Snoop Dogg is rolling a blunt in front of me. He's surrounded by friends, security, a haze of magic puffs, and at least six bags of Five Guys burgers and fries. His fingers are long, his gestures balletic, and as he dusts marijuana across a filmy paper, I feel like I'm watching a spell being cast. Harry Pot Head, if you want to go there.
We're in a Palm Springs suite above the epic Levi's Coachella party, where the pop culture grandmaster has just rapped his way through The Hits™—'Gin and Juice,' 'Drop It Like It's Hot,' the whole thing—while guests like Bella Hadid and Brooklyn Beckham, along with many elder statespeople of the fashion world, lose their shit. The party's outside and it's 101 degrees, but nobody cares. Snoop Dogg is hotter.
The 46-year-old has a longstanding partnership with Levi's, because, in his words, 'it's for everyone to make a part of who they are.' Much like his music, the famous denim transcends pop culture tribes and generations. Nearly everyone can quote his hit 'Who Am I,' even if—like party guest Hailey Baldwin—they weren't born when it debuted in 1993.
Is he cool with a bunch of hyper blondes (me included) screaming his lyrics at the top of their lungs? Is he still in love with music as much as entrepreneurship? Is he really mad at Tristan Thompson?
Let's find out.
What should we do before this interview?
We should close the window. Let’s get rid of all that EDM shit playing outside—we have enough of that on the radio! What if we did this interview and it was like, [Imitating me a little too well...] "So Snoop, tell us about…" thump-duh-DUH-duh-DUH. It would sound like a really bad [crossover] track.
Before the party started playing EDM, you were playing your biggest hits. Is there still joy in that for you?
You know what? Those records are a part of my make. They’re who I am, where I come from, my struggle, my mistakes, my successes, my failures, my emotions. So when I play them now, it still feels like a burst of energy—especially if people like it. Seeing all of them know the words, know the songs. That's great. My songs aren't just about me anymore. They’ve become a memory for everyone who listens to them as well. Actually, that’s one of the really good things about having records that are considered Oldies But Goodies, you know? You become part of everyone's experience, even if it's different from your own.
Marijuana is now legal in California...and it's all over Coachella. How do you feel about weed culture becoming a normal part of culture?
I feel good about it because I was at the end of going to jail many times and having it on my record. Now I can turn it into a legitimate business, and other people can start their own businesses that are lawful, and help people build their own lives. But what needs to happen now is for the government to release the guys—and the women!—who are locked up just for marijuana. Since it’s legal, and especially in the states where it’s legal, release the people who’ve now done no crime. If the states are making money off of legitimate weed businesses, there shouldn’t be people in those states' jails because of weed. That’s ridiculous. They need to overturn those convictions.
You just posted a great meme about Tristan Thompson. Do you keep up with the Kardashians?
I mean, it’s funny to me. That shit is hysterical when it comes on the headlines! I like anything that’s topical, fly, funny, and different and that’s what they are. Besides that, they’re a great family. I really like them—I have a relationship with them, I know them, and so I feel like it’s okay for me to crack jokes about them, because they know it’s all in good fun. I didn’t mean any disrespect at all. I don't think they took it that way.
Me neither. Do you know Tommy Hilfiger credits you with helping start his career? And being the person to start '90s hip hop fashion as a mainstream trend?
Tommy Hilfiger said that? THE Tommy Hilfiger?
He said you told him to make...you said, "I'm here for a motherfucking suit."
Ha! There you go. Okay. Well, when I met him, he was the king of clothes, right? I was from California and they were on the East Coast. To me, those clothes were high end. I knew I had to wear something special on Saturday Night Live, but I didn't want to look like everyone else in some formal suit. It had to be right, and Tommy got it right.
Would you ever do a designer collaboration, like Dapper Dan and Gucci, or Supreme and Louis Vuitton?
You know, if the offer is right, I would absolutely do it. But in the meantime and the between time, I’m going to keep making my own clothing line. It’s on The Snoopermarket.com, and it's really because sometimes, I just can't find what's in my head. I like making things I want to wear, and I like trying to promote my own business and my own vision. If any of those big fashion brands get the paper together, I’d love to speak with them, but until then, I’m also really happy making things that people like, and letting them buy it themselves.
Is it just for dudes?
No way. It’s for females, it’s for males, and it’s for the in-between, because that’s about to happen in a bigger way. And however you want to wear it, regardless of gender, I think that’s great as long as you do it with love.
Faran Krentcil is a fashion journalist and critic based in New York City. She is the founding editor of Fashionista and a graduate of Duke University. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and more.
