Snoop Lion, the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg, answered questions – and even gave an impromptu rap performance- at the press conference for Reincarnated early this afternoon. Here are the best of his answers.
On where the “Lion” came from:
“They just crowned me the Lion; it’s associated with reggae music and they felt the Dogg was no longer for the journey that I was on. It wasn’t chosen, it was given to me. It’s a transformation and growth of a person, artist, and man.”
On getting past the cynicism of others:
“I don’t believe that you have to address it as long as your actions show that it’s real. People know me… I don’t fake a thing… It’s just another page in my book, so please enjoy.”
On the U.S. presidential election:
“They need to give Obama four more years, I mean Bush fucked up for eight years, man… it’s not like you gave him a clean house, he gave him a house where the TV didn’t work, the toilet was stuffed up. Give him four more years to finish this thing out. You heard what Clinton said last night, you loved Clinton, didn’t you?”
On using the word “bitch:”
“I didn’t use it on this new album, but I still use it in my everyday life. There’s a lot of bitches and bitch ass muther fuckers in this world. It’s not intended for reggae music, those words were hip hop words… reggae can communicate in a different language.”
On choosing to work with Vice:
“Because Vice is on the edge, and Vice is connected to everybody… they’re hip and they know what it is. They are my audience, they are my people.”
On Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday party:
“I went to Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday party while I was out there… it was the only time I left [Jamaica]. I didn’t even want to leave, but I got a call from the champ. That was my childhood; I wanted to be Muhammad Ali. For him to call me, that was the biggest treat in the world for me.”
On fellow singer Nate Dogg’s death:
“That’s the one part of the movie that I never watch, because I’m still touched, I’m still hurt by it… if we were to watch it together, I’d have to walk out because I really can’t take that.”
On why he kept “Snoop” is his name:
“I’m still Snoop Dogg, this is me right now. I’m Snoop-Muther-Fuckin’-Dogg until the day I die. When I make reggae musice, it’s in the light of Snoop Lion… but if you disrespect, you get the muther fuckin’ Dogg!”
On his collection of soccer jerseys:
“I hope you don’t ask me which team I like–I don’t know which one is which. I became a big soccer fan from playing the game FIFA. I don’t have a particular team that I like, I love the sport.”
On other rappers’ reactions to his name change and new outlook:
“All of the rappers in the hip hop community respect me because I’ve always given them respect… I’m looked at as ‘Uncle Snoop’… a lot of my rap brothers are from Jamaica, so they really root me on. It’s all love and all praises from my people.”
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Sabrina Maddeaux is Toronto Standard’s managing editor. Follow her on Twitter at@sabrinamaddeaux.
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