Even while the details of his Interscope separation are being finalized, West Coast ambassador Snoop Dogg is moving forward on a unique partnership with MTV.
First up will be “Dogg After Dark,” an MTV variety talk show with Snoop handling hosting duties.
The show takes place from the Kress nightclub, located on LA’s Hollywood Boulevard.
In classic throwback Snoop style, the rapper will retain his very own house band, the Snoopadelics.
Additionally, the veteran crossover star will conduct A-list celebrity interviews and sketch comedy segments.
As part of the deal, MTV will assist in advertising Snoop’s upcoming album, Malice In Wonderland, through the network’s resources in “global distribution, marketing, and promotion.”
Snoop’s back catalogue will also be reintroduced to a new generation of video game fans, courtesy of MTV adding portions of his discography to their next edition of Rock Band.
When asked on how deal was formulated, Snoop explained it was a matter of recognizing the importance of cross-marketing in today’s music climate.
“When [MTV President] Van Toffler and I sat down Boss to Boss, a global quintuple threat takeover was masterminded. As the world of entertainment keeps changing, we felt it was the right time to let Snoop Dogg back on MTV so we could continue to run things with music, movies, DVDs and bring Hip-Hop to Rock Band,” Snoop Dogg told AllHipHop.com. “So screw your wigs on tight and tune in on Tuesday nights for the first step to the next level of Snoop D-O double G. ‘Dogg After Dark’ is the only nightclub TV show hosted by you know who. So take a journey with me through the mind, body, soul and musical mind state of the most prolific, authentic game spitter. And the sh*t is funny, so show me the money!”
MTV President Van Toffler echoed the rapper’s sentiments, and elaborated on his view of Snoop Dogg being one of popular Hip-Hop artists ever with MTV audiences.
“Snoop has been a mainstay across MTV screens for over a decade by pushing the boundaries of Hip-Hop with his signature antics, incredible catalogue of music, legendary videos, larger than life personality and even a little controversy,” Toffler explained to AllHipHop.com. “I can’t even begin to imagine MTV, my tumultuous career and several raging ulcers without the Dogg being such a big part of our history. He is an undeniable international superstar whose talent and work transcend music, TV and film and we look forward to launching this new multidimensional partnership with the Doggfather.”
“Dogg After Dark” premiers February 17 at 9Pm eastern time.
At press time, Snoop’s 10th studio album, Malice In Wonderland, Is set to feature production from Dr. Dre, Pharrell, and Lalo Shifrin.
The LP is tentatively scheduled for release later this year.
