A CELEBRATION OF
RAP LEGENDS
Arguably one of the most mainstream music styles today, rap was in fact born centuries ago in West Africa with historians or 'griots' who used to tell stories of the past over the beat of a drum. But it wasn't until the 1970s in New York that rapping as we know it was born and began to flourish.
SNOOP DOGG
Snoop prides himself on being both a rap legend and pillar of pop culture. Born Calvin Broadus Jr. (1971), he hails from Long Beach, California. Alongside artists Warren G and Nate Dogg, he was a member of the hip hop group 213 but made waves with the theme song for the 1992 film, Deep Cover, with Dr. Dre. His 1993 debut Doggystyle introduced the world to his smooth and hypnotising cadence as well as his devotion to combining rap and funk music.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Candace McDuffie is the Senior Writer at the Root who focuses on the intersection of race, gender and entertainment. Her written work has been featured on digital platforms such as: Rolling Stone, MTV, Forbes, Grammy.com, Spotify, PAPER, SPIN, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Vibe, Tidal, Marie Claire, Paste, Essence and The Boston Globe.
McDuffie has appeared as a commentator on HBO, BBC World Service: World Business Report, KCRW and the Smithsonian Channel. McDuffie was awarded Music Journalist of the Year at the 2020 Boston Music Awards as well as Hennessy's Privilege Toast. She was also a Key West Literary Seminar Fellow in 2022.
