Snoop Dogg is a man of many talents, who continues to innovate through his music and entrepreneurial endeavors. In honor of his recent partnership with BIC, which found him and Martha Stewart coming together for the new EZ Reach lighter, we had a chance to hit Snoop with a few questions about his latest business move, reuniting with Dr. Dre for No Limit Topp Dogg & Tha Last Meal, and the work he’s been actively doing to bring Mt. Westmore’s debut album to life.
“You bring the legends of the West Coast together, something great will always happen,” explains Snoop Dogg, hard at work on the upcoming Mt. Westmore project. “Cube, 40, Short, and I have been running the game for years. This is the perfect time because each of us brings authentic and new ideas to the table. All four together? That’s magic.” It’s no wonder that he’d be quick to hook his groupmates up with the BIC Reach, were he only to have a few on deck. “And I always got a couple on deck for Wiz [Khalifa],” he adds.
Having only recently dropped off his eighteenth studio album From Tha Streets 2 Tha Suites, and with Mt. Westmore’s debut on the horizon, it’s clear that Snoop is poised for another prolific year on the musical front. Yet given his vast discography ranging across several decades and musical dynasties, it felt appropriate to look back on a few of Snoop’s beloved albums — No Limit Top Dogg and Tha Last Meal, released in 1999 and 2000 respectively.
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Evidently, those productions marked a key reunion with Dr. Dre following a collaborative post-Death Row hiatus. “Dre and I are family,” reflects Snoop. “It was great getting back with him. Whenever we are together, we do it big. I was going through a lot during my life at the time and we ended up making some real classics.” Classics including the likes of “Bitch Please,” “Just Dippin,” “Lay Low,” and “Hennessy & Buddah,” songs that came to define the new era of Dre and Snoop camaraderie.
Despite his incredible catalog, Snoop is never one to dwell on the past — especially where his own catalog is concerned. “I wouldn’t say anything is underrated,” he admits, when asked if there are any projects he feels deserve more appreciation. “I am always focusing on what I got going right now, and staying in the present.”
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No easy feat, given how much the Doggfather has found himself branching out and pursuing new entrepreneurial endeavors. “Martha and I are a great duo and bringing the two of us together made a lot of sense,” says Snoop, breaking down his decision to connect with BIC. “The BIC EZ Reach lighter is beneficial for both of us in different ways. Martha uses it to light the grill, the stove, and candles. I use it to light candles and more.” Fans already understand the implication, but that’s not the only reason Snoop opted to link up with BIC. “I love candles and fragrances,” he reveals. “Bring some flowers into the mix and we’re good to go.”
Though the easy-access nature of the EZ Reach may lead to an increase in inadvertent lighter-pocketing, the Doggfather isn’t entirely sympathetic to those who find their gear snatched during a smoking session. “That’s on you if it’s gone,” he cautions. “Stay ready and you don’t have to get ready.” Wise words from one of hip-hop’s keen business minds, a quality he shares with some of the game’s great investors. “Nipsey, Nas, Diddy, Jay-Z, Cube,” he praises, naming those who keep him inspired to handle business. “We are all entrepreneurs and deeply invested in the technology space.”
WATCH: Snoop Dogg & Martha Stewart’s BIC EZ Reach “Pass It” Promo