Shining a light on family through the NFL: Snoop Dogg’s “outsiders

American rapper Snoop Dogg has recently released the film “The Underdoggs,” which delves into the significance of building a resilient community that ultimately becomes like family.

The comedy, available for streaming on Prime Video, revolves around a subject that Snoop Dogg is intimately familiar with – youth football. The story explores this world through the lens of family dynamics.

Actress Tika Sumpter, who portrays Cherise, the former girlfriend of Snoop Dogg’s character, emphasized the theme of family in the film. She stated, “Family is one of the main themes. Snoop’s character returns to his first love, football, and then reconnects with the community and his high school sweetheart. It all underscores the importance of family. Sometimes, you need your family to tell you the truth about yourself. They know you best. Family brings you back to life.”

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“The Underdoggs” takes inspiration from Snoop Dogg’s own experiences with the Snoop Youth Football League, which he established over a decade ago in Southern California. The league has produced several players who have gone on to play in the NFL, including CJ Stroud, the quarterback for the Houston Texans.

To develop his character, the rapper conducted extensive research. He explained, “I studied coaches and their behavior because I used to be a coach myself. However, I didn’t want to draw inspiration from my own experiences. Instead, I looked into coaches with different approaches, particularly those who were more vocal and aggressive towards children. I researched figures like Bobby Knight and some football coaches I knew who had an aggressive coaching style.” In the film, Snoop Dogg portrays Jaycen, an NFL wide receiver.

In “The Underdoggs,” Snoop’s character is expelled from the league due to unsportsmanlike conduct. Following a traffic violation, he is sentenced to community service in his hometown of Long Beach, California. There, he takes charge of a youth soccer team for his own selfish reasons.

Aside from his acting role, Snoop Dogg serves as one of the film’s producers, alongside Kenya Barris, the creator of “Black-ish.” The movie also features a star-studded cast, including Tika Sumpter, Mike Epps, Andrew Schulz, Kal Penn, Kandi Burruss, and George Lopez.