He was ready to make an entrance.
Snoop Dogg, the inimitable elder statesman of American hip-hop, lit up the early days of the Paris Olympics. In his roles as torchbearer during the opening ceremony and as NBC Olympics Special Correspondentthe 52-year-old rapper and businessman has been a ubiquitous presence in the City of Light, mingling with renowned athletes and making viewers at home laugh.
Here’s a look at some of Snoop’s best moments so far.
The torch relay
Snoop joined the torch relay during the opening ceremony on Friday, carrying the Olympic flame through the streets of Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris.
He was joined by French actress Laetitia Casta and French rapper MC Solaar, among other cultural figures. They marked the 67th leg of the flame’s journey.
In a post-ceremony interview with Mike Tirico of NBC Sports, Snoop said he was impressed by the symbolism of the relay.
“I felt like Muhammad Ali,” Snoop said. “I discovered that when you hold the torch, you are a messenger of peace.”
“I was waving, shaking hands, kissing the babies — doing what I do, you know what I mean? Putting our foot on the sidewalk, letting people know we’re here. sportsmanship.”
The dance moves
TV cameras captured the moment Sunday when Team USA women’s gymnastics stars Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, competing in a qualifying round, pointed to someone in the crowd and started dancing.
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Cameras zoomed in on Snoop, standing in the front row of the seating area and showing your moves. He was dressed in his trademark sunglasses and a white Team USA jacket. (He later revealed that he was wearing a Biles T-shirt under his jacket.)
The announcer asked a rhetorical question: “Does anyone have more fun than Snoop? I don’t think so.”
The swimming lesson
Snoop tested his “lung power” during a special swimming lesson with Olympics icon Michael Phelps. In a video recorded to promote the Paris Games, Snoop donned a swimming cap and goggles for a one-on-one session with Phelps, 39.
“When it comes to one of my life goals, I can only think of one man — Mr. 23 Times, OG, the GOAT,” Snoop said.
Phelps explained that Olympic-level success in the pool requires wingspan and lung strength. Snoop didn’t miss the chance to give a nod to his world-famous love of marijuana.
“You just described me! You said wingspan, lung strength — I definitely have big lung strength,” Snoop said.
Snoop and Phelps then tried to freestyle in sync. At the end of the class, the rapper was visibly out of breath.
“Mike, you make it look so easy,” Snoop said.
The color comment
If you watched the US-China badminton match on Sunday, you got a glimpse of Snoop’s skills as a sportscaster.
“Oh, I love this badminton here – this is a big rally here,” Snoop said.
“They’re rocking and rolling, back and forth,” he added, before launching into a quick description of the game’s action:
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