When Stephen A. Smith sits down at his podcast setup and picks the brains of the biggest names in music, sports and entertainment, he always produces a previously unknown nugget. That’s part of what keeps him at the top of the game and able to switch from daily commentator to podcast pontificator.
During a recent sit-down interview on his YouTube channel, he produced a classic episode with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, one of hip-hop’s titanic duos, discussing their history and how they found success in both music and business.
Stephen A. Smith was truly digging in the crates with this one and out of the conversation came a story about how Dr. Dre told Snoop Dogg to turn down a potential $4.5 million deal to promote chicken and burgers. It also gave insight into the rapper and producer’s 30-plus year relationship and how deeply Snoop values Dre’s guidance and opinion, even to this day.
Why Dr. Dre Wanted Snoop Dogg To Turn Down A Lucrative Deal With Jack In The Box
With making money and longevity comes making smart business decisions. Everything isn’t for everybody. That is the premise that influenced Dr. Dre to advise Snoop to turn down a $4.5 million commercial with food chain Jack In The Box.
“I want him to do less,” Dr. Dre told Smith. “I just think that for his brand and who he is, Jack in the Box. … I’m like I betta not see your head pop out of that f-ckin’ box. That’s going to be a problem. … You’re bigger than that.”
While Snoop respects Dre’s ability to see things from a business and brand perspective, Snoop still has his own vision of who he is and the markets he is ultimately trying to reach.
Snoop Dogg added, “He would rather see me do a big steak commercial for a company that’s bigger than Jack in the Box. If you going to do something, do the big, or don’t do it at all, in his mind. But my thing is I like to touch everybody. I come from the streets, so I’m from the streets to the suites. Sometimes, he goes from the suites to the streets. I go the other way, so I make sure I touch everybody from the bottom to the top.”
Snoop’s deep connections to youth football, hockey and other organizations are testament to this.
During the interview, Smith asks Dre and Snoop about the fact that Snoop has never won a Grammy. Snoop replied:
“The kids from my league that go to the NFL and my family is my Grammy.”
Friendship and Respect Led To Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg Long-Term Success
Being able to disagree and exchange ideas and wanting the best for each other has been a sustainable and lucrative formula for both parties. Listening to Dre has clearly worked out for Snoop. Dr. Dre is one of the mythical figures in hip-hop and also among the wealthiest.
A decade after co-founding the innovative, controversial and eventually iconic hip-hop group N.W.A, he became the musical heartbeat of Aftermath Records in 1998 and later flipped his stake for $35 million to Interscope Records. Dre’s net worth exploded into the billion-dollar range through a series of shrewd moves as a co-founder of Beats Electronics, which was purchased by Apple in 2014 for $3 billion, as TSL previously reported.
As of 2024, his net worth reportedly sits at $500 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. It was higher but he took a major hit in his recent divorce to ex-wife Nicole Young, who walked away from their 24-year marriage with $100 million.
Speaking on his current situation, Dr. Dre is not hurting one bit, telling Stephen A. Smith, “Let’s just say life is good and I’m very comfortable right now. It’s very comfortable.”
With Dr Dre’s trusting word, Snoop has had one of the meteoric rises that any former Long Beach gang banger has ever had. A gangster rapper associated with several notorious record labels who has elevated to one of the most marketable faces in entertainment, best friends with Martha Stewart and serving as the 2024 Olympic torch bearer during the Paris Olympics.
Over the years, he’s been able to secure loads of brand deals and business collaborations despite his open love affair with marijuana, including deals with Raising Cane’s, 19 Crimes wines, and various cannabis products. He’s become a highly requested commentator for various sports, including NHL hockey and MLB.
From The Streets To Luxury Suites: Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop A Testament To Their Bond
Being able to maintain a multi-decade relationship has allowed the music money to keep flowing while their respect as OGs of the game continue to come from the younger generation. In 2024, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre reunited in business outside of the music game as co-founders of a spirit’s company, Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop, inspired by their ’90s hip-hop classic “Gin & Juice.”
“That’s the thing. A lot of people don’t like to see you winning. He’s happy for me to win,” Snoop Dogg said about Dr. Dre on the show. “He criticizes me. He critiques me when I’m not winning, when I’m doing things the inappropriate way that he doesn’t feel that’s on the level that I’m supposed to be. So, winning is key with him, and it’s impressive that we still have our relationship to the same level to where I still respect him and don’t feel like I’m bigger than him… I’m always going to be able to listen and learn from him.”
The relationship between Snoop and Dre dismisses a lot of rumors and assumptions about the music industry. Both were able to get the bag, stay humble and true.
