Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record
producer, television personality and actor who is never short of controversy.
Real name Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. the 46-year-old American has within 6
years tried to remain relevant by turning to reggae music, before going back to
his rap genre. Now he has taken another leap into the Gospel fold.
He was
discovered by Dr Dre in 1992 when he launched his music career and he has since
sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums
worldwide. Around 2013 he was worth
an estimated $110m.
For over two decades
that he has been in music industry, Snoop is considered rap’s great survivor
considering that he still remains successful when many of his contemporaries
are dead.
All this standing did
not however stop him from going to Jamaica in 2012 where he announced his
conversion to Rastafari and adopted a new moniker; Snoop Lion that in early 2013, coincided with the release of his reggae album
‘Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name that talks of his
Jamaican experience.
Many, especially
Rastas, did not believe that this gun-toting gangsta-rapper has embraced the
peace-and-love principle of Rastafarian livity. Reggae legend Bunny
Wailer who
at first welcomed Snoop to the fold
later said he felt betrayed. Bunny Wailer like most Rastas felt the US Rapper
was a phoney who let down the Rastafarian community.
And what with his thirteenth and fourteenth studio
albums, Bush, released in
May 2015 and Coolaid, released in July 2016 respectively which marked a
return of the Snoop Dogg name.
The same is
the distrusting feeling with his turning into a Gospel artist while trying to
ride on the back of his mother Beverly Tate, an evangelist whom he
is also featuring in his gospel album.
In October last year Dogg released his first Gospel song
called Words are few which features gospel artist B-Slade (formerly
Tonéx) before releasing a Gospel album this year "Snoop Dogg: Bible of
Love."
Although the album has gospel and
R&B heavy-hitters like Tye Tribett, the Clark Sisters, Faith Evans, and
Rance Allen it still fails to remove doubters from the picture.
In several interviews Dogg says it’s not about money;
it’s about spirit... And those that are not happy that Dogg, a secular artist has
migrated to the gospel music, should realise that the Devil is a liar...
In an interview Snoop is convincingly arguing that he
thought the church is supposed welcome sinners. Because if the church was full
of saints it wouldn't be right. So if one finds somebody trying to find their
way home the natural thing to do is provide warm welcome.
We have several examples in the country where the
movement has always been one way; from secular to gospel music. Remember San B,
Ethel Kamwendo Banda, Evance Meleka etcetera. It was only Geoffrey Zigoma who
on several occasions went back and forth.
Much as these would stick to their story that there
was indeed a religious conviction for the switch, for Snoop Dogg, with what
transpired before when he briefly became Snoop Lion, there will be a need of
serious convincing that he has made a genuine transformation.
After over 20 years of doing rap music that was
propagating the other side of what Gospel music preach, it will be a matter of
time to establish whether or not Snoop Dogg is for real or is trying to stay
relevant. If one reads between the lines they might be tempted to see it as the
same as Snoop’s holding of the dubious
distinction of having 17 Grammy nominations without a win.
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