SOHH Squad
Days after West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg got publicly called out for his Rastafarian "Snoop Lion" rap alias, the hip-hop veteran has now received the ultimate co-sign from late Jamaican Bob Marley's son.
Rather than feed into the controversy, Rohan Marley said people should embrace Snoop’s love for Rastafarian culture.
Snoop Lion just got the MARLEY FAMILY SEAL OF APPROVAL … because Bob’s son Rohan tells TMZ the reggae legend would’ve totally supported Snoop’s Rastafarian rebirth. Rohan says he’s well aware that an original member of the Wailers — along with the Rastafari Millennium Council — attacked Snoop … claiming the rapper is nothing more than a Rasta Imposta. But Rohan says those guys have it all wrong — telling us, “Our father’s name should not even be mentioned in this issue because like a true Rasta, he would have embraced Snoop’s reincarnation and welcomed the positivity.”He continues, “Why condemn a man for his love of Rastafari and Bob Marley?” “We have been cool with Snoop before his transformation and he will continue to have our blessings and support.” (TMZ)
Rohan even hopped onto his Twitter page this week to back up Snoop.
“RASTA RESPECT for your #Reincarnation @SnoopDogghttp://t.co/AnpOCXXi,” he tweeted January 23rd. (Rohan Marley’s Twitter)
Earlier in the week, a former Bob Marley associate called Snoop out about his transformation.
Bunny Wailer has voiced his concerns about Snoop’s Rastafarian transformation and told TMZ he thinks the rapper’s new persona is an “outright fraudulent use of Rastafari Community’s personalities and symbolism.”Bunny’s sentiment has been echoed by the Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council, which also calls itself the Rastafari Millennium Council, and the organization has put together a 7-page letter explaining their opposition to the rapper’s use of Rastafari symbolism. (The Versed)
Last summer, the West Coast rap vet revealed Dr. Dre‘s initial reaction to his new alias.
“He would see me come to rehearsals with all of my Rastafari, my gear, my hair, my look. He was just peeping me out, and I let him know I was doing a reggae project and working on the album and whatnot, but he didn’t really understand it until ‘La La La’ came out,” Snoop told MTV News. “La La La,” the first single from Reincarnated, which Snoop released July 20, marked a new chapter in his musical career, though he has always infused reggae lingo in tracks like the 1992 Dr. Dre track “The Day the N—az Took Over” and his 1993 album cut “Pump Pump.” (MTV)
