If you saw Snoop Dogg performing at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, you saw him Crip Walking on the world’s biggest stage. It wasn't a mistake. It wasn't just "cool dancing." It was a massive, loud statement about where he comes from. Honestly, it’s wild to think that a guy who sells Snoop Loopz cereal and hangs out with Martha Stewart is the same person who was once inextricably linked to the Rollin' 20s Crips in Long Beach.
Most people see the blue flannel shirts and the "LBC" references and think it’s just a brand. It isn't. To understand the relationship between Snoop Dogg and the Crips, you have to look past the "Gin and Juice" persona and see the reality of 1980s Eastside Long Beach.
The Long Beach Roots: Not Just a Music Video
Snoop wasn't a "studio gangster." That’s a term people in the industry use for rappers who buy their street cred after they get a record deal. Calvin Broadus Jr. grew up in a neighborhood where the Rollin' 20s Crips weren't just a gang; they were the social fabric of the streets.
He was a kid with a paper route and a choir-boy voice who happened to live in a war zone. When he talks about his past, he doesn’t always glorify it. He’s been open about the fact that the gang gave him a sense of belonging when things were chaotic at home. It’s a classic story. A young man looking for brotherhood finds it in the most dangerous place possible.
The Rollin' 20s Crips are a specific "set" under the broader Crip umbrella. They are based in the Eastside of Long Beach. It’s important to realize that the Crips aren’t one giant monolith. It’s a collection of loosely affiliated neighborhoods, often feuding with each other just as much as they feud with the Bloods. Snoop’s identity was tied specifically to that "20s" set.
You can hear it in his early work. On Doggystyle, the references aren't subtle. He mentions 21st Street. He mentions the "Eastside." He uses the slang. This wasn't marketing. This was him reporting on his life.
The 1993 Murder Trial That Changed Everything
You can't talk about Snoop’s gang ties without talking about the 1993 murder of Philip Woldemariam. This is the moment where the "gangsta" image became terrifyingly real. Snoop and his bodyguard, McKinley Lee, were charged with first-degree murder.
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Woldemariam was a member of a rival gang.
The prosecution argued that it was a cold-blooded gang killing. The defense argued it was self-defense because Woldemariam was reaching for a gun. For three years, the biggest rapper in the world faced life in prison. This wasn't some PR stunt to sell records; it was a high-stakes legal battle that threatened to end the G-Funk era before it really peaked.
When he was acquitted in 1996, something shifted.
Snoop realized he couldn't live with one foot in the booth and one foot on the corner. The lyrics started to change. He started talking more about peace. He started distancing himself from the active violence, even if he never turned his back on the people he grew up with. That’s a nuance people often miss. You don't just "quit" being a Crip like you quit a job at Starbucks. It’s a lifelong affiliation, but how you "bang" changes as you get older.
The Evolution: From Banging to Brokering Peace
Snoop Dogg is probably the only person on earth who could be a known Crip and still be loved by grandmas in middle America. How did he do it? He mastered the art of "re-entry."
He stopped using his platform to incite conflict and started using it to broker truces. In the mid-2000s, he became a central figure in trying to organize gang summits in Los Angeles. He realized that the "blue" brand had more power as a symbol of community than as a symbol of combat.
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- He started the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL).
- He hired former gang members to provide security and mentorship.
- He used his "Uncle Snoop" persona to mentor younger rappers who were falling into the same traps he did in the 90s.
Some critics argue he "sold out." They say the Martha Stewart friendship and the Skechers commercials watered down his legacy. But if you ask the guys in Long Beach? They see a man who made it out and kept the door open. He still wears blue. He still Crip Walks. He still uses the lingo. He just changed the "why" behind it.
The Symbolism of the Blue Bandana Today
Why does he still wear the blue bandana? In hip-hop culture, your "set" is your heritage. For Snoop, the blue bandana represents the struggle of Long Beach, the friends he lost to the system, and the culture that birthed his music.
When he wore a blue paisley tracksuit at the Super Bowl, it was a "if you know, you know" moment. He was telling the kids in the Eastside that he hadn't forgotten them. He was showing that you can be from that world and still end up on the most corporate stage in existence.
There's a specific aesthetic to the Rollin' 20s—the way they tilt their hats, the specific shades of blue, the hand signs. Snoop has stylized these into a global fashion brand. It’s a fascinating bit of cultural alchemy. He took something that was once a sign of neighborhood warfare and turned it into a symbol of West Coast cool.
Is he still an active member?
This is a complicated question. In the traditional sense of "putting in work" on the streets? No. He’s a multi-millionaire businessman. However, in the world of gang culture, "OG" status is real. He is an elder statesman. He provides financial support to the community. He provides jobs. He provides a voice.
He is, for lack of a better term, a "Crip Emeritus."
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Common Misconceptions About Snoop's Affiliation
People get a lot of things wrong about this relationship. One big myth is that he "invented" the Crip Walk. He didn't. The C-Walk had been around for years in the LA underground before Snoop brought it to MTV. He just happened to be the one with the most charisma to execute it on camera.
Another misconception is that his beefs with other rappers were always gang-related. While the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry had gang undertones (Death Row was largely Crip-affiliated, while others had Blood ties), much of it was just ego and business. Snoop was actually one of the first to try and de-escalate that tension after Tupac and Biggie were killed.
Navigating the Legacy
Today, Snoop Dogg acts as a bridge. He bridges the gap between the corporate world and the streets. He bridges the gap between the old school and the new school.
His relationship with the Crips is the foundation of his authenticity. Without that background, he’s just another rapper. With it, he’s a survivor. He’s someone who navigated the most dangerous era of Los Angeles history and came out the other side as a global icon.
He proves that your origins don't have to be your destination, but you don't have to lie about where you started to get where you're going.
Actionable Insights for Understanding Hip-Hop Culture
To truly grasp the impact of figures like Snoop Dogg, you have to look deeper than the surface level of the lyrics. Understanding the context of the 1990s LA gang landscape is essential for anyone interested in music history or sociology.
- Research the History of the LBC: Look into the socio-economic conditions of Long Beach in the late 80s to understand why gang affiliation was so prevalent.
- Study the G-Funk Era: Listen to the production of Dr. Dre and DJ Quik to see how the sounds of the streets were polished for the radio without losing their edge.
- Analyze the Snoop Youth Football League: Look at how Snoop used his wealth to create an alternative to gang life for thousands of kids in Los Angeles. This is his most tangible "peace-building" legacy.
- Follow the Evolution of the Crip Walk: Notice how it moved from a "set-specific" ritual to a global dance phenomenon, and the controversy that followed that commercialization.
The story of Snoop and the Crips isn't just a story about a gang; it’s a story about American survival and the power of turning a lived experience into a global movement.