19 Crimes Revisits Snoop Dogg's Career-Defining Moments Ahead of Snoop Cali Gold Launch

Wine brand 19 Crimes is launching a sweet, sparkling wine inspired by the career and legacy of hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg. As a hip-hop heavyweight with enough hits to fill a playlist, Martha Stewart’s coolest bestie and the creator of the educational children’s program Doggyland, Snoop Dogg embodies entrepreneurial grit in and out of the studio.

In the early 1990s, Snoop was a notorious public figure known for his chronic party-going, suggestive lyrics and defiant public image. And all of this he did with undeniable swag and finesse. So with the release of his new wine, the effervescent and conversation-starting 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Gold, Hypebeast reminisces on the most infamous moments throughout his career.

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1. “Gin and Juice” and the G-Funk Era (1993)

It all started with “Gin and Juice,” one of many party anthems that rocked the ‘90s, first introduced on Snoop Dogg’s debut album, Doggystyle, released by Death Row Records. Snoop’s slick rhymes, Dr. Dre’s beats and an irresistible hook skyrocketed the rapper to stardom alongside his lovable Mary Jane- and booze-loving persona. With his debut, Snoop made it clear to audiences: he’s here for a good time and a long time.

2. The East Coast vs. West Coast Rivalry

Snoop Dogg was an influential figure in the infamous beef between East Coast and West Coast rap artists, the aftermath of such spanning years of public calamity and divided fanbases. While never directly involved in said feuds, Snoop still found himself at the center of it all, with two number-one albums released out of West Coast label Death Row Records, famously pitted against the East Coast label Bad Boy Records.

In the late ‘90s, Snoop recognized a need to end the escalating feud and met with New York rapper Sean “Puffy” Combs to help the hip-hop community reconcile. “All the kids around the world are watching,” Snoop told the LA Times back in 1997, following a peace offering between the two coasts. “They look up to us and they want something positive to look forward to and something to live for. By calling for a truce we’re giving them something to live for.”

3. From Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion

One of Snoop’s most surprising chapters was his transformation from hip-hop to reggae music. In 2012, Snoop Dogg briefly reinvented himself into the peace-loving “Snoop Lion” and released a reggae album, Reincarnated (2013). After a stint in Jamaica, Snoop connected to the religious and political movement Rastafarianism, marking a brief departure from his X-rated gangster rap roots. It was a bold move at the time — one met with criticism within the Rastafarian community, who felt Snoop Lion was inauthentic. Ultimately, it proved Snoop’s ability to evolve and explore his creative expression outside of hip-hop. “Either you going to roll with or you roll against,” he told The Guardian in 2013 when asked about the backlash. “I don’t roll against what I love. I love what I love.”

4. Hollywood Walk of Fame Speech (2018)

In 2018, Snoop Dogg was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During the ceremony’s acceptance speech, the rapper took a unique approach by unapologetically thanking himself, declaring, “Last but not least: I want to thank me. I want to thank me for believing in me; I want to thank me for doing all this hard work.” Snoop’s unconventional gratitude added a touch of humor and self-confidence to the moment, providing a lighthearted (and iconic) twist on the traditional Walk of Fame acceptance speech.

5. His Love for the Green Stuff

Snoop’s no stranger to Mary Jane, and he’s never been shy about showcasing his love for the plant. Beyond his status as a rapper, he’s been an outspoken advocate for the legalization and normalization of marijuana long before it was legal. He launched a line of cannabis products in 2015, coined Leafs by Snoop. “The first time I got high off marijuana was in the seventies, with one of my uncles,” Snoop Dogg told Esquire in 2008. “They had these little roaches on the table — these part-way-smoked marijuana cigarettes — and there was some Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull. I was about eight or nine years old.”

After decades of infamous antics, Snoop shows no signs of slowing down. His collaboration with 19 Crimes presents the newly launched Snoop Cali Gold, a sweet-toothed, sparkling wine equally as rebellious as Tha Doggfather himself. It sits alongside the rest of Snoop’s wine gang, including Cali Red and Cali Rosé, each bringing a defiant West Coast swagger to your glass.

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The new 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Gold Sparkling is available now at Dan Murphy, BWS, Liquor Land, First Choice and select independent liquor stores.