DETROIT, MI - Did you know that Snoop Dogg, now billing himself as rastaman Snoop Lion, actually lived in Detroit off of Eight Mile and worked the breakfast shift at McDonald's?

Nether did I, until I heard him speak his mind about Detroit in Big Sean's free 17-track "Detroit" mixtape

Snoop, along with Young Jeezy and Common, each share stories on Big Sean's album about the Motor City and how it shaped them in the rap game.

I wrote out Snoop' comments below. He clearly had the best of the three stories, but check out the others, too on the album.

Definitely worth it.

The stories from those stars really make the album, along with a few Sean tracks like "Higher," "100 ft." and "Once Bitten Twice Shy."

Some of the other stuff just seems a little too predictable with lyrics about drug use, sex and flaunting money. Same old, same old in my book.

I like the three songs mentioned above because they show Big Sean's versatility with three different producers and his comfort level working with others. He clearly has talent, and just, in my opinion, needs to stay focused.

On "100 ft." Big Sean works with Detroit native Royce da 5'9" and rising star

Big Sean's best moments seem to be when he gets clever with his lyrics, reminds listeners where he came from as a product of northwest Detroit, and backs it up with plenty of examples and local references.

"Heading to the money, whole city coming with me," raps Big Sean, in a bonus track called "Life Should Go On." "I'm gonna rep this city until The Reaper come get me."

Big Sean definitely does that, but not without some help from Snoop Lion, Young Jeezy and Common.

Snoop Lion spoke for one minute, 32 seconds in track 14, Young Jeezy shared for one minute, 51 seconds in track No. 8 and Common delivered with insight on track No. 3.

Enjoy Snoop Lion's Detroit story below.

Snoop Lion on Detroit

(Please note: when he says "cold" that likely is Snoop-speak for "good")

"Yeah, it's so cold in the (expletive) D. I'm talking about real cold. I'm talking about June (expletive) 1986 on the west side of Eight Mile Road, living with my pops while he was working at the (expletive) post office right around the corner. I was working in McDonald's, getting up in the morning doing that breakfast shift.



"I was so cold (meaning good), (expletive), they called me 'Young Eggs,' man. I mean I had it locked and loaded (expletive), going to school around there too. The coaches wanted me to come to Cooley High and play basketball and do my thing. But you know what, man? The experience I had in Detroit was a hell of an experience because it shaped me, it molded me. I came back from Detroit and I was new and improved.



"I remember I wrote me a song, I said uh, 'I went to Detroit, to make my move, now I'm back and I'm new and improved.' That's how I came back from Detroit, you understand me. I was new and improved. To all my folks out there in the D, it's so (expletive) cold from the westside to the eastside, y'all know what it is. I used to stay on Whitehill Street on the eastside, right by Eastland Mall, ya dig? So I'm well rooted and tooted and suited and booted. Part of the D is part of The G and the LBC. Big Snoop Dogg, Big Sean, you know what it is. Detrooooiiiiiitttttt, Let's go!"