Snoop Dogg is next in line to have his career immortalized in film by Allen Hughes, who has a unique perspective on the rap veteran’s relationship with 2Pac.
During an interview with the Rap Radar Podcast, the Menace II Society co-director said that Snoop selflessly took a backseat during his tenure on Death Row Records to let his labelmate bask in the spotlight, despite being one of Hip Hop’s biggest stars at the time.
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“You got a guy that was the rockstar of that era,” Hughes said. “And in the same era, he’s on trial for murder… and thank God, [he] beats the case. And then you got all that little window where Snoop dimmed his light for 2Pac.”
He continued: “I never understood that back then. I remember Snoop just dimming his light and letting 2Pac shine when Snoop was the guy, y’know?”
Earlier this year, Hughes released Dear Mama, his record-breaking docuseries about 2Pac and his mother, Afeni Shakur. The 51-year-old has since received a great deal of praise — as well as criticism — for his memory of the late rapper.
Most recently, he shared a controversial remark about the West Coast soldier while speaking to John Heilemann on The Recount, referring to ‘Pac’s gangsta persona as an act.
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During the interview, Hughes was asked about the difference between Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. He referred to Snoop as the “real street guy out of all these guys” and praised him for having the foresight to leave Death Row Records.
“2Pac, on the other hand, while he came up in the inner city or the urban, fucked-up ghetto, he’s not a street kid,” Hughes said. “He’s an artist and an activist. He’s a performance arts kid and he’s delusional. He’s just delusional … in a positive way. You have to be delusional to be a great artist.
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“The thing I think 2Pac was addicted to the most was when I think back was, when he’s in a room like this and he sees us all reacting to whatever he’s saying, especially her [pointed to a woman in the room]. Any woman, if they’re smiling, he goes to 10. You thought 10 was the level? He’s at 50 now. And he’s so charismatic that he lost himself in his power to move a room.”
Coincidentally, Hughes is set to follow-up Dear Mama by directing the upcoming biopic on Snoop Dogg alongside his brother Albert.
The as-yet-untitled projects is in the works with Universal Pictures and Death Row Pictures, and will be executive produced by Snoop himself and Sara Ramaker.
“I waited a long time to put this project together because I wanted to choose the right director, the perfect writer and the greatest movie company I could partner with that could understand the legacy that I’m trying to portray on screen, and the memory I’m trying to leave behind,” the rap legend said in a statement last November. “It was the perfect marriage. It was holy matrimony, not holy macaroni.”
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Allen Hughes added: “Snoop Dogg is one of the most internationally beloved figures in Hip Hop. There’s just something about his energy that brings people of all walks of life together. Snoop Dogg, not just the artist, but the man and his brand, has transcended generations with his connection and appeal to audiences.
“His story is so authentic and utterly inspiring, and to have the opportunity to tell his story allows me to go back to the hood 30 years after Menace II Society, and say more now than I could then.”
