Snoop Dogg has mastered the art of leveraging one’s brand. There are not many people besides Shaq who have been better at it. Back in 2021, Snoop and Kevin Hart joined forces to provide alternative commentary during the Tokyo Olympic Games. There’s no question that NBC saw Snoop’s quick wit at play and wanted to showcase it again. So, in this year’s Olympic games not only will Snoop provide commentary in Paris, he’ll be a torchbearer as well. It’s a huge honor for the Long Beach native. Snoop has come a long way from his early days with Dr. Dre. In between that time, he has certainly seen, and done a lot.

I can only imagine what Snoop is feeling throughout this experience. As a man who was acquitted in a 1996 murder trial, Snoop quickly understood the importance of pivoting. Those pivots not only were apparent publicly, but he had to make changes to his circle as well. With these gradual changes and lessons, we also began to get a wider scope of Snoop’s persona.

Although the “gangsta” motif has never left him, Snoop also made it a point to vary his records. He began making more feel-good music, the likes of “Beautiful,” and “Let’s Get Blown.” He began to smile more during appearances and interviews. He made sure people understood that he was approachable. Snoop saw the value in that, and in turn, more people saw value in his abilities.

As the snowball of this change continued to roll, we learned that Snoop was a football fan. So much so that the Grammy award-winning rapper coached his own pee-wee football team. That’s truly where the connection between Snoop and sports was made on a more apparent level.

Once the media landscape realized that Snoop was “safe,” they were on board. And when I refer to Snoop as safe, I don’t mean in a sellout sort of way. I’m speaking of the fact that he can be trusted to deliver engaging performances. I mean, we never pictured Snoop having a television show with Martha Stewart, but he did. That cool, and beguiling West Coast persona has brought him so far. With the same persona that he exhibited in rap, he forayed into becoming an undeniable part of American culture.

So we make it to this moment. It’s a moment where Snoop will officially be a part of the Olympics and on the ground in Paris. His commentary will be etched in the annals of history forever. To think, it was all due to a very conscious decision that he made to do life and not let life do him.

I’m not sure how much higher the heights can get for someone in his position, in his industry. But what I do know, is that this moment will be one that will forever feel surreal to him. And what we all can take from this, is that our paths truly are a journey in this life. But if you’re to receive all that you’re supposed to, you have to move authentically and don’t cheat your gift. There’s an old saying that says “You dance with who bought you.” These days you hear many times, keep the main thing, the main thing. However, you choose to view the sentiment, honor your gifts. It may not land you in Paris, but you’ll end up in places that will blow your mind.