoop’s love for new music, and his approach to staying relevant: “The game moves so fast… but the foundation’s always going to be music.” (Snoop Dogg, 43:03)
• Humility in cross-generational influence: “I’m willing to learn from the young generation. I don’t have an ego…” (Snoop Dogg, 43:43)

Mentorship and Nipsey Hussle

[44:33–47:29]

• Snoop reflects on how he, like his mentors, became a mentor to Nipsey Hussle and others.
• Stories about developing real relationships and passing on knowledge: “It’s a beautiful culmination when you can look up to somebody, get a relationship, and pass it down…” (Snoop Dogg, 45:27)

Snoop’s Global Cultural Status

[47:24–48:39]

• Rich Paul and Max Kellerman debate Snoop’s status as a global icon, up there with only a few other world-recognized musical artists.

Sports Talk: Steelers Fandom and NBA Takes

[28:24–29:35] [50:24–52:12]

• Snoop’s “for life” love for the Pittsburgh Steelers and perspective on Tomlin.
• His enthusiasm for today’s NBA, especially the Lakers and rising young talent: “Seven seven one five. Lord have mercy. 7715.” (Snoop Dogg, 51:01, referring to Lakers’ Austin Reaves “AR15”)

Commentary on Modern Basketball and Youth Development

[53:27–55:19]

• On modern basketball: “Not enough mid-range, not enough layups… I hate this. Two feet away to 30 feet away… I wasn’t raised like that.” (Snoop Dogg, 54:47)
• Riffs on how analytics have changed the youth game and fundamentals are being skipped.

Snoop’s Passion for Sports Commentary

[55:23–56:16]

• Inspired by classic announcers: “Howard Cosell, Chick Hearn, Vin Scully… gifted with great announcers.” (Snoop Dogg, 55:41)

Musical Wishes and Cultural Passes

[58:44–59:08]

• Wish list collab: “Sade. I feel like Snoop Dogg and Sade’s voice… that’s magic to me.” (Snoop Dogg, 58:55)
• Snoop on his universal acceptance and getting a pass everywhere (even from grandmothers and legends like Willie Nelson and Cheech & Chong): “How could you not? In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I give my grandson permission to blow with the one and only D O double.” (Snoop Dogg, 59:27)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On innovation in rap:
  “How about write your lyrics to where you inside of the beat?”
  – Snoop Dogg, [01:37]

• On authenticity:
  “When you a star player, you have to be coachable. You have to be. You gotta study the film. You got to study your opponent.”
  – Rich Paul, [05:15]

• On creative partnerships:
  “I’ve always allowed [Dre] to drive… I’ll never be bigger than him in my eyes.”
  – Snoop Dogg, [07:55]

• On team vs. employees:
  “My team don’t work for me. They work with me. I have partners, not employees.”
  – Snoop Dogg, [14:49]

• Describing influence:
  “The small cities make the biggest stories.”
  – Snoop Dogg, [20:47]

• On maintaining relevance:
  “The game moves so fast. It’s like technology. And me being a hustler, I’m always gonna be on top of the game.”
  – Snoop Dogg, [43:03]

• Snoop’s humility:
  “I’m willing to learn from the young generation. I don’t have an ego…”
  – Snoop Dogg, [43:43]

• A wish for a collab:
  “I feel like Snoop Dogg and Sade’s voice… that’s magic to me.”
  – Snoop Dogg, [58:58]

• On universal approval:
  “You’re the only person in the world that my grandmother would probably allow me to smoke with… Go ahead, sister.”
  – Rich Paul, [59:10]

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Notable Timestamps

• [01:37] Snoop breaks down his unique rap style and influences
• [05:15] Rich Paul on Snoop’s authenticity and professionalism
• [06:53] The perfectionism in the studio with Dr. Dre
• [08:52] Snoop discusses his musical upbringing
• [10:57] Snoop and Rich Paul critique the “instant success” myth and Instagram culture
• [14:49] Snoop on his teamwork-first philosophy in business
• [16:09] Snoop on meeting and learning from Muhammad Ali
• [21:36] Max: “If you put Snoop on any song, any beat, it just got better.”
• [24:19] Snoop’s thrill from performing under pressure, on “Deep Cover”
• [30:47] Snoop on his early brand deals and accidental influence
• [34:23] Clarifying the “New York, New York” video controversy
• [43:03] Snoop discusses longevity and adapting to the ever-changing music industry
• [45:27] Snoop and the mentorship chain in hip-hop
• [47:24] Nipsey Hussle’s business mind and advice for Snoop
• [51:01] Snoop hyping young Lakers talent
• [54:47] Snoop rants about basketball’s lost fundamentals
• [55:41] Snoop on his love for classic sports announcers
• [58:55] Snoop’s dream collab: Sade

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Final Thoughts

The episode serves both as a masterclass in longevity, humility, and adaptability—and as a love letter to music and sports. Snoop’s blend of wisdom, humor, and storytelling, along with Max and Rich’s admiration and insight, makes for an episode full of both entertainment and invaluable lessons on greatness, influence, and staying grounded.

Transcript

[Max Kellerman]

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[Snoop Dogg]

I was saying that back when I first came out, I was treating my voice like an instrument. I wasn't trying to rap to the beat. I was trying to be inside of the beat as far as be another piece of instrumentation. So it all went together like marriage. Rather than me standing on top of the beat of being under the beat. How about write your lyrics to where you inside of the beat? And those are some of the things that I learned from the great writers before me. The Rakims, Slick Ricks, how they married their voice to the music. And it was never one or the other. It was always one or nothing.

[Rich Paul]

So when you heard a beat right away, did you go hook first or you tried to find like subject matter?

[Snoop Dogg]

First bar When I hear a beat, that's dope from that era, yeah, I think it was more about how do I match the energy of the music and where do I complement the music. I always had that thought of how do you make a hit record? How do you make a song that's gonna make people sing it. So it was always, what am I gonna write that's gonna make everybody in this room say a piece of it, if not all of it.

[Max Kellerman]

I get what you're saying about the. Because, like, it's so interesting that you say Rakim, because back then, the ultimate east coast emcee was Rakim. And you thought the ultimate west coast emcee was Snoop. And the fact that you. But that's right. I think about, like, Follow the Leader or something like that. Rakim's voice is inside. It's part of the song. Right? And that's what you were doing, too. That's so interesting to me.

[Rich Paul]

Cause prior to Rakim, I mean, there was no west coast leader, right? Became, oh, well, you would give it

[Max Kellerman]

to Ice C. I mean, Ice T way back in the day.

[Rich Paul]

No, but Ice Cube. Ice Cube, when he left nwa.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, he was.

[Rich Paul]

And he came with America's Most Wanted Death Certificate. He was it.

[Snoop Dogg]

He was it.

[Rich Paul]

That's right.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, that's right.

[Max Kellerman]

Snoop. The other thing that's crazy. Like, I think about MCs from those days. Like, if you look at Cube or ll, they were stars, right? They happened to rap, but they're still stars. Because if there was no such thing as rap, they'd have still been stars. That's just like you. But what you did to me is. Is harder because usually that kind of charisma that's in your face, like those guys, you get that. But to have a kind of game that is so laid back and still it's obvious that the guy is a star, right? That's. You were really. I'm trying to think of who else was like that back then or who's lasted that long with that kind of charisma.

[Snoop Dogg]

I think my thing is I'm a great representation of studying, studied the greats, listened to the greats, idolized the greats, and eventually became one. That's what life reflects. It shows you that if you're in any field, any profession, and you're a youngster and you watching and you admiring and you figuring out who you supposed to be based off of that person you watching sometimes or another, you'll find yourself in that same spot as that person you idolizing, and you'll become great. And I think that's what it is. It's a tribute to me wanting to be good. Wanting to be good enough to become great. Wanting to learn what it is about rapping and about lyricism and eye contact and information to the consumer to the fan, engagement, all of that. Like being a real student, treating rap like a profession and not treating it like a sport.

[Rich Paul]

See, when I think of Snoop, I think of one word for me as a kid, what made us gravitate to Snoop, and that was authenticity. Like, you knew it wasn't an act, it was real. And so you tried to act it, but where it came off from him, it was real. But he said something about just that, professionalism, even as a star. And we talk about this all the time in sports. Like, when you a star player, you have to be coachable. You have to be. You gotta study the film. You got to study your opponent. So I also seen that in your career and your journey, and I had the pleasure. I don't even know if you remember this. It was late. We was at Dr. Dre's house. I get a call, three in the morning. Yo, I'm about to pick you up.

[Snoop Dogg]

I'm outside.

[Rich Paul]

Maverick called me.

[Snoop Dogg]

I'm like, man, I'm asleep.

[Rich Paul]

He like, yo, come outside. We about to go to Dre's house. I get to Dre's house, Snoop is there, Kanye is there. And so I'm like, okay, I know what this is, and I'm just a fly on the wall. But what I witnessed, you remember this. Dre asks you to say the word motherfucker 55 times in a row, and he's this Snoop. It ain't like I wasn't there in 1991, right? This is this Snoop. But he was being coached because of. They wanted to make it perfect. And in that moment, I'm saying, this is why they are who they are. Because neither one of them have to do this. It's not like we in a garage with a makeshift studio. You know what I'm saying?

[Max Kellerman]

Just want to get it right.

[Rich Paul]

They just wanted to get it right. And I think that for someone to be in your position for as long as you have been and also having. Has elevated the game, has evolved within the game, did so many different things, weaved in and out, and reinvented yourself a thousand different times, also while making great music across different genres of music, to me, that don't happen by mistake.

[Max Kellerman]

How do you know when it's right?

[Snoop Dogg]

It's a feeling, Max. It's really a feeling. You know what I'm saying? You gotta believe in it before I give it to you, before you can believe in it. If I don't know it's good or I think it's halfway good, then you probably gonna Feel the same way. It's like, I gotta believe that this was it. I gotta know that this was it. I gotta walk around with it, you know, understanding that once I put it in the system, it's yours to have because I put my all into it.

[Max Kellerman]

But you and Dre had to both feel like, was there ever a time where you thought it was right and he didn't? Or vice versa, or when it was right, it was right and you were both. You know what I mean?

[Snoop Dogg]

Well, when it comes to him, I've always allowed him to drive. I've always, like he said, it's smart. Like Richard said, why wouldn't you let him drive? Even when I got bigger and got real big, I allowed him to drive because I understand who I am and I understand what he means to me. I'll never be bigger than him in my eyes. I'll never look down on him. I'll always look up to him because I understand what he does for me. And that's what our partnership is based off of us knowing our roles and playing our positions.

[Max Kellerman]

We, like, star in your role.

[Snoop Dogg]

Like, we know what. We know what we're great at and we don't deter from it. And it's. What is the sauce? It's the sauce to know that, damn, I'm so much better when you drive. I'm so much better when you in the passenger seat.

[Rich Paul]

Take us back to. Well, first of all, what was your mom listening to growing up? Because you seem to have that from day one. You seem like you were grew up in the 70s.

[Snoop Dogg]

Delfonics moms was the Dramatics was her favorite group. Dramatics, Lenny Williams, Earth, Wind and Fire, Gap Band, Ohio Players. Can't miss the moments, the tempores, the Stylistics. Betty Wright, she loved her some Betty Wright. Oh, my God. Tonight is the night. I heard that song so many times as a kid. And I shouldn't have heard it because it was a song about a young woman making love for the first time. But I just thank my mother for playing all of that great music because it gave me what I know now as far as what great music is. You have to hear it and understand it before you can make it. And she gave me all genres of music. It was never just R and B. It was gospel, it was. It was whatever was great. Disco, funk, like, I heard it all in my living room first eight track cassette player, you know, she would let me play the music and had me come out and dance. Snoopy, come out here and dance. I go out there do the bump. Get mine on.

[Max Kellerman]

You know? How old were you?

[Snoop Dogg]

Five, six years old? Little bitty kid.

[Rich Paul]

They would pay you to dance back,

[Snoop Dogg]

then give you a quarter. Yeah, why not all day?

[Max Kellerman]

You know what's so interesting to me? You said before that you had to study the greats and do all this in order to get to where you were. But for the rest of the world, how old were you when doggy style dropped?

[Snoop Dogg]

Doggy style dropped in 93. I was 22.

[Max Kellerman]

22. So to the rest of the world, they didn't know who you were. And all of a sudden, the first. It's like Magic Johnson as a Rookie, right? Dropping 42 in the finals. The first. It'll never happen again. Right? You're gonna be basically the MVP of the finals as a rookie who just turned 20. That was kind of like doggy style.

[Rich Paul]

And play all five positions.

[Max Kellerman]

So ridiculous. Jumping at the five. So that was like your first album all of a sudden. Oh, my God, look at this. Right? But the way you describe it, it's like there's all this road to get there, but it doesn't seem like it to the rest of the world. Because you're a baby when you drop.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes, because usually you don't see the path that's taken to get to success. You just usually see success unless you filming it, documenting it.

[Rich Paul]

And, well, that's what's wrong with Instagram, right?

[Snoop Dogg]

That they don't allow you to grow into success because they document everything before you even get to that point.

[Rich Paul]

I always said that, like what you just said, the likes on Instagram. If you are looking to be someone and haven't got there yet, it could almost give you this. This false gratification that you've accomplished something that you're trying to accomplish. So it causes you to kind of let your foot off the gas a little bit. But let's talk about the approach to the album.

[Max Kellerman]

Hey, Rich, let's talk about starting the show. That was the cold open.

[Rich Paul]

Oh, shit, we was rolling.

[Max Kellerman]

That was the cold open.

[Snoop Dogg]

Roll. Listen. Rolling.

[Max Kellerman]

This episode of Game over is presented to you by Loom. If your organization runs on endless email threads and status meetings, teams feel stuck Unstuck them with Loom, the AI first video platform by Atlassian. Teams record their screen and share a link so others review on their own time. AI makes recording and editing one click and add summaries, action items, and searchable transcripts so everyone gets clarity in minutes, not meetings. Replace unnecessary meetings. Speed up approvals and and on board faster with loom you remove communication friction. It's a team changer. Try loom. [e-mail], Game over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul. And today, game over with the dog.

[Snoop Dogg]

D o G. Ooh wee. Game over.

[Max Kellerman]

I want to say mama, I made it right.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah, I know I'm his nephew because he don't even do this right. I'm telling you, he don't do this. We just chop it up on the phone. Yeah, I thought he forgot. Nah, he went and did the Olympics. He told me before he went to do the Olympics, he said, rich, I'm going to do your show. I'm like, all right. You know, I ain't going to put no pressure on him. I talk to him. When he gets back, we run down. Cause we got some stuff to take care of. So I'm running down the checklist. One, two, three. When I get to three, he's like, yeah, we're doing that. Let's do it next week. I literally thought he forgot. Why I would think one of the greats would forget. Cause they really don't ever forget. But I really appreciate it though. Appreciate you, because I know you don't do this.

[Snoop Dogg]

And remember I said the show with you and Max. Cause I had been watching.

[Max Kellerman]

He did.

[Snoop Dogg]

Me and Max go back. So you know I got big respect for you, Max. I love what you do and I love what this look like. This is what I could be a part of something like this, man.

[Rich Paul]

So let's get to. I want to get into the doggy style.

[Max Kellerman]

Let's do it. But I gotta ask you first because you brought that up. For someone who smokes as much as you, to be on top of everything like that, like Rich said, I thought he forgot, but you have built this business empire over the years, right? You've. You've maneuvered with your. You have obvious charisma. I think it's the hardest kind of charisma to have. When it's laid back game that translates worldwide.

[Snoop Dogg]

You can't buy it.

[Max Kellerman]

That's so that's. You have to be so confident to have that game and that be how you get to superstardom. And then you translate around, Snoop translates around the world. Every culture, every genre, every, like age group, right? Like, how do you stay as much as you smoke? How do you stay on top of that?

[Snoop Dogg]

I allow the meditation to be the dedication to the preparation.

[Rich Paul]

See what I'm saying?

[Max Kellerman]

Max gotta have a hell of a team. I thought that's what he was gonna. I thought, I thought it was. He Was gonna say a hell of a team, right?

[Snoop Dogg]

No, let me say that. All bullshit to the left. Yeah. I probably got the best team in the game. Because the difference between my team and everybody else's team, My team don't work for me. They work with me. So I don't have employees. I have partners. I got teammates. And when you understand that, you. You'll really understand who I am. It's a difference between I work for you or I work with you. Look at where my eyes went. I work for you. I work with you.

[Rich Paul]

Well, I can attest to that, obviously, But I've never seen greatness without that approach to everything. It just don't happen like that. So when you see a superstar in his moment, they don't get there by themselves. It's impossible.

[Max Kellerman]

I'm trying to think of another superstar who, like, someone gets to be Snoop Dogg. You know what I mean? Gets to go through life like that. Everyone loves him, been on top for a billion years. The coolest dude in the room every time he walks in. Who else is even like that?

[Snoop Dogg]

You know who that was for me?

[Rich Paul]

Huh?

[Snoop Dogg]

Muhammad Ali.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah, Ali is that guy.

[Snoop Dogg]

That's who that was for me.

[Rich Paul]

He was the people's champ, for sure.

[Snoop Dogg]

And he was my champ when I met him in real life. When I met him, when he was able to converse and communicate and talk.

[Rich Paul]

You remember the conversation?

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah. It just was about taking advantage of the opportunity with all of this power. He was like, you got power. You got a lot of power. And then as our relationship grew, it grew into me watching him show me how to be a grandfather, showed me how to be a better man because I was in the presence of him and his grandchildren and watching him as a grandfather, become that man that I wanted to become. I loved him as a kid for all his accomplishments and accolades, but the personal side of him is what I was more enthused with. This is why we considered him the goat, because of his humanity side and his heart.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah. I've spent the day with Ali on his farm in. Maybe it was like around 2000, something like that. And Ali just likes to sit around. He had jokes. Ali had jokes.

[Snoop Dogg]

Playing games with his finger, doing this. That joke.

[Rich Paul]

You see him joke with Howard Cosell all the time.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah. Even as an old guy, even with the Parkinson's and everything, he had jokes that stayed with jokes.

[Snoop Dogg]

I channel him a lot because I feel like.

[Rich Paul]

That's a good point.

[Snoop Dogg]

I feel like he was the one who had to go through all of that for our people and he still, you know, found a way to be himself at all times.

[Rich Paul]

Growing up in the 80s, you was Lil Snoop in Long Beach.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes, sir.

[Rich Paul]

You think I knew that, did you?

[Snoop Dogg]

That's why I'm smiling. I'm like, who the hell you been talking to, Rich?

[Rich Paul]

But take me to that high school, Snoop. That transition where you first found, I guess, the love to be a rapper, but not understanding exactly how I'm gonna make this work. And obviously, as you know, in the 80s, Long beach, just in LA, period, yeah, it was real.

[Snoop Dogg]

It was very real.

[Rich Paul]

So to navigate around all that and try to find a way. Take us through that, man.

[Snoop Dogg]

It was. I go to 86 when I first got to high school. I'm the new fish on the block, but I'm really not. But it's seniors on the campus that's supposed to be doper than me or better than me. I'm really not hustling. Like I need to be trying to work at a grocery store watching my homie sell cocaine. But the rapping is what I'm really in love with. I love it more than money. So first couple of weeks of school, I go find who the hardest at the school. Oh, it's cuz in the 12th grade, I run up on him at lunchtime, serving off the top of the head. Who else is hard? Him. Serve him off the top of the head. About time we get to week three at the school. The new at the school is this named Snoop Young running up on serving. So it's like, I was loving hearing that, but my homies were starting to get into gang banging and selling drugs. It's like, you know, I'm a peer of yours, so I have to try it. I get involved with it, but I'm still liking this rap shit. So while I'm banging and slanging, I'm rapping at the same time to where I'm trying to figure me out. And the music is starting to overwhelm everything because the music that's coming from the east coast and hip hop and just, oh, my God, it's like the perfect soundtrack to your life. So it was like a melting pot of all of that shit and me finding out that I'm actually good at this shit. And if I don't get too heavily involved with gang banging and slanging and focus on this coulda, woulda, shoulda, right?

[Rich Paul]

And then where does Warren G come into effect? Because he took you to Dre, right?

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah. So Warren G was always heavy rap involved, Wrecking crew. That's Dre's crew before he got into the other NWA situation. So they was having songs that they would make, and Warren G would hear the songs prior to coming out. So he was always privy to certain rap styles and rap music. And he was always the one to champion me. He was like the Don King for me. He was the one that seen me here. Then. Snoop will serve anybody. He this, he that. He was like, orange.

[Rich Paul]

You got a hell of an ear, man.

[Snoop Dogg]

Right?

[Max Kellerman]

For sure.

[Rich Paul]

Got a hell of a ear, Right.

[Snoop Dogg]

And the vision to see something that I didn't really see in myself. Cause it was a certain point in time where I would break and feel like, man, fuck this rap shit. They ain't finna hook up. Nobody from Long beach, let me stop drinking.

[Rich Paul]

Doubt would creep in.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, because, you know, you're a small city, man. They don't come out here to fuck with people like us.

[Rich Paul]

Right?

[Snoop Dogg]

But. But once you really think about it, the small cities make the biggest stories.

[Rich Paul]

Absolutely. But you also had the naysayers around you, too, with the small. Because they don't really want you to.

[Max Kellerman]

Crabs in a bucket. Yeah.

[Rich Paul]

They don't really want. When you from a small city like that, they don't really want you to. To leave them behind, so to speak. Everyone's thinking, oh, if he get on, he gonna leave me behind.

[Max Kellerman]

But the one thing about. About you that I. So this is how I judge MCs, really. You have a beat. When the emcee gets on it, does it elevate? And it's the hardest thing to do is you have a great beat and the emcee gets on and makes it better. Like, you just hear the track. The crazy thing about you is to this day, it's like a basketball player. You say he would only make any team better. Right. If you drop this player on a team, any team ever, he makes it better.

[Rich Paul]

I've.

[Max Kellerman]

Snoop is a. A guy who. You put on any song, any beat, any song, it just got better. Like, to me, that's the highest level of emceeing.

[Rich Paul]

Love that.

[Snoop Dogg]

And I get you on that because I feel the same way about certain artists that I love and how their voice just makes it better. Like, when I hear Charlie Wilson. Oh, God, he just makes it better, no matter what it is.

[Rich Paul]

Listen, Charlie Wilson. I was in the studio with Charlie Wilson one day. He's right. He told us a story about just being able to keep the pressure on. He was talking about another artist, and he was saying, hey, man, this young man is coming. And this artist Was. I don't want to say the name, but this artist was already the guy. And he was like, you land up. You BSing. But I'm telling you, I just heard this young man, you know, you might want to step out.

[Snoop Dogg]

He didn't do it.

[Rich Paul]

Never heard from him again. And this guy went on to be a star.

[Max Kellerman]

That's why, like, people talk about who's the greatest MC and this and that. But that's really my. When I talk about my favorite emcees, if Snoop gets on a beat, if Ghost gets on a beat, there's certain emcees that bring it. And no matter what beat they get on, I just like the song more.

[Rich Paul]

Well, Deep Cover, when you did Deep Cover, did you feel like. Cause that was. That was your first. That was really the first time we heard you.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, it was.

[Rich Paul]

And it was. Cause it's one day seven. Like, when you heard that, that introduced Snoop. Where was you at in that moment? Just in life, but also in your confidence. Now.

[Max Kellerman]

It'd be my favorite Snoop song

[Snoop Dogg]

in life. Living at Dr. Dre's house on the. On the floor. Cause he didn't have no furniture confidence. Very super confident. Because Dre had got with me that morning, and he was like, I need you to write to this beat. And he just gave me the first line. He said, I want my first lines to be. Tonight's at night. I get in some shit. Deep Cover on the incognito tip. Like, all right, cool. I got it. So from there, this is like somebody giving you a blueprint to build a house, but only put one piece of paper with one piece of. With one nail and one piece of wood and say, nigga, build the house. So that's what it was. And it's like, you know what? It wasn't even no pressure. Richard was like, this is what I signed up for. This is what I want.

[Rich Paul]

This is what you do.

[Snoop Dogg]

I want the. I want the moment when the lights is bright. Even when I was a kid, when I played football, my team made it to the Super bowl in 85. And we played against Long Beach Special. Long Beach. But it was a night game, and it was like, that shit turned me on. To be up under the lights and to have motherfuckers looking in. The pressure of, you can't do it. He ain't gonna be able to pull it off. Like, that is a. Is a get off for me to have that kind of pressure and to be able to bust through that pressure.

[Max Kellerman]

Gotta give some of that to my man Aaron.

[Snoop Dogg]

Judge.

[Rich Paul]

Oh, man.

[Snoop Dogg]

Oh, man. Oh, you. So look, he's solo. You go right into the wcb.

[Max Kellerman]

I mean, I'm just saying. Gotta give. That's my dude. But come on.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah, the license.

[Max Kellerman]

But there are some athletes, there are some performers, there are some.

[Snoop Dogg]

They got it.

[Max Kellerman]

People who perform best when the pressure is high. You bring up Muhammad Ali. He was a guy like that. Guys, it's finally time for March Madness. FanDuel has a ton going on for the tournament. I have my lucky sunglasses on because I'm going to give you some winners. I hope they're winners. By the way, these are actually readers, but look, this is what happens. One thing that is so cool is you can bet your bracket by parlaying together the teams you think are going to go on a run. So I will give you an example. For example, know who I love to spring at least one upset, but to hell with it. I'm going to say they get to the sweet 16. And I like the odds. I want a dog here because I'm going to take some favorites. South Florida, plus 700 to make the sweet 16. They match up with Louisville. That's a winnable game. And if Michigan State, you know, that's the 314 with North Dakota State. I. I think Michigan State's gettable. And South Florida is like, on the low. Good. So there's sweet 16 plus 700. They'll have to spring two upsets. I think they can do it. I got one for the Elite Eight. And if they weren't in the same region as Arizona, I might even take them to go a little deeper. It's Purdue. Purdue is look +105 to get to the elite 8. Purdue's just about as good as anybody. And then for the Final Four, I mean, I think Michigan has some tougher matchups. Maybe they're the team with the highest floor, but if they're playing the way they can play, the best team in the country, I think, is Arizona. I get -1 25 for them to make the Final Four. I gotta take it. So there it is. South Florida for the sweet 16, plus 700. Purdue to the elite eight, plus 105 and Arizona to the final four, minus 125. It's pretty good. How's that for a parlay? So these are some of my favorite picks this year as part of my bracket. But this is what I love about the parlay. You parlay Those together, it's plus 24, 60. You like those odds? There's a ton of other awesome Stuff to bet alongside your bracket all tournament long. Go check it out. This episode is brought to you by Loom. When your calendar is all status meetings and your teams are still misaligned, it's easy to feel stuck. Get your org unstuck with loom, the AI first video platform by Atlassian. Record a LOOM to share priorities, feedback and key decisions. AI makes video editing one click and adds instant summaries so everyone from direct reports to partner teams gets clarity in minutes, not meetings. With Loom, teams stay aligned and focus on work that matters. It's a team changer. Try Loom [e-mail] this episode is brought

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[Rich Paul]

of Play so what made you pick? Cause you. You love football. We know your team is the Steelers.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes, sir.

[Rich Paul]

By the way, how do you feel about your team right now?

[Snoop Dogg]

Oh, man, we look good on paper. It always look good. But you just asked how I feel. We look good on paper. Not Madden. We probably gonna be the shit mad and I see us being about a 92 overall. The key ingredient is who gonna be slanging that rock? That's what's important. Who gonna be slanging that rock? I like the new want Roger's back I'd rather try some young guns and some young legs that can move, groove and make things happen when the pocket

[Rich Paul]

break down well, they got him drafting the quarterback in the draft.

[Max Kellerman]

We need to snoop Was a time for. I can't believe that the fans and pitch Pittsburgh wanted Tomlin gone. He won without a quarterback a lot of years.

[Snoop Dogg]

I love Coach. I'm not gonna ever say it was his time to leave because he gave us everything that we asked for and then some. So business is business. This is a business too. So I don't get in nobody else's business. Coach, I love you. Thank you for what you gave us.

[Max Kellerman]

But are you a Steelers like cause

[Snoop Dogg]

for life even when we. Sorry, Max. When we. When we. Whatever, whatever. Whatever our record is. I'm riding it out.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah, no, I got you. But like so when I was a kid and you're a little older than me, but not that much. Right. When I was a kid, if you had an out of market team, if you didn't have a soul, it was the Cowboys. And if you were a real human being, it was the Steelers. Right. So my first love as a football team was actually the Steelers, me and Joe Green, and they won the championship. They showed up on the great space coasters and stuff like that.

[Snoop Dogg]

Right, there you go.

[Max Kellerman]

Is that why the Steelers are your team? Because they were the.

[Rich Paul]

You know, I know why this still is this team, Max.

[Max Kellerman]

All right, well, let's hear it.

[Snoop Dogg]

I mean, some of that is true, Max, but a lot of it is hood politics too. But the mean Joe Green effect and just the way that they played in the 70s, the mystique, the grittiness of it. I played football in the 70s and early 80s, so it was like to know that this is what the standard of what the best football looks like

[Rich Paul]

in the world right now. Today you see a lot of just influencers, right? Influencers with brands and things like that. But you was really at your generation. You guys was really at the forefront of the branding, but you didn't really know it. Now you did the St. Ives campaign. How did that come about?

[Snoop Dogg]

DJ Pooh? DJ Pooh used to run St. Ives marketing, branding and music department. So he had cracked it off with King T and Ice Cube. They the first ones to do stuff. Yeah, I remember Ice Cube, one of the best campaigns. Yeah, they kicked it off. So around that time we was on Death Row Records and DJ Pooh was like my dog. He was like somebody that I really admired and loved and was a fan of. Yeah, so it was like, it went from Pooh. What's up with St. Lies, cuz? Can I get a commercial? They gave me $100,000 in a blue Suburban. And that day forward we moved on to do many more commercials. I was drinking St. Ives. I even did a fruit drink with them. Had a vending machine in my house that sold 25 cents St. Ives. I was connected to them and didn't know nothing about equity and marketing and branding. I just love the brand and I love to make people do what I was doing, but didn't understand what I was doing.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah, but that information wasn't accessible to you back then.

[Snoop Dogg]

Oh, say that you're right, you're right. Oh, right. So he's, he's talking about St. Eyes. Biggie Smalls had a commercial with St. I's that DJ Pooh produced the track. Biggie put it out. Shit was dope. But when we heard the beat. We was like, hey, let's get that beat. Pull for a song. So he gave it to us for a song. Me and Corrupt was together that day. And Corrupt Monsters was like, you know what? Cause we had just got back from New York, and this is the night that he served 2000 MCs.

[Rich Paul]

He said that.

[Snoop Dogg]

And what's crazy is we was in a van in New York, and this is us as who we are. Snoop Dogg, Dog Pound. And we like, respected. But back then, you don't just get respect, you gotta take it. So we in the van, and all of a sudden, rappers start coming up, trying to battle. We want to battle. They rapping, rapping. They can't get to me. So Corrupt, he step up and wipe out 2000 MCs by himself. It was crazy.

[Max Kellerman]

Corrupt was like that.

[Snoop Dogg]

It's like a karate movie. It was, but like the Matrix, you know? And he was just.

[Max Kellerman]

It's in slow motion for him.

[Snoop Dogg]

He started doing the Matrix on him. Like, this is easy. Served him. Boom. We get back to California like Cub. You need to make a song about how dope you are as a lyricist. And just the night you served 2,000 MCs. And that boy just his pen went to work on that beat. And then we took that Biggie song, made it New York, New York. And it became one of the biggest records on the Dog Pounds album.

[Rich Paul]

Whose idea was it to crush the buildings?

[Snoop Dogg]

Well, we had an incident.

[Max Kellerman]

We flipped out about that.

[Snoop Dogg]

And we had an incident that. Actually, it wasn't in the video. In the beginning, the video was.

[Rich Paul]

Oh, you put it in there. Afterwards.

[Snoop Dogg]

After.

[Rich Paul]

After the incident.

[Snoop Dogg]

Hello.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah.

[Snoop Dogg]

So after, you know, we was.

[Max Kellerman]

Oh, really?

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes, sir.

[Max Kellerman]

I thought that's what led to the incident.

[Snoop Dogg]

We was out there on Peace and Love. If you know anything about New York, New York, that's a great Grandmaster Flash song.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah. By the way, I never. This is. This is crazy. From New York. Cause people were getting mad, and I was like, I don't know why. The way people took it was like, they're getting mad and I'm defending it. Like, what is it? Doesn't seem disrespectful to me.

[Snoop Dogg]

They took the hook from Grandmaster. Yeah, that's his hook.

[Max Kellerman]

But then I saw the video knocking down the building. So I was like, oh, that's why. But you're saying that came after the fact.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, we came out there to show love to New York.

[Max Kellerman]

That's how I took it at first, until I saw the video to show

[Snoop Dogg]

love to New York. That look we, we the ones right now. But we know where the Mecca is,

[Max Kellerman]

where it came from.

[Snoop Dogg]

We coming here to shoot a video in y' all city with y'. All.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah.

[Snoop Dogg]

You don't come to nobody hood disrespecting. You come showing love. And then it ended up going. And then, you know, from there we was rappers and young and gangster and fuck em. That's what we was on.

[Rich Paul]

But that Source was legendary. I mean that.

[Snoop Dogg]

That was after that.

[Rich Paul]

Because you gotta remember back then when the stuff like the Source Awards came on, everybody from the neighborhood is in front of that tv. You over somebody's house, dice game is stopped. All eyes is on the Source Awards, especially then. So when you had that and the look and you had the dog catcher thing in your hand, these. All these type of things become iconic in so many different ways. And you don't. I think as an artist you lean into such a great song too. It was what, New York.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah, it was a great song.

[Rich Paul]

Well, the beat. Yeah, that. To see me is going to take a miracle.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah.

[Rich Paul]

Like. And that pocket that they were rhyming in and then the. And your hair.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rich Paul]

And when you look in the camera

[Max Kellerman]

and even the style contrast, like Corrupt is. See different kind of mc.

[Snoop Dogg]

It just says Corrupt. From Philadelphia, raised on the West Coast.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah. Right. So he sounds like he's.

[Snoop Dogg]

He had all of that shit that the east coast got.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah.

[Snoop Dogg]

Then mixed with that gangster shit. Corrupt was the only rapper that I battled that I tied. I had a. I lost two times. I lost to my cousin rbx. Well, I can say more.

[Rich Paul]

Rbx.

[Snoop Dogg]

That nigga beat me every time. Who?

[Max Kellerman]

RB to one opponent every time.

[Snoop Dogg]

This nigga, I was his punching bag.

[Rich Paul]

So him, the legendary rb.

[Snoop Dogg]

There's a nigga named Cupid Draker that beat me at a football game. And then me and Corrupt tied. So my record is like 75,645 and three. Yeah, something like that. Max or two and one.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah, but y' all was just in the studio like you was hooping.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, that's what it was. We was shooting ball. We was having a good time. We was working on our game and we was making each other better. So that means that we were one on one. Like you don't get to get out there by yourself. I'm finna press you to. We was calling it Tubby Smith, Kentucky Press. Oh, that press, that full court press that. Soon you take the ball out.

[Rich Paul]

Originally was Nolan Richardson, right?

[Snoop Dogg]

Arkansas. Yeah. But we didn't like him. Cause he beat my boys ucla.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah, and Ed o' Bannon and them.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah.

[Rich Paul]

But you also created another thing, which was you wore the hat in the

[Snoop Dogg]

Gin and Juice G Thing video.

[Rich Paul]

In the G Thang video. Right, in the G Thang video with the ChronicleAF on it.

[Snoop Dogg]

Like, where did that come from that

[Rich Paul]

had everybody wearing it?

[Snoop Dogg]

Rp. I went to the Compton swap meet early that day. Cause I had about $200. Went down to swap meet, bought me a khaki suit, went to the little Asian lady that was making the hats. I forgot her name. She was so sweet. She was a beautiful lady. Go over there to her and she said, what you want? Let me get that white hat and put a chronic leaf on it. She Chronicle? Yeah, Chronicle, Chronicle. And I drew it out like the leaf. She said, oh, marijuana. Yeah, marijuana leaf. Put it right in the middle, the green one. Come back in 30 minutes. We walking around. Come back in 30 minutes. She got it. Whoa. All right, cool. We on our way to the video. Not even thinking of business marketing. Yeah.

[Max Kellerman]

He was doing it before you. Yeah.

[Rich Paul]

That is crazy. Now, you don't know this, but Tomorrow marks the 32nd year anniversary for your SNL performance.

[Snoop Dogg]

Oh, wow.

[Max Kellerman]

32 years. Jesus Christ.

[Snoop Dogg]

Damn. You talking about the one where I had that shirt on with the Tommy shirt? Yeah. And the crazy look. Let me tell you, Andy Hilfiger was my guy. Me and Andy was like this. Andy was the one who got everybody to the Hilfiger because he was the street team. He knew how to. Me and Andy hanging out, go to the Knick game, lead a Nick game. He like, you want to visit the showroom? I'm like, yeah, shit, I gotta do Saturday Night Live tomorrow. Maybe some shit in there I wanna wear. They showing me all this shit. I ain't fucking with that. I look at a mannequin, I'm like, hey, I wonder what that got on right there. They like, oh, no, that's a mannequin. Like, man, fuck that mannequin. Let me wear that shit, cuz that shit hard. They like, it's not coming out yet. I'm like, I want that. Take it off the mannequin, put it in my bag, roll to Saturday Night Live, put it on and wear it. That motherfucker go off the roof. That shit sold like crazy. That one shirt made them millions and millions of dollars. A fresh shirt, I'm telling you. They want to do a documentary on that right now as we speak, based off of that anniversary of Saturday Night Live. That shirt collection. It wasn't even a collection. It was Just me doing what I did. But you would think it was a deal.

[Rich Paul]

But you had so much influence. See, influence could be very misleading. That's influence. But, you know, I always say the musicians obviously have a little bit more influence from a culture perspective than most, because I think the music just does something different to, well, artists, to the only person.

[Max Kellerman]

Artists are the only ones who are remembered over time. If I said, name the vice president of the United States in 1850, everyone would be stuck on stupid. Right? No one remembers 100% but the artists, their names last. When you make art that's relevant, that goes through the generations, you live forever,

[Rich Paul]

Is that based upon the emotional attachment from music to, you know. Cause nine times out of ten, you're rapping about an experience that we're all going through.

[Snoop Dogg]

It is. I think the thing is with music, music becomes like your heart and soul, like your kids. It's your everything for the ones that's making it and the ones that's listening to it. So I believe that's the magnet that. The passion that that artist is putting into those records and writing those songs. Then when you hear that and you tell that artist, man, your songs you wrote got me through tough times. I remember when I first started hanging out with Stevie Wonder. I would tell Stevie, I'm like, man, you got certain songs, Unc, that just make me cry, man. When I hear these three words, Lionel's like that. I can't even get. When was the last time they heard you say, when you get to that? I'm like, ah. And you didn't write it for that reason, or did you?

[Rich Paul]

Right. You know, that's the effect. Yeah.

[Max Kellerman]

Steve been doing it since he was 12 years old. Castles in the sands.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes.

[Rich Paul]

How do you. How do you feel about today's music?

[Snoop Dogg]

I think it's great. I think today's music is great because I find the jewels and the rocks that are hidden behind the hype. And there's some tremendous artists out there that really know how to do their thing, whether it's rapping, singing, producing, trying different genres of music, you know, being open enough to know that music is a universal language for all people, so it has no limits or restrictions to it. And by me being able to travel the whole world and knowing what the world is doing, the music nowadays is set in trance for the rest of the whole world.

[Max Kellerman]

So Rich brought up authenticity before. Right. And that sounds like. So how does the St. Ives thing come about? Because you're a user of the product. You see it, you're like, okay, so this is something I want to be a part of. Everyone was back then 240s on a Saturday night, Right, Exactly. So in terms of the music that you've made, you've spanned so many eras. And rap is a young man's game. Right? Like, how many rappers have an album, they last for a couple years, and they were great, and then they're. Because the world evolves, and they don't evolve with it.

[Rich Paul]

What good album?

[Max Kellerman]

How much have you had to evolve? And is that just staying to what you're interested in? Like, you still sound like Snoop to me. When you get on a song, it still sounds like the Snoop I know and love from decades and decades ago, and yet it's still relevant today. Was there any thought at some point in your life, like, I have to evolve with the music or I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing?

[Snoop Dogg]

I don't think it's a thought process. I think it's understanding the game. Like, the game moves so fast. It's like technology. And me being a hustler, I'm always gonna be on top of the game. I'm always gonna find what moves you to the next level. And so sometimes it's music, sometimes it's not, but the foundation is always gonna be music. So how do you remain relevant enough to be at the age you at and still have the effect on the youngsters who actually run this game? Because it's a young man's game, but it don't mean that an OG can't come back and dance with the youngsters, give them some information and learn. See, that's the thing with me. I'm willing to learn from the young generation. I don't have a ego to where I feel like, man, y' all couldn't have done what we did, man. In our era, we was this. Nah, this is your sports music. Yeah, this is your era. You killing it. You doing your thing. I don't even want to be. I don't even want to be compared to your era because it's two different worlds. But let me tell you what. You are the goat. You're the goat right now.

[Max Kellerman]

Who you talking to when you say that?

[Snoop Dogg]

Whoever is the goat right now.

[Max Kellerman]

Who is your goat right now or who are among them? Well, that you're listening to?

[Snoop Dogg]

I mean, it's like this. They dictate. Just like when I was coming up, I couldn't say I was or I'm going to be. The game dictates who you are. And through the test of time, it proves itself. You can have a good run, you can have a two, three year run. But a goat, he don't never stop running.

[Rich Paul]

But you influence two really young artists, but they both did really well. But when you look at them and when you listen to them, you automatically think Snoop for different reasons.

[Snoop Dogg]

And you talking about Wes and Nipsey.

[Rich Paul]

And Nipsey. Yeah.

[Snoop Dogg]

I think them was my loved ones that it's a piece of somebody that you always looking at before you get on. And the difference between that looking at and get on is they looked at it and they got on and they got with me, it was whether I found them or they found me. But the spirit brought us together. And that's when it's a beautiful culmination when you can look up to somebody. Like, for example, me, I looked up to Slick Rick and Ice Cube. Those were the people that I really right wise was like, I got a

[Rich Paul]

Cube had a hell of a pen.

[Snoop Dogg]

I have to be like on their page.

[Max Kellerman]

But they don't. But you don't remind me of Ice C. Slick Rick.

[Snoop Dogg]

So when I get on, Cuba tell you, to this day, what's up, big homie? He's still my big homie. Slick Rick. When I get on, oh, gee, what you need? Anything you need, I got you. So it's like to idolize and then get a relationship and do records with and then be able to pass it down to the next generation that's looking at me like I looked at them.

[Max Kellerman]

How great was for you. Nipsey had so much, so much Snoop vibe to him.

[Rich Paul]

Everything.

[Max Kellerman]

I'll tell you a Nipsey story real quick. When I got to LA to do a radio show, Max and Marcellus on ESPN Radio, back, shout out to Wiley. I'm thinking, okay, I'm from New York. LA is gonna be like, who's this dude, right? Like carpet bagging. So I start digging through the crates. I'm like, let me find an LA rapper who's not who people really aren't up on yet. And I found Nipsey, right? I'm listening, I'm listening. I'm like, okay, this dude right here, he reminds me of Snoop. So I start playing two songs, Key to the City, and I'm feeling myself right in and out of every break. And I said, I'm gonna keep doing this. Cause once upon a time, a DJ had done this for Sinatra until Sinatra closed the station. Sinatra waited a month so he'd have his stuff play. So I figured, I'm gonna keep Nipsey called that day. I was like, nipsey, what are you doing? What are you doing? I was gonna play you for a month.

[Snoop Dogg]

But that shows you his hustle. He was on it. He had his radars up to where you didn't think he was paying attention to you, but he paid attention. That's what I'm saying. Like, he had that kind of intuition where, like, the businesses that I'm doing now, he told me to do them. Back then, he would only talk to me about business. RPM Max. He would never talk to me about hood shit politics. He would only talk to me about business. I believe that he would say, snoop Dogg, you bigger than Mickey Mouse, cuz on everything, he ain't lying. He like, you should be branding yourself. You should be doing this and doing that.

[Rich Paul]

That's the bar, by the way.

[Snoop Dogg]

I'm like, nigga, ain't nobody bigger than Mickey Mouse, cuz. You trippin, cuz.

[Rich Paul]

Nah, I mean, wait. You don't know. Like, you the biggest globally recognized artist. I'm gonna say music artist, definitely in the hip hop generation. But just taking away from hip hop, just musically, I don't.

[Max Kellerman]

I mean, who's on that level?

[Rich Paul]

You're in a great.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah.

[Max Kellerman]

Who's on that level?

[Rich Paul]

Several women.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, definitely.

[Max Kellerman]

Of male artists.

[Rich Paul]

I don't know.

[Max Kellerman]

I don't know either. I'm trying to think.

[Rich Paul]

And they. And if they are, they didn't come from Long beach to all over the globe in that regard. And definitely, it's hard to get there in hip hop.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah, hip hop for sure. Like you mentioned Stevie Wonder. There are guys like that around, but, yeah, that's different.

[Rich Paul]

But you're talking about rap. You talk about baking cookies and, you know, doing all the things that you've been able to do, evolving it from. I mean, I sent you that. That graphic. You didn't even know that, did you? I did all those things.

[Snoop Dogg]

I showed my team. I was like, this dude is crazy. Like, this is like a highlight reel that I don't ever get a chance

[Rich Paul]

to see from my man Nate McCartney, the bag he created for Snoop.

[Snoop Dogg]

You don't see those things, but this is what I say. Like, I was telling you, like, if I was an athlete, this my interview would be, I don't watch my highlights. I have a game to play tomorrow. So I don't know what I did. I don't know what I've done. I don't know what that impact moment is, because it's a game tomorrow. I can't be in there worrying about what I did.

[Rich Paul]

I'm trying to do what somebody said.

[Max Kellerman]

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[Rich Paul]

So speaking of athletes, what do you think about the NBA this year?

[Snoop Dogg]

I like it. I ain't going front. It's getting real.

[Rich Paul]

Who you got coming out then? Since you like it harder than it

[Max Kellerman]

used to be to call it, right? Yes. That's what makes it good. Yeah.

[Rich Paul]

I mean, okay, well, we know that with the lake show coming out, you

[Snoop Dogg]

see what we look like RP and you personally tied into them acting like you don't got no business over there. Look, all I'm saying is. All I'm saying is I'm liking what I'm seeing. And what I'm gonna say is. Seven seven one five. Lord have mercy. 7715.

[Rich Paul]

They ballin', boy. They ballin', boy.

[Snoop Dogg]

One five is a dog. And I knew he was when we called him AR15. Now he's stepping all the way into it now. Go on, nephew.

[Max Kellerman]

Listen, when Luka was complaining on every call and not getting back on defense, I said it. He. He's been great recently. I'll say that too.

[Snoop Dogg]

He had to figure us out. You know what it is?

[Rich Paul]

I just be patient.

[Snoop Dogg]

Look, this is Hollywood. You gotta come in acting. This is Hollywood. Once you get past the acting, he's got his role now.

[Max Kellerman]

He can go to work right now. It's time to work.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah. Out to East. Now. Look, I don't know because Detroit, I don't know if they got what it takes to complete it, but I love the spirit how they got

[Rich Paul]

another piece and a half.

[Snoop Dogg]

Half. Yeah. Because when that Boston team get to click clacking and well, Boston is back.

[Rich Paul]

They second.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah. When Cook come back, he back. Like, like back back. When he back back.

[Max Kellerman]

But if he's back back, they're probably going to get out of the East.

[Rich Paul]

Well, if he's back, back, back, they will definitely get out the East. Thank you.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah, yeah.

[Snoop Dogg]

Thank you. Yeah. If they still got pro Angus.

[Rich Paul]

No, no, he's in. He's in.

[Max Kellerman]

He's in Golden State now. He went.

[Rich Paul]

But they went.

[Snoop Dogg]

Oh, they got.

[Rich Paul]

Should be coming back.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yeah, I like them.

[Rich Paul]

But we said the other day on the show, the new Big Three is no longer just three big name players.

[Snoop Dogg]

No, it's not.

[Rich Paul]

It's gm, president, coach, star player.

[Snoop Dogg]

Say that. Cause you gotta protect the organization. You gotta make sure that the players are taken care of. Like that's the Big Three, the decision making and the ones who put the people into place.

[Rich Paul]

Foresight.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes.

[Rich Paul]

The reason why I put the president and GM up there is because nowadays with the second apron and all the things that go on that prohibits you from having flexibility. From a cap perspective, you really have to have foresight. And then from a coaching perspective and development team and all that, like you said when they found AR having that foresight, to see, okay, this kid's undrafted, but he can play the game.

[Max Kellerman]

But also back in the day, the star player was so much better than the role player. But now that gap has closed. You have role players who are, who could, who, if the star goes down, you can slot them in that role. They're not a star, but they're kind of close to it. You can squint, they'll give you 20 plus. They can play defense and the talent.

[Rich Paul]

Now, I want to talk about the youth a little bit because I know where your heart is with the youth. Me and you talked about that. From a basketball perspective, we are in a tough spot. From a development perspective, yeah, kids are. There's a lot of highlights, there's a lot of, lot of hand gestures and things after every shot. But the fundamentals of the game is being kind of skipped over.

[Max Kellerman]

You're the right person to ask too. Cause every time I turn around, there's a clip of Snoop coaching kids, playing with kids.

[Snoop Dogg]

Every time I turn around, Y' all don't want to hear me. Really?

[Rich Paul]

Yes, we do.

[Snoop Dogg]

Really. Watch a basketball game. Like I be talking so much now. Why the why is you. Goddamn, you under the basket and throwing it out for a three? What are you doing? Analytics, my ass. Get on the bench.

[Rich Paul]

That's why you such a great commentator.

[Snoop Dogg]

It's not enough mid range. It's not enough layups. My homie said the other day, he said, cu, you know what they need to get rid of in basketball? I said, what? He said, the layup drill. I said, why? He said, niggas don't do layups no more. And I started to watch the game like, nigga, you right. Like, remember when we used to play layup drills? The first thing we do, three man weave, layup drill. Both sides, layups. Right, left, mid range, three point. Them niggas going straight to wap wap.

[Max Kellerman]

It's boring, Wap.

[Snoop Dogg]

Ain't no more layup drill because they don't teach the layup. When you go for a layup, guess what you do. You looking to see who you gonna pass the ball to. I wish the fuck you would pass the ball while you in the air right next to the basket. I'm gonna slap the shit out of you and take you out the game. I wasn't raised like that. I'm trying to bang on you. Get the and one, get the easy two.

[Max Kellerman]

Unless Wemby's in the game, then you better Wemby.

[Snoop Dogg]

I go up under him, do something body get the foul. But I don't want to throw the ball. I hate. This is what I hate.

[Rich Paul]

Two feet away to 30ft away over

[Snoop Dogg]

there, and he miss it.

[Max Kellerman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rich Paul]

Did you think you would be as great as you are from a commentating perspective? Cause it is legendary commentary, unbelievably. And you up there with Mike Tirico in the Olympics, and when you did the NBC spot for the Clippers game, it's like Must See tv.

[Snoop Dogg]

You know what it is, rp? I grew up loving Howard Cosell. I had Chick Hearn, Vin Scully, like, I'm from California. So I was gifted with great announcers. Who were they? You love hearing them. You could just listen to them even when the game wasn't on. They had so much pizzazz and so much. And we emulated that. And it's like, man, if I ever had opportunity to call a game or do that, I want to be in they spirit. They just felt like they was just conversing and talking, and they made it fun and they Made it hip and they made it cool. So I'm inspired by them.

[Max Kellerman]

Finn Scully could call a game by himself.

[Snoop Dogg]

Fernando Valenzuela on the mound.

[Max Kellerman]

Be in the middle of telling a story, and you can't wait to hear how the story turns out. Not miss a ball or a strike and finish it right when the inning finish.

[Rich Paul]

That's easy. Who you got?

[Snoop Dogg]

MVP basketball.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah.

[Snoop Dogg]

I would have said Kawhi before he got hurt. I was loving what he was doing. He was looking real good. He looks so good. He's so good. I love it. I love it because he takes mid

[Rich Paul]

range, but he's not a bad, bad injury. He should be back tonight. They played Dallas. I think he should be back.

[Max Kellerman]

He's in the conversation, but he's not going to get it. But he's like top five.

[Rich Paul]

He's had a hell of a, hell of a season this year.

[Snoop Dogg]

They may give it to the boy from Detroit.

[Max Kellerman]

Cade.

[Rich Paul]

Cade, you think? No. Shay? No. Wimby? No.

[Snoop Dogg]

Well, Wemby.

[Max Kellerman]

Wemby to me is.

[Snoop Dogg]

But Shay been down for a lot of games this year.

[Rich Paul]

He has, but they still.

[Snoop Dogg]

But he got that. He got 20 points.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah, he on that street.

[Max Kellerman]

Snoop, if I would have told you when you were a kid, there's going to be a dude 3, 4 inches taller than Kareem, who could put it on the floor with guard skills, shoot from the outside. Like, what? I mean, he's not even from this planet.

[Snoop Dogg]

I took a picture with him. This me, this cuz I couldn't believe it. I'm like, man, it's a pleasure to meet you. Damn. But he was cool as hell, though. He was a cool, cool cat. I met him and his mom.

[Rich Paul]

Yeah. Super cool dad, too. Super cool.

[Snoop Dogg]

And I'm happy for him, too. Cause I like what he did. When he first came, he was frail. He was like. I don't really get. He been in the gym. He gangster. Now he come.

[Rich Paul]

Well, he made the comment the other day. He said, I'm focused on taking care of my body because I want to win Defensive Player of the Year and mvp.

[Max Kellerman]

Know what else I love about him, Snoop? So Chet is the guy they win the title. Chet is a real good player. He's tall like Wemby. He's like the poor man's Wemby. Wemby's aware of it. And whenever they play okc, Wemby makes sure to put it on Chet. He has that thing in him like Shaq had or like the other Bigs had, where it's like, I'm going to make sure. If Shaq think this dude, if you think this dude is on my level, I'm going to show you. He's not wemby nice guy and everything, but he has that in him.

[Rich Paul]

I gotta ask you, you've did records with everybody. Is there anybody you wish you had done a record with that you hadn't didn't get? Outside of Michael Jackson, who's no longer here?

[Snoop Dogg]

I got a record with Mike.

[Rich Paul]

You do?

[Snoop Dogg]

It's in his estate. Yeah. Come on, man.

[Rich Paul]

Well, I mean, I never heard it,

[Snoop Dogg]

but it's in his estate.

[Rich Paul]

Okay, perfect. Was there anybody you wish you had done a record with?

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes. Sade.

[Max Kellerman]

Ooh.

[Snoop Dogg]

Okay. I feel like Snoop Dogg. And Sade's voice.

[Max Kellerman]

How did that not happen?

[Snoop Dogg]

Like, that's like magic to me. Smooth operator, that voice with the dog.

[Max Kellerman]

Like, ah, we love all those beats.

[Rich Paul]

You know, you're the only person in the world that my grandmother would probably allow me to smoke with. She wouldn't care. Fresh from church. Go ahead. Go ahead, sister.

[Snoop Dogg]

Praise God, sister.

[Rich Paul]

Go ahead, grandson. Go ahead.

[Snoop Dogg]

Praise God, Sister Paul.

[Rich Paul]

How could you not?

[Snoop Dogg]

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I give my grandson permission to blow with the one and only D O double.

[Rich Paul]

You have to because you get a pass everywhere.

[Snoop Dogg]

Right?

[Rich Paul]

How does that even happen?

[Max Kellerman]

You had certain dudes in every area. Willie Nelson.

[Snoop Dogg]

Yes.

[Max Kellerman]

There's certain dudes who you're allowed to smoke weed with. Doesn't matter what.

[Snoop Dogg]

And naturally, I went and became Willie's friend when I got in the industry. Of course, for that reason, naturally. Cheech and Chon, you know, so it's Chappelle. Yeah.

[Max Kellerman]

You were in half picked. That's a great team.

[Snoop Dogg]

That's what I'm saying. So it's certain people that I either went and made a relationship with them or we just organically became best of friends.

[Max Kellerman]

Coming up on Friday on Game over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, part two of our Sit down with Snoop. Was it an interview? It was kind of a hangout. I don't know what it was, but I liked it. 21 and over in select states for Kansas, an affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 and over and present in D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY RESET. Call 1-888-78976 777 or visit ccpg.orgchatinconnecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org In Maryland, hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-550. For 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York. For Louisiana, call 1-877-770-7867. 2 teams 1 cup the primetime stage is set for the TGL presented by SoFi. Finals Los Angeles Golf Club vs Tigers Jupiter Links Keep up it's playoffs tune in. Monday, March 23, 9pm Eastern on ESPN2 and Tuesday, March 24, 7pm Eastern on ESPN and on the ESPN app Too

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