The Shocking Truth Behind Snoop Dogg’s 1993 Murder Accusation

“Murder was the case.”

Back in 1993, Snoop Dogg, also known as Calvin Broadus or The D-O-double G, faced a first-degree murder charge after his bodyguard, McKinley Lee (aka Malik), shot and killed a member of a rival gang while riding in the rapper's car.

In a recent episode of DISGRACELAND, Jake Brennan delves into the events leading up to Snoop's arrest, tracing back to his days as Dr. Dre's protege.

Leaving no stone unturned, Jake explores how Snoop's connections to the streets ultimately resulted in his 1993 legal trouble.

“No matter how successful Snoop became, the pull of the streets was always strong.

And he embraced it,” Jake explains.

“Growing up, he rode with the Rollin 20 crips.

The streets were his world, and he had no desire to leave them behind, despite his fame.”

This background, among other factors, sheds light on why Snoop ended up at the center of a murder case.

After a heated encounter with rival gang members outside his apartment one August afternoon, Snoop unexpectedly encountered them again hours later.

“The gang bangers were sitting at a picnic table in Palms Park, right by the tent.

Snoop didn't hesitate – he accelerated, approached them, and stopped the Jeep,” Jake describes, setting the scene for the impending crime.

“The gang bangers looked up from their Mexican food.

Little Smooth, aka Phillip Woldermariam, stood up.

Snoop and Malik exchanged looks that said it all.

‘What the fuck?'

Phillip exclaimed, ‘I'm not trying to start trouble.

I just want you to know where you're at.'”

Jake narrates the incident.

“Malik stood up in the t0pless Jeep, towering over the Cherokee's windshield, staring menacingly at Phillip.

Phillip grew agitated and shouted, ‘Oh, what?

I'm a punk now?'

In response, Malik sternly questioned, ‘What?'

Jason London, who witnessed the scene, later testified that Malik then pulled out his gun and aimed at Phillip.”

What unfolded next became the foundation of Snoop's 1995 trial.

“According to Malik, Phillip reached for his .380 concealed in his waistband.

Malik noticed the movement, Snoop ducked, and Malik fired from the Jeep.

Phillip fell to the ground before he could draw his weapon,” Jake reveals.

“Snoop stepped on the accelerator and fled the scene.

He, Malik, and Sean went into hiding, while Phillip Woldermariam died face down in the streets.”

“Snoop turned himself in a couple of days later, but only after the Video Music Awards, naturally.

His trial didn't take place until 1995, and murder was indeed the charge against him,” Jake continues.

“However, a racially diverse jury couldn't find him guilty, as there was significant debate surrounding Snoop and Malik's claims of self-defense.

They argued that Phillip Woldermariam posed a threat and had a gun.”

As the trial progressed, it came to light that Phillip's friend, who was present at the scene, had hidden the gun.

Jason London, another friend of Phillip's who witnessed the incident at Palms Park, testified that Phillip was armed, and his weapon had been removed and concealed to protect him.

If that wasn't enough to help Snoop beat the case, the Los Angeles Police Department's mishandling of evidence certainly did.

“It was later revealed that the LAPD had bungled the case, inadvertently destroying Phillip's clothing, bullets, and shell casings from the crime scene,” Jake adds.

“The jury visibly expressed their frustration upon learning this.

Eventually, Snoop and Malik were acquitted and back on the streets in no time.”

In the end, Snoop maintained his innocence, as he always proclaimed.