After he carved out his niche in history, Long Beach forever became known as Snoop Dogg’s home. A testament to the Doggfather’s indomitable spirit and charisma, the rapper, actor, and producer rose from the Eastside’s grittiest streets to become the undisputed King of the West Coast and hip hop’s most definitive icon.

In an interview with the Long Beach Magazine, the C-walking, sharp talking wordsworth’s laid-back drawl emanated pride as he talked about the more than 2,500 kids who inspire him and call him coach and how his hometown influenced him and his music.



Long Beach Magazine: Why did you establish the Snoop Youth Football League?

Snoop Dogg: When I started coaching I fell in love with football all over again, because I played as a kid. It strayed me away from gangbanging and violence for as long as it could. Then it was taken away from us. I felt like me bringing {football} back could possibly take gang violence away from the hood, give kids other opportunities other than the negative ways that we so accustomed to growing up. Also, give the parents the chance to not have to financially break themselves and have to choose whether to pay the light bill or put {their} son in football. I wanted to make it easy for the situations that are in the neighborhood where I come from.



LBM: What do you like best about your league?

SD: What I love about my league is that it is real kids from the inner city who are really dreaming and hoping to be something. It’s beautiful to see that their dreams can actually come true. I love to see the neighborhoods get together to play football on Saturdays and work out three or four months before the season starts, maintain good grades in school, and listen to their coaches like teachers. That is beautiful to me because it is saying that there is such a thing as a solution to the problem that’s going on, if you just put a little bit of time and effort into it.



LBM: How does playing football help athletes succeed in life?

SD: I love that there are 11 guys at one time on the field working together. It teaches you unity, discipline, dedication {and} desire. You have to be smart. You have to look out for your brothers. You have to look out for yourself. You have to keep your head. It’s like life to me. It’s so close to life with how you have to be on your toes and paying attention while you are out there. Even when you are on the sidelines, you have to pay attention. You can learn a lot from the sidelines. Just like with life, you don’t have to be in the game to actually be playing.



LBM: What did you like best about growing up in Long Beach?

SD: I loved the camaraderie with my friends, the love, the competition, and the energy. It was competitive every day no matter what you do. If you play basketball, you got to compete. If you play football, you got to compete. Whatever you do, you have to compete in Long Beach. It’s so competitive that everyone loves to win. Nobody likes to be number two. Everybody wants to be number one. It’s saying you can definitely get somewhere in life if you put your mind on the right goal. Whatever it is you want to do, you can be the best at it. Look at the people who came from Long Beach. We have the best. If you want to be that, you have to put your mind to it and separate between the real and the fake. It is so easy to do. It just seems so hard because we are so used to growing up with certain ways of life. As you become older and become a man and have a family and kids, you learn to separate that and think about what is most important.



LBM: How has Long Beach inspired you?

SD: Everything I know is from Long Beach. Long Beach showed me so much on how to live and {how} not to live. There is nothing in Long Beach that says you can’t make it. I was inspired by the people who went to Poly {Long Beach Polytechnic} High School {that} went on to become athletes {three time Super Bowl Champion Willie McGinest} or entertainers {movie star Cameron Diaz}--the Home of Scholars and Champions. I wanted to be one of the main guys that took Long Beach further.



LBM: Millions of people know Long Beach only because of you and your music. How do you feel about putting Long Beach on the map for those people?

SD: That is what I was struggling and striving for. My main goal {was} bragging and boasting about Long Beach and let everyone out there know that is where I am from. I am a product of this environment and they raised good people.



LBM: How has Long Beach influenced hip hop culture?

SD: To me, we {Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg} influenced hip hop in a major way. We may have changed the game of hip hop, because when we got with Dr. Dre in 1991, he was leading the NWA and creating his own name for himself. We got with him and created The Chronic album, which became one of the most anticipated hip hop albums of our time. And then we followed that up with the most anticipated hip hop album of all time, that was my record, {Doggystyle}. It came out number one. The first album {that} débuted number one on the pop charts, rap charts, everything. I feel that energy was inspired by me, Warren G, Nate Dogg and all the other cats that came from Long Beach. I feel like we helped change the face of hip hop, the face of music, from ‘92 to 1999. The game was ours. We put out great music. We were connected. The Long Beach team is something that can’t be overlooked. It can’t be neglected now. There is a flag up that says Long Beach is here to stay. We created so many different genres of music. It is so big, so beautiful the way we inspired so many rappers in the game. They know this is the spirit of the music that we come from, which is Long Beach.



LBM: How do you feel about your influence on hip hop culture?

SD: I feel like I have done {my} job well. I feel like I have more to do. I am expanding as a producer. I am trying to give more opportunities to guys who are ex-gang members and have a story to tell. I know a lot of these guys are trapped and don’t have a way out. I try to put them in environments where they understand that life is more valuable than just throwing up a gang sign or representing your hood.



SD: I want to ask you a question before I leave. Why is it that Snoop Dogg does not have the key to Long Beach, but has the keys to other cities?

LBM: While you may not have the key to the city at this time, you have turned the key to the solution for the gangs and violence plaguing Long Beach’s streets.

Watching from the sidelines at his son’s football games, Snoop Dogg scored a touchdown for thousands of Southern California’s most deserving kids. The Snoop Youth Football League (STFL) coaches 2,500 kids as an outdoor classroom where athletes learn discipline, teamwork and prepare to become tomorrow’s leaders.

“My son had played in other football leagues,” says Coach Snoop. “It was heart-wrenching watching a lot of situations with single parents, {like} mothers not having transportation to see both kids play. There were scenarios where {other} leagues were costing too much money. It was so hard for single parents to pay”

Unlike other leagues that may financially strap single parents, SYFL fees are only $100 for the first child and $50 for other children in the same household. The games are streamlined with teams of all ages playing against one city so families don’t need to choose which game to attend. Players are motivated to maintain good grades, listen to their coaches and do their best on and off the field.

The rap star puts his money where his heart is with a $2 million gift each year to offset league costs and provide extra curricular activities designed to nurture kids’ self esteem. The league finishes the season with a benefit concert headlining some of the industry’s hottest urban talent.

For more information, log on to www.snoopyouthfootballleague.com or www.snoopdogg.com