Most people don’t see Snoop Dogg as a family man, but at his core, that is precisely who the individual who once dominated gangsta rap in the ’90s is. The father of four recently opened up about his role as the patriarch of his family, dropping the tea that he has a nickname far cooler than the rap moniker the world knows him by.
Snoop married his wife, Shante Taylor, in 1997. From this union, they have two sons, Corde, 29, and Cordell, 26, and a daughter, Cori, 24. He also has a son named Julian, 25, from a separate relationship.
There are at least 12 people in the clan who call him “Papa Noop.”
The “Gin & Juice” artist appeared on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” last week and spoke about his family, including his relationship with his kids and his collective batch of grandchildren.
Hudson, the show host, asked him about the little ones.
“Now, OK, I was trying to imagine Snoop as a granddad. So how many grandkids do you actually have?” said the EGOT.
“Actually, I have a total of 12 grandkids,” he responds.
Shocked, Hudson said, “12?”
Folks on social media said having the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” artist as a pop-pop would be cool.
“Imagine snoop being your Grandpa,” one person tweeted.
Imagine snoop being your Grandpa
— Xander (@Flawless_xander) October 10, 2023
While he said 12, he actually has only six biological grandchildren. Corde has had four children: a son, Zion, with his ex-girlfriend Jessica Kyzer; a son named Leo and a daughter named Elleven Love, with his girlfriend Soraya Love; and a son named Kai Love, who unfortunately transitioned ten days after being born in 2019.
“My son did all he needed to do in his ten days here on earth. He has now graduated and is continuing to do work,” the grieved young dad said on Instagram when he announced the death two days later.
“He died in my arms and that feeling of energy will never leave me,” he continued. “Kai wants all of you to know he’s doing great and wants to continue to inspire those who light is dim.”
Cordell is the father of two daughters, Cordoba and Chateau; both shared with his girlfriend, Phia Barragan.
“Yes, yes, I do. They’re different ages, ranges, and sizes, and I love them all the same way. Actually, my oldest grandson, his birthday is today so I’m on my way to his birthday party when I leave here,” he continued to share. “He’s going to be nine years old, that’s Zion Broadus.”
The conversation easily moved with Hudson saying the celebration is “adorable” before asking him to share that the kids call him.
“Well, he was the first one to name me,” the Long Beach native recalled. “He used to call me Papa Noop, because he couldn’t say Snoop, so he started calling me Papa Noop. And then, as time went by, he learned how to say Snoop, so now I’m Papa Snoop.”
This isn’t the first time that Snoop talked about his grandchildren.
On the podcast, “Words + Music: From the Streets to the Suites,” he shared that the babies have just as much personality as he does.
“My grandkids are my everything because they all individually get a piece of my heart, and they’re different,” the 52-year-old says.
“My oldest grandson Zion told me he’s the biggest star in the family,” he said on the People.com powered series. “He took my Snoop Loopz box and put his own little cover on the front and made his own cereal.”
Then he shared that his granddaughter Journey, whom they call CC, is a mini-Serena Williams and loves to play tennis. He said she is also a granddaddy’s girl.
“She loves her papa,” the rapper declared. “She sees me in the store in my little Corona ads and whatnot — [she says], ‘Papa!’ That s—t means the world to me for them to call me that because I had a papa.”
According to the “Beautiful” chart-topper, his grandfather was his “best friend,” and knowing that his grandchildren look at him with such adoration helps him realize that he really transformed his life.
“For me to be that for my grandkids is showing that I actually did well and I was able to outlive the circumstances. Now I can look back — I can teach those who want to get to this level,” he said, adding, “Or at least give them a blueprint and help them avoid some of the traps that had to deal with.”
