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Snoop Dogg Shredded "Don't Stop Believing" During His Epic Lip Sync Battle
Snoop Dog appeared on Lip Sync Battle in 2016 and delivered a love letter to the 80s with an amazing mullet.
When you think of Snoop Dogg, you likely don't immediately imagine the famed rapper singing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" — but true fans who have seen the performance on Lip Sync Battle will never forget it.
The Season 27 Coach of The Voice and Paris Olympics commentator has a great deal of respect for athletes but in May 2016, when he duked it out against NBA legend Chris Paul, it was every man for himself.
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The rapper may have made a name for himself with his party-loving bars, but for his Lip Sync Battle debut, he threw it back to the hair metal-loving 1980s for an energizing performance of Journey's hit "Don't Stop Believing."
The "Drop It Like It's Hot" singer has delivered some fantastic sets during his sprawling tenure, but many fans will agree that Snoop Dogg's Lip Sync Battle performance is one of his most unforgettable.
Watch Snoop Dogg's Lip Sync Battle
The NBC commentator brought every entertainment trick in his arsenal for his May 2016 Lip Sync Battle appearance alongside basketball legend and Olympic gold medalist Chris Paul. Tensions were high ahead of the performance, and Paul had some bold words for Snoop during the Lip Sync Battle Pre-Show.
"Even though you were doing it before I was born, I was in my mom's womb, and I was practicing for this. For this day," Paul warned the hip-hop legend. "I was just ready for the opportunity to lip sync battle against you, Snoop. And today is that day, and it's not going to be a good day for you." Snoop had a lot of respect for his competition but refused to take it easy on him when he took the stage with his first-round pick: an on-the-nose lip sync of Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved," according to The Wrap. Paul impressed the masses with a performance of Snoop's supernova 90s hit "Gin and Juice" — complete with backup vocals from his competition.
Paul turned up the heat for his second set, lip syncing New Edition's "Candy Girl" and break-dancing during the song's crescendo.
But the crowd went absolutely insane when Snoop showed up on stage with a teased-out mullet, an electric guitar, and a full "band" for his lip sync of Journey's 1981 hit "Don't Stop Believing."
Snoop's genre-defying maneuver was his ace in the hole as he effortlessly tackled the rock classic. Donning a white tuxedo jacket with tails (kept wide open to showcase his bare chest), he worked the crowd like the arena-selling star he is, injecting excitement within every verse of the energizing hit. The performance was made complete with a gaggle of 80s groupies (the show's dancers) in the front row of the audience. As Snoop reached the shout-worthy chorus of the song, the women tossed a variety undergarments on stage.
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The audience was in stitches after one of the big-haired fans jumped on stage to hug Snoop's leg, getting pulled off by "security" as she kicked and screamed for the hair metal star during the song's final verse.
It was a close competition between Paul and the famed rapper, but Snoop ultimately took home the victory and iconic Lip Sync Battle belt, gaining him infinite bragging rights.
"I mean, this is groovy like a drive-in movie, baby," Snoop said following his victorious set. "I mean, it's everything that I could imagine, you know. I mean, I really put a lot of preparation into my, you know, performance tonight. And it came out splendid, and I won, and I want to thank the fans for selecting me. [It was a] beautiful night."
Snoop humbly continued, "My favorite moment was watching Chris Paul do 'Candy Girl.' Man, he was really getting busy; his choreography was together, his performance was tight. I really thought he kind of, like, really won, but you know. I worked the crowd at the end. I finagled the crowd and got the votes that I needed, those few extra votes to edge him out.".
When considering which moment Snoop secured the win, he credited his success to the 80s nostalgia woven into his ensemble. "I think the key was going chest out, you know what I'm talking about? Full-fledged, let the bird out the cage. One of the things I'm gonna do with the [victory] belt, I'm probably going to put it in glass and frame it. That way, my friends can come by and just marvel at it."
All About Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"
Snoop truly appealed to the masses with his Lip Sync Battle selection of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" — which is also one of the best karaoke tracks of all time according to Billboard. Journey released the supernova song in 1981 as a lead single from their massively successful seventh studio album, Escape. It's since been covered by artists far and wide and was one of the most beloved hits from the decade.
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"Don't Stop Believing" has been rocking the radio waves for over 40 years thanks to its infectious lyrics and energizing build, the recipe for timeless appeal. In January 2024, Forbes gifted "Don't Stop Believing" with the title of "Biggest Song of All Time" after the single was certified platinum 18 times (meaning it sold 18 million copies), making it one of the most popular songs in America.
According to Journey's website, "Don't Stop Believing" has been entered into the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In 2021, "Don't Stop Believing" entered the Grammy Hall of Fame, adding to the track's many accolades and honors.
