Snoop Lion nee Dogg has been launching a charm offensive on the hip-hop world. Earlier today, he appeared on The Breakfast Club and weighed in on violence in hip-hop.
"I feel like reggae music was just a great expression, with all this violence and this negative [sic] that's going on in the world. And I have a lot of power, not just in America but outside of America. Once you realize you've got power, you've got to use it in the right way. You can't take that power and push the button for the wrong reasons. And for the wrong reasons, I've always led people down a dark alley, as opposed to leading them to the light."
Snoop's 180 degree turn from violent music has, understandably, received a lot of positive attention in the press. But it's also been received, in some quarters, with cynicism. None have been more critical than former Marley percussionist—and a reggae musician in his own right—Bunny Wailer, who accused Snoop of "outright fraudulent use of Rastafari Community's personalities and symbolism" in a TMZ interview, even claiming that Snoop had failed to honor "contractual, moral and verbal commitments."
Initially, Wailer had appeared in Snoop's film Reincarnated, even agreeing to sing on the accompanying album with the expectation that Rastafarian culture not be "commercialized" (according to Snoop, Wailer doesn't appear on the album).
Well, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Snoop struck back. His initial response took the peaceful tack he's taken in general of late:
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When asked about the negative energy, though, Snoop takes a more combatative tone:
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Ouch.
[Via Rolling Stone]
Snoop on The Breakfast Club:
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