Snoop Dogg’s goal: ‘Get a little better at something each day’
“There’ll be ups and downs, smiles and frowns.” So goes Snoop Dogg’s mantra.
On a Sunday morning in Hollywood, the 52-year-old star is all smiles even as he recalls his toughest days trying to break into the movie business.
It didn’t matter that he was already a household name and a hip-hop icon with over 35 million albums sold.
“In the beginning, I heard, ‘He doesn’t have the skill.’ ” he shares. “We’ve all heard that at one point in our lives.”
How did he counter those no’s? “I prepared myself,” Snoop says. “I focused on getting a little better at it every single day. Everyone can do that: Get a little better at something each day. And I embraced my underdog status, working harder than anyone else. You have to work so hard that they can’t say no.”
Now he’s starring in films like “The Underdoggs,” a sports comedy premiering Jan. 26 on Amazon. Snoop portrays a down-on-his-luck former NFL player who is tapped to coach a youth football team in lieu of going to jail.
Snoop Dogg, a father of four who lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Shante, shares his good life tips:
Feel young again
“Age is just a number,” says Snoop, who worked with a teen cast for “Underdoggs.” “It made me feel young. We had rap battles between takes. We tried out karate moves on each other. I felt like a big kid, which is a great feeling at my age.”
What surprised him about today’s youth? “All the kids thought they could out-rap me, which was a good try,” he chuckles. “I had to show them who I was. They’re only 13 or 14. They’re babies.”
Give it everything
For Snoop, work ethic is always key. “If you’re flipping burgers at McDonald’s, the goal is to be the best burger flipper in the whole world,” he says. “It’s up to you to master what the day has in store for you.”
Defy labels
He points out that his movies aren’t “Black films,” although the media has labeled them that in the past. “When they start saying it’s a Black movie, it’s trying to limit it to a certain fan base,” Snoop says. “Don’t discredit anyone or their work by putting it into one box. Why not say a project is just great people, great creativity, great writing and great actors? I want my things to be looked at as great pieces of work, so stop trying to put me low. Just say it’s a great project with Black people in it.”
Study the past
“You need to strive to be great every single day,” Snoop says. “For me that starts with doing the research. Even as an adult you have to study. The more information you have in life, the better you will be. … It’s key to look to the greats who came before us. I try to study one of the greats each day.”
Work it out
In midlife, Snoop has actually grown quite health conscious. He follows an intense workout schedule combining strength work, agility training and a basic full-body workout, plus spends time on the treadmill and shooting hoops. “I start the day out with fruit,” he says of his shift to more of a plant-based diet. He even has a plant-based food brand. “It’s natural and good for you. You have to take care of yourself to stay on top of your game.”
‘Winning’ changes
Snoop says that he had to be competitive to make it in music and movies, but his idea of “winning” changed over the years. He focuses on broader life wins now. “For me now, helping my kids win is my win,” he says. “Once I figured out that life wasn’t about winning and losing when it comes to work, it was freeing. It really was about teaching my kids how to be happy and that makes me happy.”
Bring the love home
“Start with giving love to yourself,” he says. “Thank yourself for how far you have come.”
Find a true partner
Snoop credits his long marriage — he and Shante wed as teenagers in 1997 — to the fact that they support each other’s vision. “We met young and knew we would sacrifice for the other,” the rapper and actor says. “We support each other’s dreams and goals. She has my back. I have her back. That never changes. And our goal is a happy family. You need to have the same goal and work harder for it than you work for anything else.”
One last thing
“Put love in the air,” Snoop says. “If we all did that the world would be a better place.”
