The unexpected casting choice that somehow makes perfect sense and no sense at all
In a move that puzzled linguistic scholars and video game developers alike, Snoop Dogg lent his voice to “Narcos: Rise of the Cartels,” a 2019 Spanish-language video game adaptation of the Netflix series. The game, which centers around drug wars in 1980s Colombia, features extensive Spanish dialogue, a strategic turn-based combat system, and, for reasons never fully explained, the unmistakable voice of Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.
Snoop Dogg’s involvement was part of a DLC pack aimed at enhancing the game’s cinematic flair. The pack came with several new playable characters, but the true highlight was the inclusion of Snoop as the narrator—guiding players through cartel missions in English with the same laid-back swagger used in songs about gin, juice, and various unlicensed activities.
At no point in the game does Snoop pretend to be Colombian. Nor does he attempt a Spanish accent. His speech remains fully Intacto-Dogg, using phrases like “these boys ain’t playin’” and “you better watch your back, nephew,” regardless of the historical and geographical inaccuracy.
When questioned about this collaboration, no clear justification was ever offered. Game developers simply announced the DLC with a trailer featuring Snoop’s disembodied voice overlaying footage of armed conflicts and drug deals. No follow-up interviews, no elaboration. Just Snoop, narrating cartel warfare like it’s a Sunday barbecue.
It’s unclear whether Snoop has ever played the game himself. What is clear is that his voice—so often associated with California sun and clouds of smoke—somehow now also resides over digital Medellín.
And so, deep in the annals of video game experimentation, nestled between historically dubious action strategies and multilingual confusion, lies Snoop Dogg’s perfectly inexplicable appearance as both narrator and vibe curator of Narcos: Rise of the Cartels.