Snoop Dogg joins Faze Clan

Noted hip hop artist and electric lettuce aficionado Snoop Dogg is now a member of Faze Clan. The "digitally native lifestyle and media platform rooted in gaming and youth culture" announced today that Faze Snoop, as he is now officially dubbed (at least within the context of clan business) will join Faze Clan's board of directors after the company goes public later this year, and will also "co-create content, participate in key business initiatives, and launch merchandise with the brand" as a member of the roster.

"The organic relationship between Faze and Snoop has been building for years now, so we are thrilled to officially welcome Faze Snoop to the family," Faze Clan chief strategy officer Kai Henry said. "As the original internet kid and first generation gamer, Snoop has always understood the cultural connection between music, lifestyle and gaming. Today, Snoop is a prominent voice in the emerging Web3 community and we have exciting plans to create together in the metaverse, driving new engagement opportunities for both of our fanbases."

Snoop's gamer cred is definitely well established. He made a big impression on Terry Crews at EA's 2016 Battlefield 1 livestream, launched his own esports league, and streams on Twitch to game and vibe. But in spite of that, Snoop came to Faze for the same reason that most aging pop culture icons get involved in something new: His kid talked him into it.

"The youth identifies with their brand and that's something my son Cordell knew, which is why he brought us together," Snoop said.

"As I've been watching what FaZe Clan has been building in the gaming space, I knew there was a natural connection with what my dad has been doing,'' said Cordell Broadus, the aforementioned son, who is also a creative consultant at something called Channel 21. "When I look at the two brands, I was inspired by the synergy they could create so I brought them together in this partnership. I can't wait for the world to see what we are about to do."

Faze has a number of other people on its roster who aren't pro gamers, including NFL star Kyler "FaZe K1" Murray, Lebron "FaZe Bronny" James Jr., Lil Yachty aka "FaZe Boat," and Offset aka "FaZe Offset." They're not going to carry the day at The International, but they do "represent FaZe Clan in the gaming community and across the converging media and entertainment industries," which I imagine is a pretty lucrative business in its own right.

But its focus on "lifestyle" has put the group at the center of a number of controversies in recent years. In 2019, Fortnite streamer Turner "Tfue" Tenney sued the clan over its "oppressive and predatory" contracts, while Jarvis "Faze Jarvis" Khattri was permanently banned from Fortnite for using an aimbot. In 2020 the parents of a six-year-old gamer cooked up a story about a Call of Duty: Warzone ban in order to help their child earn a place on the Faze roster—something Faze appeared to actively encourage, despite the fact that the child was, you know, six years old.

Despite those issues, and a more recent cryptocurrency scam that saw multiple members suspended and one released outright, the October 2021 announcement of a SPAC deal that will take Faze Clan public later this year valued the company at an astonishing $1 billion. With that kind of money on the table, you can understand why Snoop—sorry, Faze Snoop—would want to be involved.