When I Was A Photographer - The Day I Met Snoop

Back in the day I was a photographer, I got into it because I had a dream that I wanted to be a filmmaker. I thought that it would be a good route into that world if I learned about light and composition.

I had a variety of low-level success, in truth though I never really gave it my all, and due to a lack of focused drive and ambition, coupled with astronomical development costs, I never really 'made it'.

However I did have lots of fun, got a few pictures published and met some great people.

As you can see this is the day I met Snoop Dogg, the reason being is that I had done a few shoots for some friends of mine who owned a clothing label called Conscious Clothing.

I never once thought of charging them, as I felt they were doing me an equal favour of giving me a chance to get my work out there, leading to this beautiful and symbiotic relationship.

How Snoop entered the story, is they had sent his management a couple of ponchos and lo-and-behold, he loved them. So much so that when he came to London to do a gig, he specifically asked to meet them.

My friends wanted to repay me for my kindness and so called me up and asked if I wanted to come and meet the legendary rapper.

Hells Yeah!!

I can't remember exactly what I was doing, but I remember rushing like a maniac to grab my camera and jump in a cab to zoom down to his hotel just off Piccadilly.

Unfortunately I wasn't a great reportage photographer and didn't even have a worthwhile flash . . .

The Lobby

I got down to the hotel and met my friends in the hotel lobby, Snoop's management was there, they told us he'd be down soon.

Knowing that he was a huge star, I settled in expecting a long wait.

After about twenty minutes or so a few of his crew came sauntering into the lobby, they had been shopping for portable stereo systems and were having some kind of whose box is the loudest competition.

I recognised one of them as Master P, he seemed to have the biggest and loudest one.

I got one hell of a kick seeing these Compton rappers blasting their tunes in this genteel posh London hotel, the staff did not look happy, LOL!

The Meet

Then down he comes, the S-N double-O Pee, the Dee Oh double-G-Y, the Dee-O-double-gee, fly as a falcon.

Wow! This was not long after that first album blew the whole scene wide open.

I heard that Southern drawl before I saw him . . .

"I paid a thousand dollars a night for my-room, I'll play my goddamn music as loud as I want."

I couldn't stop grinning.

His management first presented my friend to him, who gave him some more clothes, he seemed genuinely pleased and shook my friends hand and gave him a hug.

Wow.

Next my friend turned round and introduced me; I gave the man himself a fist bump and managed a *"Hi Snoop, great to meet you man."

Then I asked if I could get a pic.

Sure, he spun round and flicked his Westside gang sign.

I almost flicked it back, but then realised that this was for real and not just me and my mates pretending to be LA bangers.

So instead I raised my camera and took a few shots, I then took a few more as he spoke to his people and a very nervous hotel concierge.

As you can see he had some kind of shower cap on, I guess he'd just done his hair or something, I like it though, it makes the shot more unique.

Of course this was back in the days before digital cameras, so I had to wait about a week to see the results, not perfect, but hey I'd met the man, so I was high as hell!

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