Who was Snoop Dogg's mentor?

Snoop Dogg’s mentor was Dr. Dre. The producer and rapper helped introduce Snoop to the wider hip-hop world, shaped his early sound and guided the recording of his breakthrough work.

Dr. Dre first heard Snoop rapping through Warren G, Dre’s stepbrother and a member of Snoop’s informal group 213 alongside Nate Dogg. Impressed by Snoop’s relaxed delivery and distinctive voice, Dre invited him to audition. Their first major public collaboration was “Deep Cover,” the 1992 theme song for the film of the same name.

Snoop then became a prominent voice on Dre’s debut solo album, The Chronic, released in 1992. His performances on tracks such as “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” helped establish him as a major new rapper. Dre also produced Snoop’s 1993 debut album, Doggystyle, which became one of the defining albums of West Coast hip-hop.

Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube have all collaborated with or influenced Snoop, but Dr. Dre is the canonical answer to the mentor question. Their professional partnership has continued across multiple decades.