NPR

My Mom Loves Snoop Dogg, And Other Testaments To A Quarter-Century Of Relevance

With the release of Neva Left on Friday, the elder statesman of rap isn't making a comeback as much as he's maintaining his streak of consistency.
Snoop Dogg performs at the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. / Erika Goldring / Getty Images

When Vince Staples releases his sophomore album Big Fish Theory next month, he won't be the only lanky rapper from Long Beach, Calif. with new music in the marketplace. Big Uncle Snoop Dogg, whose solo debut Doggystyle dropped the same year Staples was born, released his 15th studio album this week. And like the title Neva Left not-so-subtly suggests, his ubiquitous industry presence over the last quarter century is unprecedented in hip-hop.

Snoop's ancillary hustle is nothing to bark at. The chronic smoking upstart is a cannabis startup funder now, with a Hollywood resumé full of starring roles and cameos. He's even cooked up a surprise hit with Martha Stewart. But unlike

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