How Cordell Broadus Got His Dad Snoop Dogg Into a Pair of ‘Slim Straight’ Jeans That Fit
It wasn’t too long ago that Cordell Broadus, son of rap icon Snoop Dogg, was a wide receiver at UCLA. Things changed last fall when he decided to pursue more creative goals off the field. He’s still a UCLA student who recently wrapped up his sophomore year as a film major with “all A’s,” but now he’s also a model fresh off Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring-Summer 2018 Milan runway and the creative director for his dad’s clothing line, Joyrich.
Broadus, 20, spoke to Billboard about becoming a budding entrepreneur, how his time with football is helping him in the fashion world, and how he finally got Snoop to ditch baggy jeans in favor of pants that fit a lot better.
More from Billboard
This time last year you were a football-playing student-athlete. Now you’re solely a creative when you’re not in the books. Have you always been into film and fashion?
Creating, in general, has always been my thing. I actually picked my own outfit for the D&G show. Fashion really allows me to express myself, and I enjoy the feeling, so I’m going to keep on doing it. Keep modeling and creative directing.
How did you become the creative director at Joyrich? That’s a big title for a newbie.
Back in January, my dad and I had dinner together. I was saying how crazy it is that he’s still relevant and talking about the longevity of his entertainment career. Then I told him he should start listening to his kids about reinventing himself and keeping himself hip. So the first thing we talked about is how we should take over the clothing business because, as I told him, “All of these stars are wearing your face on their shirts.” Kim Kardashian wore a shirt with his face on it. But he doesn’t get paid from that.
So I was like, “Let’s start our own line. Everybody’s going to rock it.” And he went for it. I told him all he had to do for the fashion show is to come. Come and DJ. He’s an entertainer. I don’t have to tell him anything. He trusted me creatively, and we had a blast. He DJ’d, performed and walked out with us. That was his first time seeing anything of the collection; I didn’t want him to see anything during the process. I wanted to surprise him.
All of the clothes are inspired by how my dad used to dress in the ’90s. But we mix it with the new generation. The owner [of Joyrich] and I designed all of the pieces and had our fashion show two weeks ago at Made LA.
’90s rap stars like your dad wore huge jeans and XXL tees back then. But Snoop is super thin. I’m assuming you’re part of the reason he’s started wearing clothes that fit.
Yeah. We had to throw away all the big ol’ jeans he used to have. Big-ass jeans. We’ve got him in the right size now. It was pretty hard. He was against the skinny jeans and all that. But we got him in some slim straights. [Laughs]
What are you bringing to the table as creative director?
We’re creating some dope shit. I’m creating all of the visuals and coming up with the marketing strategy as well. I’m interested in the business aspect of it too. I’m pretty much hands-on with everything. We’ve got a bunch of people at the office who help us out. We go through all of his vintage pieces and research. Then I tell them what I’d like to see, and they put together the puzzle.
How has the transition from athletics to fashion been for you?
It’s good. I grew up doing a lot of masculine things, but the fashion industry isn’t known to be very masculine. I think it’s cool because everybody expresses themselves in their own separate way. Everybody has their own story. That’s something I really appreciate. It’s just a challenge. I’m challenging myself to grow. By opening my mind and doing all of these things that I thought were crazy growing up, it’s helping me build my character to be that person I want to be in life, which is to be that “influencer” amongst everybody else.
And you’re still a student, right?
I just finished my second year at UCLA with all A’s, bruh. I told my team a couple months ago, “Man, I think I should take a break and focus on the career.” And they talked me out of it. I just finished the quarter and I’m very thankful for them. They’re a great support team.
You have a strong following on social media, and D&G asked you to model because of your influence. What does that mean to you?
They invited us to Milan. They wanted our personalities. They didn’t want us to be something we aren’t. Being an influencer means being yourself and influencing people. So when I was there, I was just being myself. I wasn’t nervous. I had a good time and I met a lot of great people.
How would you describe a Joyrich customer? Who are you marketing to?
Our costumer doesn’t have one face. It can be anybody. I’m diverse. I grew up with all different types of ethnicities. I know everybody’s cultures. We’re just serving it to people who feel good and want to wear nice clothes.
What are you up to on the film side of things?
My production company is shooting my dad’s music video for “Toss It” this BET Awards weekend. It’ll have cameos from all the stars that will be down here in L.A. My dad won’t be in it. We’re going to have a Doberman play him. It’ll be ready in a week. We don’t waste any time.
It sounds like you’ve really found your true passion.
I’m following my heart and going with my intuition, that’s what I really think it is. And staying persistent and determined. But those are the things I learned from playing football. So football has served me a great purpose in life. I’m taking all of those fundamentals and putting them into the work I do now.
Best of Billboard