Shante Broadus: The Boss Lady-Another Interview..

[Mackin]

Shante Broadus: The Boss Lady
Published: Monday - December 24, 2007
Words by La'Juanda Knight




Shante Broadus
Photo: E! Entertainment


It has been said time and time again that behind every powerful man, there is an even more powerful woman. However, depending on the man, it is sometimes difficult to see the puissant presence of his better half who undoubtedly aided him in being the man that he is. What you do see is that man portrayed as the leader and his women as his loyal arm candy in many cases. The woman is so much a shell that we might not even bother to know her name.

When you meet Shante Broadus, you can dismiss all of those presumptions. She is not only Snoop Dogg's better half and mother of his three children, but she is also Shante, Snoop's "Boss Lady." You can even go as far as dropping the Snoop and simply calling her "Boss Lady." Why? Her character is weighty enough to handle the role.

BallerStatus.com: What prompted you and Snoop to put your life on broadcast?

Shante: Our life on broadcast?

BallerStatus.com: That is a big step.

Shante: I don't think it's a big step because people know us. It's not international. But when we move, people know who we are. Our kids are old enough now. I feel that they can handle it and I can handle it. We have been in this life, so I have been teaching them how to live. Not just through Hollywood, so they straight. People are just going to see us internationally now, but that was going to come one day any way.

BallerStatus.com: Are you worried about the reactions of your friends or extended family members?

Shante: No. As far as my family, I worry about them, but anybody else, no I don't worry about it. People are going to talk about you regardless no matter what you doing or how you doing it. You're going to be talked about, especially if you're popping. Once you're not popping any more, then they not talking about you. So, I want them to talk because then I know I'm popping.

BallerStatus.com: Okay, so you know you popping then?

Shante: (laughs)

BallerStatus.com: You mentioned your family's reaction. What in particular are you worried that they might see on the show?

Shante: Really I'm only worried about my mother and my grandmother. Everybody else better understand. I'm worried that my mother or grandmother might see something they don't like -- me cussing. I have the upmost respect for my mother and grandmother at 32, so that is the only thing I'm worried about. If I say the wrong thing and they don't like what I said. Other than that, I'm not worried about nothing or nobody else.

BallerStatus.com: You are being real. You know who is important and who matters in the big scheme of things.

Shante: Exactly!

BallerStatus.com: A lot of celeb couples do a reality show and they suffer the reality show jinx. They begin to have problems with their marriage shortly after the show. Are you at all worried about that happening to you?

Shante: No, because...

BallerStatus.com: You have been together a long time.

Shante: We have been together a long time and that is on the strength of me. I'm a real person and he knows that. He tried to go and do what he wanted to do and he did and he came back. He seen that it don't get no better than this.

BallerStatus.com: (laughs)

Shante: (laughs) I mean, I know what I'm working with. I know what I teach my kids. I know what my mother and grandmother taught me. It can only be who you are. I'm not what these other reality shows are.

BallerStatus.com: How do you put up with his pimp persona?

Shante: Basically, well you want to speak on something? Say one thing and I can go off that.

BallerStatus.com: Honestly I haven't heard anything lately about Snoop. I mean more so the image he portrays in his music. Some may believe that he is really a womanizer or has many women that he pimps. The persona that most rappers have as far as women. Whether it is true or not, we don't know. You might know, but we don't.

Shante: Okay, that persona. One, you having money alone, without being a celebrity -- you could be a street n---- and have some money -- it brings women and problems. You feel me? I understand that. My mom and my dad, my dad had money when my mom was with him. That's what women want. They want to be taken care of and have the finer things in life. They feel they can get this through a guy. It's all on how you handle it. You gotta handle it accordingly. I can't stop nothing. It's on you to do it.

BallerStatus.com: Well you seem pretty confident.

Shante: (laughs)

BallerStatus.com: If anything Snoop better watch you.

Shante: (laughs) Please believe me I'm not worried about nothing, but somebody hurting my three kids. That's it.

BallerStatus.com: What do you guys do for recreation? Do you and Snoop still date? Or are you past that point?

Shante: Yeah, we past that point. We trying to get it back together. We are past that. I'm just keeping it real. But for fun, I'm all about family. I want to do the amusement park and go to the movies. I want to do everything with my kids. Can my kids be there? Okay then, let's do it. I just love being with my family.

BallerStatus.com: What kind of things do you do? As a woman aside from your family?

Shante: I love to dance.

BallerStatus.com: Really?

Shante: Oh yeah, I love to dance. As soon as music comes on, I'm moving. I go to studios and dance. I have a choreographer and that's what we do for fun. I love to dance. It's good exercise. I like to skate. I like to shop. I have a clothing line called Cocoa Reed. I have fun. I don't like clubbing. I will go for the music, but all that with the line and the clipboard at the door, I'm not with all that.

BallerStatus.com: Why don't we see you more at award shows and out on the scene with Snoop like other celebrity wives or girlfriends?

Shante: First off I'm Shante. Everybody see me and they wanna label me Snoop's wife. I have a name. Do you want to know it? I'm Shante.

BallerStatus.com: Right.

Shante: When I go out that's all it is. I'm not into that. I'm laid back and low key.

I remember we was in Paris, we on the plane. I'm going to see him for his shows, him and Puffy doing a tour. It was me, him and Kim on the plane. Puffy is trying to figure out, "are you okay? What's wrong?" [I said] "I'm chillin'." [Then he was like] "Where ya'll wanna go next?" [I told him] "You could say "Ya'll wanna go to Brazil and I'm ready to go. I'm just that cool. I'm laid back." So Puffy like, "You just that cool, huh? I'ma call you cool as a fan." I don't need to be seen. I don't want nobody to know who I am. How bout that?

BallerStatus.com: You keep less drama that way.

Shante: There you go!

BallerStatus.com: At one point you and Snoop weren't on good terms. That was a few years back. What made you decide to reconcile?

Shante: Corde, Cordell and Cori. (laughs) My three kids. I'ma keep it 100. I'm sorry.

BallerStatus.com: You all about you're kids and not sucked in the mix.

Shante: They didn't ask to be brought here. That was my choice, so I have to deal with it accordingly.

BallerStatus.com: If there was one thing you could change about Snoop what would it be?

Shante: Umm. What could I change? I know. When it calls himself cleaning up and he lines his shoes up, like outside the closet. That's not cleaning up. Shoes go in the closet. They nice and neat, but they not in the closet.

BallerStatus.com: What do you think he would say about you?

Shante: I'm so bossy. That irritates him. He love it, but it irritates him too. Because I'm the sh-- like that. You feel me?

BallerStatus.com: (laughs) You do appear to be no-nonsense.

Shante: I'm laid back and I'm cool, but I don't play no bullsh--. Not even for a second.

BallerStatus.com: Would you want your children to be in entertainment?

Shante: Whatever they want to do. I got they back 100 percent. I'ma show them how to stay humble. All the old Hollywood sh--. But even if they don't want to do it, if they want to go to school, whatever they want, I'm there to support them 100 percent. I got my kids' back.

BallerStatus.com: Since you're doing reality TV, can we expect you to branch out and do some acting?

Shante: Yep. I'm taking acting classes now, but not to get out there. I was doing it for myself. I was stressing and I was trying to do stuff to keep my mind sane, so I took an acting class. It's like therapy. I like it. Not that I want to become an actress. I told my coach there when I went there. I'm just full of emotions and I want to get them out, so I'm here. She was like "Good answer."

BallerStatus.com: So if you were offered a guest appearance on a show would you be down?

Shante: Yeah I would do it. Everybody keep telling me "Now that our little show out don't go Hollywood." My thing is Hollywood ain't in me baby.

BallerStatus.com: Tell me about your clothing line.

Shante: Cocoa Reeve is my clothing line. That is for my three babies. It's for women. It's lovable comfortable wear. Right now we have promotional stuff out. By fall, we should have it going out to stores.

BallerStatus.com: Is it like Juicy Couture'? Jogging suits?

Shante: Yeah. You hit it right on the money.

BallerStatus.com: What is it at this point?

Shante: Right now, it's just t-shirts. But when we put it out, I want t-shirts and sweats. If that work, then we will make it bigger.

BallerStatus.com: I want you to tell me something about your family that through the show people are going to find out.

Shante: That my middle son, Cordell, is off the chain. He will say whatever is on his mind. My oldest son is way cool. They call him cool ass Corde. My daughter is a baby boss lady. She is not nasty. I'm not with that. She is on her thing to be eight years old. She been here before. Stay tuned to E! on Sundays nights.

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