He stood there.
November 2018. Hollywood Boulevard was packed, the air probably smelled like exactly what you’d expect a Snoop Dogg event to smell like, and the "Doggfather" finally got his star on the Walk of Fame. Most people in that position do the standard thing. They cry. They thank their third-grade teacher. They mention a distant cousin who lent them twenty bucks in 1992. But Snoop? He took a beat, looked at the crowd, and delivered a speech that effectively broke the internet before "breaking the internet" was even a tired phrase.
I’d like to thank me.
That was the line. It wasn't just a moment of ego; it was a cultural shift. Honestly, it was the first time a major public figure looked at the camera and admitted that while support systems are great, the person who stayed up until 4:00 AM grinding was him. People initially laughed because it’s Snoop and he has that effortless, comedic timing, but the message stuck. It resonated so hard that it eventually birthed a cookbook, a massive marketing campaign, and a whole new way for people to think about self-validation without feeling like a jerk.
The speech that launched a thousand memes
If you haven't watched the clip in a while, it's worth a revisit. Snoop didn't just say it once. He went on a full-on celebratory run. He thanked himself for doing all the hard work. He thanked himself for having no days off. He thanked himself for never quitting.
It was a litany of self-appreciation that felt weirdly earned.
See, we’re taught from a young age that "I" is a bad word in success stories. We're told to be humble, to deflect praise, to act like we just stumbled into greatness because of "luck" or "teamwork." While teamwork makes the dream work—yeah, yeah—Snoop pointed out the elephant in the room: if you don't believe in yourself enough to be your own biggest fan, why should anyone else?
The clip went viral instantly. It wasn't just rappers sharing it. You had school teachers, corporate middle managers, and exhausted parents posting the video. Why? Because everyone feels undervalued. Hearing someone as iconic as Snoop Dogg say i'd like to thank me gave everyone else a sort of "hall pass" to acknowledge their own hustle. It’s a very specific kind of radical self-love that doesn't require permission from an audience.
From a Hollywood star to a literal brand
Most people don't realize how much Snoop capitalized on this specific phrase. It wasn't just a throwaway line for a plaque ceremony. It became the title of his 2019 album. It became the ethos of his business empire.
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Think about the sheer variety of things Snoop does. He’s got the wine (19 Crimes), the breakfast foods (Snoop Cereal), the pet accessories, and the weed brands. He even did a cookbook called From Crook to Cook. The phrase i'd like to thank me became the connective tissue for all these disparate ventures. It served as a reminder that he transitioned from a gangsta rap icon facing serious legal trouble in the 90s to a lovable, multi-industry mogul.
He basically rebranded "self-centeredness" into "self-accountability."
There's a nuance here that gets lost. When people say "I'd like to thank me," they aren't necessarily saying "everyone else sucks." They’re saying "I stayed true to the vision when everyone else thought I was a joke." For Snoop, that meant staying relevant across four decades of hip-hop—a genre that notoriously eats its elders.
Why the psychology of self-thanks actually works
There’s some real psychological weight behind this. Dr. Kristin Neff, a leading researcher on self-compassion, often talks about how we are far harsher on ourselves than we would ever be to a friend. We celebrate our friends' wins, but we dismiss our own as "just doing my job."
Snoop’s "I’d like to thank me" flips that script.
It’s an act of "self-talk" performed on a global stage. When you acknowledge your own effort, you're reinforcing your internal locus of control. That’s just a fancy way of saying you believe you’re the one steering the ship. If you only ever thank others, you subconsciously start to believe that your success is a gift given to you by the world, rather than something you built.
That’s a dangerous place to be. If the world gives it to you, the world can take it away. But if you "thank yourself" for the discipline, the discipline stays with you regardless of whether the crowd is cheering or booing.
The ripple effect in pop culture
Since 2018, we’ve seen a massive uptick in this kind of unapologetic self-celebration. You see it in Lizzo’s lyrics. You see it in the "main character energy" trend on TikTok. You see it in athletes who, after a championship win, focus on their personal journey of recovery and mental health.
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We’ve moved away from the "aw-shucks" era of celebrity.
People want authenticity now. And honestly? It’s more authentic to admit you worked your tail off than to pretend it was all some happy accident. Snoop just happened to be the one to give the movement its most catchy slogan.
The "I'd Like to Thank Me" checklist for the rest of us
You don't need a star on the Walk of Fame to do this. You don't even need a platinum record. But you probably do need to stop waiting for a boss or a partner to tell you that you're doing a good job.
If you're trying to incorporate this Snoop-level confidence into your own life, here’s how it actually looks in practice, minus the cameras:
- Acknowledge the "No Days Off" moments. Maybe it’s not literally no days off—burnout is real—but thank yourself for the times you chose the gym over the couch, or the book over the scroll.
- Stop the "But." When someone gives you a compliment, don't say "Thanks, but it was really a team effort." Just say "Thank you, I worked hard on that."
- Celebrate the invisible wins. Snoop thanked himself for "doing more right than wrong." That’s a low bar that is surprisingly hard to clear. Thank yourself for the bad decisions you didn't make this week.
- Own the pivot. Snoop moved from rap to cooking to Olympics commentary. He thanked himself for being a "giver" and for "trying to give back." If you’ve successfully changed careers or mindsets, that’s a massive win that deserves a self-shoutout.
The flip side: when does it become too much?
Look, there’s always a risk of sounding like a narcissist. If you spend all day thanking yourself in the mirror, you’re probably going to lose your friends. The brilliance of Snoop’s delivery was the mix of humor and sincerity. He knew it sounded "extra," and he leaned into it.
The difference between confidence and arrogance is usually evidence.
Snoop had thirty years of hits to back up his claim. If you’re going to thank yourself, make sure there’s some "meat on the bone." Are you actually putting in the work? Are you actually staying disciplined? Self-thanks without self-discipline is just delusion. But when those two things align? That’s when you become untouchable.
It’s also about the balance of the "we" and the "me." Snoop didn't ignore his producers, his family, or his fans throughout his career. He just refused to let them be the only part of the story.
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A legacy of self-validation
Ultimately, i'd like to thank me isn't just about Snoop Dogg anymore. It’s a mantra for the modern era. We live in a world that is constantly trying to tell us we aren't enough—not skinny enough, not rich enough, not productive enough.
Choosing to thank yourself is a quiet act of rebellion.
It’s saying that your opinion of your work is the highest authority. When Snoop walked off that stage in Hollywood, he wasn't just walking away with a trophy. He was walking away with the power of his own narrative. He didn't wait for the history books to call him a legend; he called himself one and then lived up to it.
That’s the real takeaway. You don’t get what you wish for; you get what you work for, and you keep what you’re brave enough to claim.
Next Steps for Personal Branding
If you want to apply this to your own career or life, start by performing a "personal audit." Write down three things you’ve achieved in the last six months that no one else helped you with. Maybe it was a difficult conversation you navigated or a skill you taught yourself via YouTube at midnight. Sit with those for a second. Don't post them. Don't tweet them. Just look at them and say it out loud: I'd like to thank me for that. It feels weird at first, but that’s just the sound of your ego and your self-esteem finally getting on the same page.
From there, look at your professional bio or LinkedIn. Is it a dry list of tasks, or does it reflect the "giver" and "hustler" mentality Snoop talked about? Reframing your history isn't about lying; it's about highlighting the grit that got you to the finish line. Own your story before someone else tries to write the footnotes for you.