1. Snoop Dogg
People forget that, more than 20 years ago, “Snoop Lion” — the revered and chill elder statesman of the genre — was wild out here in these streets. In 1993, Snoop was charged with both first and second-degree murder in the shooting death of gang member Phillip Woldemariam in California. Prosecutor Bobby Grace used much of Snoop’s “violent imagery” as evidence of the rapper’s violent ways, but ultimately, the jury found Snoop and his bodyguard not guilty of all the charges against him.
Bernadette Giacomazzo invites you to talk to her on her website, www.bernadettegiacomazzo.com, or on her Twitter at @berngiacomazzo.
