Bootsy Collins and Snoop Dogg are two of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of funk and hip hop music. They have collaborated on several songs, such as “Jam On” and “Undercova Funk”, and have expressed their mutual admiration and respect for each other. But are they related by blood? The answer is no. Despite the rumors and speculations, Bootsy Collins and Snoop Dogg are not family members. They are simply good friends and musical partners who share a common love for funk music.
How the Rumor Started
The rumor that Bootsy Collins and Snoop Dogg are related might have originated from their similar appearance and style. Both of them are known for their colorful outfits, flashy accessories, and distinctive hairstyles. They also have similar nicknames, such as “Bootsy Baby” and “Snoop Doggy Dogg”. Moreover, they both have a connection to the legendary funk musician George Clinton, who is considered the godfather of funk and the founder of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective.
Bootsy Collins was a member of Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s, playing bass guitar and contributing to some of their most famous albums, such as Mothership Connection and Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome. He also launched his own successful solo career, creating hits like “I’d Rather Be With You” and “Bootzilla”. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of funk music and one of the greatest bass players of all time.
Snoop Dogg was influenced by Parliament-Funkadelic’s music since his childhood, growing up in Long Beach, California. He was discovered by Dr. Dre, who was also a fan of funk music and sampled many of their songs in his productions. Snoop Dogg’s debut album, Doggystyle, released in 1993, featured a guest appearance by George Clinton on the track “Doggy Dogg World”. Snoop Dogg later joined Clinton’s P-Funk All Stars band and performed with them on several occasions. He also collaborated with Bootsy Collins on his 1998 album Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, on the song “Undercova Funk”.
How Bootsy Collins Denied the Rumor
Bootsy Collins himself has denied the rumor that he is related to Snoop Dogg several times. According to TalkBass.com, he said: “Bootsy and Snoop are not related at all.” He also explained how he met Snoop Dogg for the first time in an interview with HipHopDX. He said: “We were doing the Soul Train show out in Los Angeles, we were both on that show. I was doing it with Color Me Badd, playing bass with the band there. And Snoop came up to me after we got through playing and he said, ‘Man, I just want to tell you that I love you so much.’ And I said, ‘Man, I love you too.’ And he said, ‘No man, you don’t understand. You’re my uncle.’ And I said, ‘What?’ And he said, ‘Yeah man, you’re my uncle.’ And I said, ‘Well OK then nephew.’ And from that point on we just kind of clicked.”
Bootsy Collins also expressed his admiration for Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre in the same interview. He said: “I’ll tell you who I think really commanded G-funk as a source and a force of its own — Dr. Dre and Snoop with The Chronic. That’s where the foundation of G-funk started. They did an excellent job of it.” He also hinted at future collaborations with them, saying: “He [Dr. Dre] did a few drops from me with this party we just had. We talked about it. We were cracking up about different things. He’s was supposed to do some stuff with me on this album [The Power of the One], but the COVID thing hit and we didn’t get a chance to get to it, but it’s coming.”
Conclusion
Bootsy Collins and Snoop Dogg are not related by blood. They are simply good friends and musical partners who share a common love for funk music. They have collaborated on several songs and have praised each other’s work. They also have a connection to George Clinton, who is considered the godfather of funk music. The rumor that they are related might have originated from their similar appearance and style, but it has been debunked by Bootsy Collins himself. They are simply a funky family by choice, not by blood.
