‘Peaky Blinders’ Has Snoop Dogg’s Stamp of Approval for Its Depiction of ‘Gang Culture’

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read

Snoop Dogg found “Peaky Blinders” to be an authentic depiction of the allure of gang culture, according to series creator Steven Knight.

The showrunner said during the BBC’s “Desert Island Discs” radio show that Snoop Dogg told him that the series “reminded him of how he got into gang culture.” While “Peaky Blinders” is set in 1920s Birmingham, UK, Snoop Dogg pointed to the universal truth captured by the show and even sought out a meeting with showrunner Knight to tell him.

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“[Snoop Dogg’s] manager Ted met me and we went up to the room. He built this thing to smoke that was about a foot long. I’m drinking beer, Ted’s drinking gin, and we have this conversation. And Snoop was saying that ‘Peaky’ reminded him of how he got involved in gang culture,” Knight said. “It was really interesting. He told me the story of his life and he was all about family and family keeping you in, and escaping from family to do the bad stuff, and then the family relocating their emotions and loyalties to follow you, and then escaping again.”

Snoop Dogg has acknowledged being a member of the Crips gang, though perhaps no one has changed their image so much as the former Death Row Records rapper. He’s now tight with Martha Stewart and basically served as an all-purposes personality for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Knight said Snoop is “such a great bloke. He was so nice to talk to.” Knight added that Snoop Dogg’s comments made him “understand that there is something in ‘Peaky’ that… is pretty universal,” spanning centuries and continents.

“Peaky Blinders” aired for six seasons, from 2013 to 2022. Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy led the show as Tommy Shelby; he is reprising the role for an upcoming film adaptation. Former guest stars included Anya Taylor-Joy, Adrien Brody, and Sam Neill, among other actors.

Knight first announced in July 2022 that a feature film adaptation script was underway. Knight shared that he was looking for production to be onsite where the real Peaky Blinders gang was active, like Digbeth and Small Heath.

“It’s like ‘Peaky’s’ coming home basically,” Knight said during the Heart Breakfast show (via NME) at the time. “I’m just really looking forward to having a ‘Peaky’ event where people can watch it communally. I mean, the social media community is so strong and people talk to each other. But to actually be together physically will be really interesting.”

In addition to the film adaptation of “Peaky Blinders,” Knight is confirmed to be writing a new “Star Wars” script for the franchise.

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