Baker, Boyz and Barry Double Up : Pop music: Each gets a pair of Soul Train Awards, while Snoop Doggy Dogg takes rap album trophy and also dominates the spotlight.

Last year controversial Long Beach rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg was miffed that his “Doggystyle” album wasn’t nominated for best rap album in the Soul Train Awards, and he said so during a tirade backstage at the show.

But, according to the award show’s guidelines, Snoop just barely missed last year’s eligibility deadline. Regardless, this year the voters apparently remembered the ruckus and they did something about it. “Doggystyle” took the rap album trophy at the ninth annual Soul Train Awards on Monday at the Shrine Auditorium.

Boyz II Men, Anita Baker and Barry White each collected a pair of awards, but while they may have beaten Snoop in numbers, he flattened the competition when it came to charisma.

Backstage, the tall rapper was easily the most popular performer, with a trail of fans and media wherever he went. Cracked one media observer, “There goes the Pied Piper of Long Beach.” Snoop, all smiles while being photographed with well-wishers and stars, was eating up the adulation.

He even started campaigning for next year’s awards, talking up the hit soundtrack for his short movie “Murder Was the Case.” “It was one of the best rap albums of the year,” he said. “I don’t make bad albums. It deserves an award too.”

Snoop, who’s awaiting trial on murder charges (he has been accused of driving the vehicle from which his bodyguard fatally shot a man, but claims the action was in self-defense), also reiterated his support of rapper Tupac Shakur, who was recently convicted on a sexual abuse charge. “I want him to stay strong. . . . We love him,” Snoop said. “Just because he’s in the pen he shouldn’t be discarded.”

Rapper Queen Latifah, who won the Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year Award, echoed those sentiments in her comments to the media. “I support the brother--we can’t cast our black men aside.”

Diana Ross picked up the other achievement honor, the Heritage Award, in recognition of her more than 30 years as a star. “An award like this means so much because of what the ‘Soul Train’ TV show has meant to black music over the years,” said Ross, who paraded backstage with her five children and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., who presented her the award.

That sentiment was repeated frequently during the backstage interviews, particularly by the members of Boyz II Men, victorious in the best group single (“I’ll Make Love to You”) and album (“II”) categories.

Generally, you can count on this show’s nominations and awards, based on a survey of 2,800 radio programmers and record retailers, to inspire little of the usual award-show bashing about unfairness or conservatism--and this year was no exception.

These are considered among the hippest awards in pop music because the nominations reflect what’s really happening in the genre. Rappers such as Bone Thugs N Harmony, who aren’t mainstream but are still big sellers, were recognized with a rap album nomination. The sex-drenched music of singer-songwriter R. Kelly, a huge influence in R&B; last year, was also honored. His “Bump ‘N Grind” was named best single.

Other winners: Anita Baker--female single (“Body and Soul”) and album (“Rhythm of Love”); Barry White--male album (“The Icon Is Love”) and song of the year (“Practice What You Preach”); Brandy--best new artist; Aaron Hall--music video (“I Miss You”); Norman Brown--jazz album (“After the Storm”); Sounds of Blackness--gospel album (“Africa to America, the Journey of the Drum”).