As part of the anti-gun campaign, Snoop Lion became vocal with a new video entitled "No Guns Allowed." The former Snoop Dog's new song features both Drake and his daughter, Cori B.
The music video opens with a clip of President Obama, giving a speech at the memorial for the Newton, Connecticut shooting victims, in which a gun-wielding assailant killed 20 children and 6 adults.
The video was released April 2, the same day a bipartisan legislative task force in Connecticut has come to an agreement on the state's gun laws.
The new agreement on gun laws includes a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, such as the one that was used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre. The deal also calls for a new registry for existing high-capacity magazines, and background checks that would apply to private gun sales.
While I find the sentiment of the song to be uplifting and positive, it is ludicrous that this song is coming from Snoop Lion. While artists are ever evolving and changing, I find it hypocritical that a man who has made a fortune promoting gun violence is now attempting to take a stance against it.
While the rapper has recently claimed that he is "reincarnated" following a trip to Jamaica and a conversion to the Rastafarian movement, the violent songs that made him a pop culture icon are still played around the world. Therefore, I question why "No Guns Allowed" maintains any intellectual value. This new anti-gun campaign is coming from the same man who won the 2005 Billboard Hip-Hop Conference "Hot Rap Track" Award for his popular hit "Drop it Like it's Hot."
The song "Drop it Like It's Hot" begins "if a n***a get an attitude, pop it like it's hot," now in this instance Snoop is telling listeners, that when someone gets an attitude, shoot him or "pop" him. This violent and pro-gun advice is quite a different tune that what Snoop is now singing when he says "he no want no more gun play" in his latest track.
However, "Drop it Like It's Hot" continues its positive gun rant by concluding the song with a verse that states, "Oh you got a gun so you wanna pop back? AK47 now n***a, stop that! Cement shoes, now I'm on the move, your family's crying, now you on the news, they can't find you, and now they miss you, must I remind you I'm only here to twist you. Pistol whip you, dip you then flip you."
With this verse I don't even have to infer anything about double meanings of words; Snoop is literally reciting a description of a murder and then describing a grieving family who has lost a loved one.
Unfortunately the pro-gun past of Snoop Lion does not end there. Another violent track entitled "Ain't Nut'in Personal" was released in 1998 on Snoop Dogg's third studio album, "Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told."
If I included all of the violent lyrics in this song I would have to include the entire thing, but to give you an idea of theme of the tune, the lyrics of the chorus are; "Kill, kill, kill, murda, murda, murda. Ain't nut'in personal tru you see it's all about respect. Kill, kill, kill, murda, murda, murda. I'm never got slippin', keep my heat on the dash."
Check out the whole song below to truly understand the violent and disgusting nature of the Snoop's popular song.
Snoop Lion's message to the world and the young generation in general, is that murder is necessary, violence makes you tough and that guns in particular are something to be praised. He has validated the gangster image as a positive and desirable way of life. While Snoop Lion is certainly not the first or last rapper to rap about violence and guns, he is the first to be bold enough to use President Barack Obama in a personal campaign against guns for his own profit.
In his song "Gangster Ride" Snoop reiterates and glamorizes the brutal gangster way of life, in his last verse he states, "I wanna say whattup to all them gangstas, out there on the Eastisde, y'all ni***az need to point the guns in the right directions. Ya know, ya heard?"
Snoop literally tells fans to point their guns at the right people. Although now he is telling everyone to put their guns away, but too much damage has been done.
He has maintained a violent gangster image in the rap culture for over 20 years, his message is insincere. The fact that he is only now recognizing the damaging nature of incessant gun violence and the effect of the glorified gangster has had on this generation is shameful.
Let us also not forget when in 2006, Snoop was arrested on suspicion of illegal drug and gun possession.When officers searched his vehicle they found a gun and marijuana. This was not Snoop's first run in with gun possession, the rapper was convicted in 1990 of cocaine possession and charged with gun possession after a 1993 traffic stop.
He pleaded guilty and took a deal for 3 years probation and swore to create a PSA againt violence.
Although it didn't seem to last long because he was also charged and later acquitted of murder in 1996 following the death of an alleged gang member who was killed by gunfire from the vehicle Snoop Dogg was traveling in.
Have a look at the video for yourself and let me know what you think.
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