Snoop Dogg is one of the greatest rappers of all-time and a very interesting  guy. His real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. He grew up in Long Beach, CA and at an early age became a member of the Crips (a gang). He was a gifted athlete in high school and was recruited by colleges to play both football and basketball. He didn’t make it to college, however, as he ended up in prison at 18 for selling drugs. In prison he honed his rapping skills in rapping contests and ended up being discovered by Dr. Dre after leaving prison. He has released 13 albums, has had 14 top ten singles and has sold 45 million albums in his 25 year career.

Not only has he had a stellar rap career, he’s also started a youth football league which has produced 15+ NFL players and 100+ college players. Trailer of documentary on Snoop’s  football league:

He is the current host of Joker’s Wild and co-hosted a cooking show with Martha Stewart. He has cameo’d on a number of songs and music videos (notably Katie Perry’s “California Girls”) and has appeared in many tv shows and movies, including playing a character on the Simpsons. He is also a businessman and investor (he is a founding partner of a cannabis fund among other things).

When someone goes from being raised in poverty in a single-parent household, belonging to a gang, being kicked out of their house at 17 and in prison at 18 to a world-famous artist and business person, it is noteworthy to hear what their secret to success is.

On a recent interview on the Howard Stern Show*, Snoop Dogg was asked just this question – what has been the secret to his success. His answer: “I’m coachable – if you can’t be coachable you can’t be shit.” He says you have to grow and learn, accept criticism and be coachable. If you don’t change and grow, you won’t succeed.

Talent and luck have obviously played a role in Snoop Dogg’s success, but his point on being coachable and growing and changing is a great piece of advice.

*Howard Stern is a talented interviewer. Here’s a link to his recent interviews, including Snoop Dogg, David Spade, Jennifer Lawrence, Stephen Colbert, Alec Baldwin, Gwyneth Paltrow and Andy Cohen.  Stern Interviews