AceShowbiz - Rap veteran Snoop Dogg has his late pal Tupac Shakur to thank for convincing him to put a ring on his then-girlfriend.

The Gin and Juice hitmaker was at a crossroads in his relationship with his high school sweetheart, Shante Taylor, in the mid-1990s, as he enjoyed early success in his music career, and if it hadn't been for a little love advice from Tupac, he doubts he would be enjoying more than 20 years of marriage with his now-wife.

"My relationship with Tupac was extra close," Snoop shared on daytime show The View.

"Actually, it was a point in time when me and my girlfriend at the time, we were having ups and downs and a lot of my friends was telling me that I should just go ahead and be solo because I was Snoop Doggy Dogg and I could have any woman that I wanted.

"Tupac pulled me to the side and was like, 'Forget what they talking 'bout, that girl loves you. You need to marry her.' I ended up marrying her and 20-something years later, we still together (sic)".

The couple will celebrate 21 years as husband and wife next month, but it hasn't been a smooth ride - 14 years ago, Snoop filed for divorce from Shante, the mother of three of his kids, citing irreconcilable differences.

They managed to work things out, and renewed their vows four years later.