Snoop Dogg’s way of remaining relevant

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.

Princes rides on the back of 7thDay

Some two weeks ago gospel musician Princes Chitsulo and Dan Lufani were the only artists that scooped two awards each at the Second Annual Music Malawi (MUMA) Awards ceremony in Lilongwe.

 

Many people felt like Princess Chitsulo who got the Best Gospel Female spot did not deserve the other award of the best Song of the Year for her “Ndidzayimbabe” track because it’s not her composition but that of the Seventh Day church. The song is said to be found in their hymn book which is popularly known as ‘Kristu Mu Nyimbo’.

But I am surprised that this is only pointed out because it is Princes who did that when almost all of our Gospel artists in the country with an exceptional of just a few merely copy songs from international artists and turn them into their own.

 

It reminds me of the late Paul Chaphuka of the Alleluya Band of the old. He released an album called ‘Ndichiritseni’ helped by veteran Sir Paul Banda and his brother Lucius at the time when he was in his lowest ebb as he was battling with cancer.

The story of his condition and the effort to record the album in his state made the album very popular but years later it was disappointing to note that in fact the title track ‘Ndichiritseni’ was plagiarized. This was the composition of Ivorian reggae maestro Alpha Blondy also by the same title, although in English, called ‘Heal me’.

By the way, the track by Princess was produced by the evergreen Lloyd Phiri whose track, in his latest album, called ‘One Love’ borrows its hook from the late Lucky Dube’s Ding-Ding.

The most shameless of the country’s entire gospel act is Ndirande Anglican Voices which copies everything from South African gospel artists and only remove words that are in South African local language and replace them with Chichewa.

If you think I am lying just listen to the group’s ‘Oyimba Ndiambiri’ which is carbon copy of Debora Fraser’s Bizwile... not sure of the title but I have the track with me. Ndirande Anglican Voices also did ‘Ndibwelera’ which they copied Vuyo Mukoena’s ‘Themba Lwami’.

And now The Great Angels also did ‘Opanda Dipo’ which they copied Lundi’s track that I can’t remember the title in the mean time.

Then there is a case of Evance Meleka who, when he declared himself a ‘Gospel Artist’ I had no reservations with his decision but my problem was where he had decided to become an Oliver Mtukudzi copycat which has instead turned him into an impressionist shame.

If I ask the people reading this who have listened to Evance to tell me whether or not he is one of the few gifted guys with golden voice, none will raise up their hands to disagree with me.

Meaning, Evance’s voice is unexploited gold which only he can take care of and nurture as time goes by but he launched his gospel music career with tracks where he has imitated Oliver Mtukudzi unashamedly.

When you check the behaviour our artists it is clear that they don’t care because they do not know that copying without following copyrights laws has consequences.

Just Wednesday this week a court in the USA has made musicians Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke pay US$7.4m to Marvin Gaye's family over their track ‘Blurred Lines’ which they say infringed Marvin Gaye copyright.

A jury awarded Marvin Gaye’s children nearly $7.4m after determining singers Thicke and Williams copied their father’s music to create Blurred Lines, the biggest hit song of 2013.

The verdict could tarnish the legacy of Williams, a reliable hit-maker who has won Grammy awards and appears on NBC’s music competition show The Voice.

When you listen to the two tracks you will need to be attentive to capture a split second similarity in the progression cord but here they are told to pay such huge sums while our Gospel artists copy everything and only slot it in the Chichewa words.