The most recent sign of the apocalypse has shown itself bright and early on a Wednesday morning. At around 7:30 a.m., Donald Trump tweeted, "Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!"
The tweet was in response to Snoop Dogg's recent "Lavender" video, a collaboration between the Long Beach rapper, Kaytranada, and BADBADNOTGOOD. The video features a Trump impersonator dressed as a clown and, at one point in the clip, Snoop points a gun at the Trump clown and fires. A cartoon bang cloud comes out of the muzzle.
At this point, 24 years after the release of his debut album Doggystyle, Snoop is a cornerstone of popular culture, and he's reached this degree of longevity as much for his business savvy as he has for his iconic catalogue. So, while we try to wrap our heads around the fact that the president is tweeting about a Kaytranada/BADBADNOTGOOD collaboration, let's take a look at all the ways Snoop continues to thrive.
1. Snoop's latest studio album Coolaid debuted at No. 40 on the albums chart.
The Long Beach rapper's 14th studio album Coolaid, released last July, debuted at No. 40 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was Snoop's 11th album to reach the top ten on the UK R&B Chart.
2. He's produced over 200 episodes of his web series GGN.
Since 2011, Snoop has been delivering his version of the news as anchor "Nemo Hoes" on his Double G News Network webseries. The rapper has produced over 200 episodes of the series, which has features guests ranging from A$AP Rocky to Larry King.
3. Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party on VH1 has been renewed for a second season.
Snoop and Martha Stewart parlayed their hilarious television moment into their own show on VH1 last year. The show, which just finished its first season, has already been renewed for new episodes. In addition to his show with Stewart, Snoop also executive produces VH1's Mary + Jane.
4. He's become a successful entrepreneur in the cannabis industry.
In 2015, the 45-year-old launched his own brand of weed, Leafs by Snoop. The line's hand-weighed marijuana flowers, buds, edibles, plus various concentrates are available in over 100 retail stores.
He also partnered with vaporizer company Grenco in 2016 to release his own G pen. “The original Snoop Dogg G Pen was and, still is, the top-selling portable vaporizer pen of all time,” Grenco CEO Chris Folkerts told Variety last year. Snoop's cannabis entrepreneurship has also moved into the digital space with Merry Jane, a website dedicated to marijuana culture.
5. The Snoop Youth Football League is currently in its 12th season.
Snoop launched his Snoop Youth Football League in 2012 as a way to help kids avoid gangs. The league has become the biggest in Southern California, with 50 teams with more than 1,500 players, and recently expanded into Northern California and Texas.
6. His enormous social media following continues to grow at a steady pace.
Snoop Dogg boasts 16 million followers on his Twitter account, 35 million on Facebook, and 15 million on Instagram.
7. He's featured in Adidas Originals's latest campaign.
Adidas made Snoop one of the faces of their "Original Is Never Finished" campaign, launching a video series with an original song from the rapper.
8. Mount Kushmore Wellness Retreat, his two-day festival, just expanded to a national tour.
Ready to celebrate 420 w/ us, @SnoopDogg & the legends of music and cannabis? Ticket presale today at 10am at https://t.co/zsvxbc5ZJ5!🎉🌿 pic.twitter.com/7Q2LgXL4Hh
— MERRY JANE (@MERRYJANE) March 1, 2017
Earlier this month, Snoop Dogg announced the Mount Kushmore Wellness Retreat tour with Wiz Khalifa, Cypress Hill, Method Man, Redman, and Lil Uzi Vert. The concert began as a two-day festival and has expanded into a 16-city national tour. The tour begins on April 13 in Seattle.
