In 1992, after being released from prison on a cocaine possession charge, the fortunes of Cordazar Calvin Broadus started to turn around. Nicknamed Snoop by his parents, the laid back 19-year-old recorded a freestyle over En Vogue’s “Hold On”, which made its way into the hands of N.W.A producer Dr.Dre. Impressed by the young pup’s laidback drawl and hardcore lyrics, Dre featured the young Crip member on his solo album, The Chronic, turning him into an overnight celebrity thanks to his turn on “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”. Over 30 million solo album sales later, Snoop Dogg is one of the few gangsta rappers still thriving in a hip hop industry that has changed beyond recognition. Equally at home directing porn films and dropping cameos in Entourage as he is rapping on stages around the world, next month he releases his tenth solo album, Malice In Wonderland.

What's the shizzle Snoop?

Snoop Dogg: All good man. I'm in LA riding on the freeway

When I was in LA I went to one of your favourite food spots, Roscoes Chicken n’ Waffles.

Was it good?

I always get three wings, two drumsticks, gravy and corn bread.

Do you reckon you could sort me out with a discount?

I got a gold card there myself so I never have to pay.

Do you have to sell 30 million records to get the gold card?

Nah, I brought Larry King and David Beckham there. I brought two superstars to their restaurant. That got me my gold card.

Could you get me a gold card? I’ll swap you my Nandos card.

I'll probably get you a silver card. We'll step you down then step you up.

Great stuff. So the big news is that you're going to be the Creative Chairman of Priority Records. How did that come about? 

It seemed like no record label would believe in me to give me that position so I went to Priority, which was the home of West Coast gangsta rap. I felt that I could bring their catalogue back to life and put my twist back on it and make Priority what it used to be.

Will you be actually working behind a desk?

I never work behind a desk, I work in the streets. That's why I've managed to stay relevant for so many years. Desk work is cool but you've got to be in the field dealing with the people that really make it happen if you really want to know what's happening. That’s what I add to the table that the other executives don't.

If you could choose one celebrity to be your secretary who would it be

Halle Berry. She'd be one hell of a secretary.

Would you get her to do a lot of dictating?

Oh she'd be doing a lot of dictating and would look after my dictionaries, definitely.

I thought it was interesting that Priority Records have employed a notorious weed smoker to be the boss, whereas in any other company they'd get fired. Do you feel above the law?

Nah, because that don't have nothing to do with the job that I'm performing. I'm on medical marijuana so it's not like they're dealing with some drug addict who doesn't know what he's doing. You're dealing with a professional who's been on top of the hip hop game since he came into the game. It never affected my business life, I've always been the greatest of what I do no matter how I do it.

What's the deal with medical marijuana?

Some people need it, some people have problems. I don't like medication, this is just what I've been prescribed. It's keeping me healthy. I'm still looking good, I'm still feeling good. I'm still able to dance around and make good music and still be relevant for so many years. Look at the people who came before me, look at those who started with me, look at those who came after me, some of them aren't around at all. And some of them look horrible.

Lee Scratch Perry told me he used to be on 70 spilffs a day, are you on that level?

Nah, don't nuthin’ dictate my life but my life. Anyone who has something to say about someone else should hold up a mirror to themselves. We've all got skeletons in our closet, whether you do porno, whether you do drugs, everybody has something that isn't acceptable in the world's eyes. It just so happens that successful people are under a microscope and everything that they do is in the public eye so people have a chance to analyze and criticize it, but we don't have a chance to critique the public, but if they were exposed like we are there would be a lot less negative comments about us doing things that isn't perceived as being acceptable.

On the campaign trail Obama danced on stage to “Drop It Like It's Hot”. Is he the first President to embrace hip hop successfully?

He's a President of our time. It just so happens that our President is a black man who was a youngster when hip hop was created and that's the music he probably listens to that's a part of him, so it's only right for that to be expressed. It's like when Clinton was in office we felt like that he was a hip hop President because he was so connected to black people. Not because he listened to hip hop music, but because he was connected to our roots and the origins of who we are.

Do you think Obama deserved the Nobel Peace prize?

Hell yeah he deserved it, and there's a lot of other people who have done great things for the world who also eserve it. He deserved it because of the work it took for him to become the President, for the lives that he had changed, the eyes that he opened up, the people he got to believe in him. That's what I think the Nobel peace prize is all about; humanity and be able to make a difference in this world.

What do you think it is about your songs and personality that Presidents, suburban kids, gang bangers can all tap into?

It's up close and personal, it's not behind the wall. Snopp Dogg is right in your face, you can touch him, he's not a star that's in the sky, he's the star that's in your eye

Okay. But you seem to be a man of many paradoxes – is Calvin Broadhus the family man and Snopp Dogg the pimp? How do you differentiate between the two?

Ain't no different, it's all the same. It's like Clark Kent is also Superman, he's the same person. There are certain scenarios that call on me to be one of those characters, but it's all the same person.

Don't you feel a bit hypocritical sometimes?

Like I say, all I know how to do is me. I don’t know how to do shit for entertainment. I don’t know nothing about Hollywood and acting. Everything that I do is me. It's natural, that's why you'll never see two of me. You'll never see motherfuckers do what I do because I don't do what they do, I do me.

Most celebrities are scared to say the wrong thing but it seems like you don’t care what other people think.

That's the way I was raised. I was brought up that way. All the people I looked up to never cut corners, they always said what was on their minds, what they felt was best for them. I don't know how to do it the way it was supposed to be done, I'm going to do it the way I want to do it.

When I was younger I didn't give a fuck about having a purpose because my purpose was to be the dopest rapper in the world and fuck everybody that didn't like it. But as I got older I had to think about what my kids felt and what my position was in life and my position I had been given as a role model. I had to step into that role, and handle my position with class.

What does your wife think about your porno-directing career?

It was brief and it was profitable. If the roles were reversed I could do nothing but respect the fact that my wife was going out getting money and taking care of me and my kids. It wasn't like I was in there fucking. I directed a porno and showed my vision so that Hollywood could respect me, because I wanted to direct some real movies but I couldn't get the look that I wanted. I brought a creative twist to that industry to where it ain’t be the same since. Everybody took my formula and started shooting pornos the way I shot mine with great music drops, not just regular fuck sex music. Mine felt like a fucking real movie.

Do you think popular culture has become too sexualised?

I feel like everybody has got to understand that sex is a part of life. How many people do you know that haven't seen a porno? It's just a part of life. There's nothing wrong with seeing that type of action. Some people get off on seeing big explosions in action movies, others get off on seeing porno.

Don't you think hip hop has got a bit embarrassing?

I just feel like people are expecting too much from hip hop. It's not your music, it's our music. It's going to go through a drought season. People don't give a fuck about lyrics no more, all they care about is singing along with a catchy song that they can learn. I ain't got time to be learning all these complex assed lyrics that you trying to teach me. The rappers who don't shift and move will be gone. You've got to roll with the times.

Do you think you've rolled with the times better than your peers?

I feel that I remain dominant on a grown ass G level, but at the same time I've managed to stay rooted in youth culture to where the young rappers still respect and love me and don't mind me being on their songs. They don't feel like I'm an old motherfucker that's cutting they shit in half. They love and respect me like an uncle. They call me uncle Snoop because of the way I treat everybody in the rap game.

Do you miss the G Funk Era?

I really do miss the G Funk Era but I feel like it had its run and it did what it was supposed to do. It's just like any other great era of music, like Motown and P Funk. Those eras may be gone but they never die. Those records keep you alive because they take you back to a time when you were really enjoying life.

How important has controversy been to your career?

Controversy was never important, it was just another form of publicity. I never used controversy to sell records, I never used it to make people believe in me. Controversy can get people to look, but if you don't have no good material they're going to look away.

Is it true Lindesy Lohan is recording with you?

Yeah we had a record together once upon a time.

Is it any good?

Shit, I don't know what happened to it.

You were one of the first rappers to embrace autotuning on Sexual Eruption. Do you think it's dead?

I think T Pain did a brilliant job of bringing it to life but I feel like too many people are doing it now and it's lost its touch. It's become a gimmick to the point where radio is only playing records that have that shit in it. I feel like the Jay-Z record was called for and was needed.

You've just released an iPhone app, the iFizzle. Is there any word in the English language that you can't izzle?

(laughs) You know what, I don't know.

Malice in Wonderland is released December 7th