Snoop Dogg's life is being made into a movie, due in theatres next summer

Snoop Dogg's life is being made into a movie, due in theatres next summer

Jonathan Daviss to play the rapper in biopic scheduled for August 2027

Snoop Dogg has done a lot of living in his 54 years.

In addition to his status as one of the biggest selling rappers of all time, he's been an Olympic commentator, Martha Stewart's co-host, a movie star, voice actor, an affirmational guru for young kids, a purveyor of both wine and cannabis, and, at one point, affiliated with one of the largest gangs in Los Angeles.

Next summer, Snoop Dogg's storied life is due to hit the big screen in a new biopic from Universal Pictures.

The theatrical release of Snoop is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2027, and Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss will be playing the hip-hop icon.

The company has not said whether the film will try to tell the story of Snoop Dogg's whole life, or if it will just focus one chapter, only that it will be the "definitive biopic of [an] artist, mogul and icon of gangsta rap."

The man we know today as Snoop Dog was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. in Long Beach, Calif.

He rose to fame in 1993, with the release of his debut album Doggystyle, produced by former N.W.A rapper-producer Dr. Dre, following their collaborations on Dre's own 1992 breakout solo album The Chronic. It kicked off a musical career that includes 22 studio albums and 17 Grammy nominations.

Rapper Snoop Dogg becomes reggae's Snoop Lion

Today, Snoop Dogg is considered one of the defining voices of gangsta rap and key figure of West Coast hip-hop. Billboard has called him one of the best rappers of all time.

He's even performed on some of the biggest stages in the world, including the Super Bowl halftime show in 2022 and the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Snoop Dogg now owns the Death Row Records brand that released his first albums, and he founded the film and television production company Death Row Pictures. This new film is being made as part of a deal between Death Row and NBCUniversal Entertainment — and it promises to include parts of Snoop's vast back catalog.

Beyond music, Snoop Dogg has proven to be a savvy entrepreneur, with business ventures ranging from the food and beverage industry, to pet accessories, and a variety of canabis businesses.

According to the website Celebrity Networth, today Snoop Dogg is worth $160 million US.

Snoop Dogg has been pretty open about his long rap sheet.

In his early teens he became affiliated with an Los Angeles gang known as the Rollin' 20 Crips, and in 1990, a much younger Snoop Dogg was convicted of felony drug possession and possession for sale (cocaine).

Snoop Dogg appeared at Toronto nightclub where shots fired overnight

In 1996, he was acquitted of murder charges involving the death of a member of a rival gang.

There was more legal trouble for Snoop Dogg in 2003, when he and his entourage were accused of drugging and a raping a make-up artist backstage after a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The lawsuit was dropped after the matter was "resolved amicably" in 2005.

In 2007, the rapper avoided jail time for weapons charges, instead he agreed to years of probation and hundreds of hours of community service.

CBC reporter photo-bombed by Snoop Dogg

This will not be the first time Snoop Dogg is portrayed in a rap biopic.

Atlanta actor LaKeith Stanfield played Snoop Dogg the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, which tells the story of N.W.A's rise and fall.

In 2017, the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me Jarrett Ellis plays the role of Snoop Dogg, who was a friend of the late rapper.

Helen Surgenor is a producer for CBC News based in Toronto, currently working for the entertainment unit. She spent years waking up before dawn to make the daily news podcast World Report. She has reported in Alberta, Iqaluit and Barbados. You can reach her at helen.surgenor@cbc.ca.