West Coast pioneer Snoop Dogg and his wife Shante (Taylor) Broadus have spent much of a lifetime together, holding each other down through his platinum-selling recording career, rumors of infidelity and the rapper’s emergence as one of the most popular personalities in hip-hop culture ever.
Their relationship is storied, as they were high school sweethearts, before marrying in June 1997, months after Snoop dropped his sophomore album, “Doggfather.”
But if the “Gin & Juice” rapper is the official O.G. for California rap, getting respect from his wife is the person he says he actually bows down to.
(Photo: @snoopdogg/Instagram)
During a recent visit to “Today with Hoda and Jenna,” Snoop talked about how loyal the woman he affectionately calls “Boss Lady,” has been to him, calling her his “backbone.”
“My wife has been my best friend for a couple of reasons,” she shared with the hosts.
“One is that she always understood who I was and who I needed to become. The second reason is her being my backbone, my foundation, my support, my reality, my other half in parenting, showing me how to be a better father, a better husband, and a better grandfather,” the recent Olympics host explained.
As the guest co-host, the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper talked glowingly about his wife, including expecting her to throw him something for his upcoming birthday and how he “never leaves home without her.”
He said, “When I lost people in my life, more in particularly, when I lost my mother, she was there with the celebration [her life], making sure my mother looked right, ensuring the family felt right, and doing things my spirit and soul couldn’t handle at the time. She stepped up as my wife and handled that.”
According to Snoop, there were many times in his life when he was at his “lowest,” and Shante gave him strength.
“She’s always been the strongest to get back up,” he continued, adding she “handled” everything for him as his manager while he focused on other things.
When The Shade Room posted a clip of the interview on Instagram, many fans weighed in, questioning why so many rumors of him cheating have floated around if he loved her so much.
“You forgot the part where your wife stuck beside you through all of your embarrassment and public infidelities,” one person wrote.
Another snapped, “Didn’t he cheat on her and had a whole outside baby on her?”
A fourth comment said, “Apparently the backbones and ribs get cheated on the most,” as someone addressed him directly, “Snoop, gotta stop cheating tho.”
One person was shocked that fans were jumping on the rapper for his comments, sarcastically remarking, “Lol this what a married men that cheat always say .. what book yall reading I want to go pick it up.”
Comments also focused on Shante.
One person felt a level of pity for her, suggesting Snoop is celebrating her to America on TV, “But be draining the life outta her. Auntie always look so tired round him.”
Another comment introduced a completely different theory, “I bet she cheated that’s why she’s still there.”
While people argued about his storied past, trying to figure out why Snoop was cheat on her or if she also was unfaithful, one person brought it back to what is important — the two love each other and have built a beautiful family and a combined $165 million empire together.
“Yal stuck on the cheating part instead of focusing on the positive things he’s saying about her!!!!” one person said. “Yal gdaddies been cheating and having outside kids and wasn’t even no where on his level! Let him celebrate his wife!!! We’re not talking about him….dang.”
It is no secret that the two have weathered various ups and downs, including a near divorce in 2004.
He even rapped about cheating on his wife in his 2020 song, “Don’t Be Mad at Me,” spitting, “I’m tired of sayin’ sorry for the same s—t, D—n near lost my queen f—ing round with that lame b—ch, Ashamed of myself ’cause I shamed you, Good or bad, right or wrong, we always bang through.”
Meanwhile, Shante has reposted the interview on her Instagram Stories, highlting the praise she’s receiving from friends.
(Screenshot: @bosslady_ent/Instagram)
This is not the first interview where he’s given props to his wife, celebrating her for being a stabilizing force in his life throughout his career, which has spanned over four decades.
Together, Snoop and Shante have three children: sons Corde and Cordell, and daughter Cori. Corde has taken a low-key path, while Cordell briefly pursued football before transitioning into modeling and film production.
Their daughter, Cori, has been open about her struggles with lupus, an autoimmune disease, and has become an advocate for health awareness, even as in her personal relationships she has dealt with alleged infidelity like her mom.
Their sons have given them a dozen grandchildren, who call him “Papa Noop.”
The Death Row CEO is also a father to a son named Julian, whom he shares with Laurie Helmond. Julian was born a year after his and Shante’s wedding. Despite this, the two are approaching 30 years of marriage and have a lifetime to go.