[Snoop Dogg will have all eyes on him on Gospel music’s biggest stage]
The awards announced that Snoop will be performing tracks off his controversial Gospel album “Songs of Love,” which brings together top artists for Snoop’s first Gospel offering.
Last year the announcement that Snoop was coming out with a Gospel album led to debates all over social media prompting artists like Fred Hammond and Tina Campbell to come to his defense.. Both of whom are reportedly featured on the album.
No doubt Snoop Dogg will refrain from cursing (lets hope), and he’ll probably be suddenly joined by other top Gospel artists that will surely trigger an arouse from the crowd, but this is after-all a self proclaimed gangster rapper we’re letting perform on the highest level of Gospel music.
Gospel has traditionally been very guarded on who we let crossover into our genre. It’s led to many calling the faithful ‘judgmental’ and ‘hypocritical’ because of course Christ is for everyone. But when the secular world locks Gospel artists out of their venues and big market opportunities, it’s seen as just business; a righteous safeguard not to offend those that may not be religious. So I ask, what’s wrong with safe-guarding our stages from secular influences?
Snoop Dogg’s exploration with religion has been well documented through the years. In a 2003 interview he stated that he’s studied the Muslim religion, Christianity, and even Rastafari. A study that prompted him to go by the name ‘Snoop Lion’ for a season. Snoop’s idea of Christianity has never been definitive in the belief of Jesus, but instead echoes the lukewarm narrative rampant in today’s global climate.
“I was pushed into the Baptist church”
Says Snoop, “As a kid, I was pushed into the Baptist church … ” He further explained, “I was able to seek out information on my own to find out that the Muslim religion, Rastafari, Baptist, Christian — that they all the same.” “They all God-fearing people and love is love. It’s more based on life and a way of life and liberty as opposed to religion. Because religion is so false, because it’s so past tense and written by someone who is not here. I feel like religion should be based on the way you live and the way you treat yourself and treat others.” That was Snoop’s feelings in 2003.
In 2005, Snoop Dogg’s mother Beverly Broadus-Green became an ordained minister, and we gather that she started to put pressure on her son to explain his motives. Green was asked, What she thought of Snoop’s music videos depicting a blunt-smoking rapper who degrades and parties with scantily-clad women? “I told him I was embarrassed by it, and he told me his lyrics were not about me or all women, but certain women, ‘and they know who they are,’ he told her.
Today, It’s unknown how Snoop feels about the saving power of Jesus, but he did say that he’s always wanted to make a Gospel album. A seemingly believable fact that puts Christians at ease that he’s not solely doing this now when his career is a far cry from his days as a N.W.A. group member. In 2017 Snoop told Beats 1, “It’s always been on my heart… “I just never got around to it because I always be doing gangsta business or doing this or doing that. I just felt like it’s been on my heart too long. I need to do it now.”
Watch Snoop Dogg’s Gospel music video “Words Are Few” with B-Slade formally known as TONEX:
God works in mysterious ways.
God works in mysterious ways. That I know. I’m not all the way right or all the way left on this issue. I’m somewhere in the middle; A tough pill for some saints to swallow because we’re supposed to be all God all the time. This was seemingly the same dilemma the Stellar Awards is going through.
Is the industry ready for this now?
Is the industry ready for this now? If reality TV is any indication, I’d say yes. Reality shows like “Preachers of L.A,” “The Real Mary Mary,” and “Meet the Mann’s” have all depicted controversial details of Christian artists and clergy. Now studio executives are looking to make a buck off Snoop Dogg’s controversial Gospel entry by chronicling his album-making process in a series of Reality TV dramas. Christian network The Impact Network announced the new reality show True G: “The Gospel of Snoop,” that will air this year. The network hopes people will tune in to learn more about Snoop’s relationship with God and Jesus.
Snoop recently walked the stage at The Superbowl Gospel Celebration that puts on a big celebration each year wherever the Superbowl is held. I was like, “So it begins.” I was a little shocked that The Stellar Awards allowed Snoop to do more than just present an award… He’s actually performing! So my summation calls for the body of Christ to ponder these questions. How protective should we be over Gospel music? Should Gospel artists do songs with secular ones, and if so, should the secular rappers past thoughts on religion be weighed in making that decision? The Stellar Awards hopefully did their research and found nothing out of tune on this new album, but is it too soon to give the album our largest platform to pitch to?
[Other Performers, L-R: Snoop Dogg (Performer), Erica Campbell (Performer), Tina Campbell (Performer) and Kirk Franklin (Host)]
Should be an interesting 2018 Stellar Awards. I’ll be there reporting Saturday, March 24th in Las Vegas. Tickets are still available at www.thestellarawards.com. To see a full list of nominees click here. Hope to see you’ll there!
Written By: Kris Patrick
PATH MEGAzine – Publisher
ALSO READ: Snoop Dogg Will Chronicle His Controversial Gospel Album With New Reality Show ‘True G’
ALSO READ: MaryMary’s TINA CAMPBELL Blasts Christians Who Have A Problem with Snoop Dogg’s Gospel Album
