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Randy Jackson Explains Why He Always Says "Dawg"

Season 4 Episode 404
Aired on 08/10/2014 | CC tv-14
From his first season as a judge on American Idol, Randy Jackson became known for using one particular word in his honest-but-fair critiques: "dawg."

Randy's catchphrase became an Idol phenomenon in its own right, but where did "dawg" really come from?

The word, Randy says in the above video, dates back to his childhood in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Randy tells Oprah how "dawg" was born out of growing up in a gritty neighborhood, and explains how the unexpected creativity arising from "the 'hood" has always remained at the very core of his soul. Then, later in the interview, Randy shares the candid truth about the famous feud between fellow Idol judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, and reveals what made him leave the judges' table.

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