Snoop Dogg becomes Snoop Lion for new reggae album

Snoop Dogg becomes Snoop Lion for new reggae album
By Alyshah Hasham Staff Reporter Jul 24, 2012
@snooplion    
Meet Snoop Lion — the latest alter-ego of rapper Snoop Dogg for the release of his new reggae album Reincarnated.
The laid-back first single “La La La,” produced by Diplo of Major Lazer, is already available, with the full album coming out later this year.
Snoop Lion, and his aptly named band “the Jungle” will perform for the first time on Aug. 3 at the Hoxton during the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival. Your curiosity won’t be cheaply satisfied; tickets are $60.
His presence is already being felt on Twitter and Tumblr, as the rapper encourages his friends and followers to “keep spreading the positive vibes,” and his single.

Five things we learned at the Reincarnated press conference

Ben Kaplan | Sep 7, 2012 4:42 PM ET | Last Updated: Sep 7, 2012 7:19 PM ET
More from Ben Kaplan | @NP_RunningBen
Reincarnated is the story of how Snoop Dogg becomes Snoop Lion at a trial, often over fire, in Jamaica, where Snoop travelled to record a reggae album. The press conference was Friday afternoon, and this is what I learned.
1. Snoop Dogg may be Snoop Lion, but he will still bite you if you make him mad.
“I’m Snoop motherf–king Dogg til I die, but when I make reggae music, I’m the Lion — however, if you disrespect me, you will get the motherf–king Dogg.” This drew applause.
2. Snoop Lion recommends bringing President Obama back for another four years, and he expressed this to a mostly white crowd.
“Bush f–ked up for eight years and and Obama already cleaned up about half. Remember, the house he got was broken. The TV didn’t work, the toilet was stuffed up, but lets not forget: he knocked down the most wanted man in the world. The one Bush couldn’t find. I think we should give him another four years to get his thing together. You heard what Clinton said, didn’t you? And you all love Clinton, right?”
3. Snoop Lion is no Sean Penn.
In Reincarnated, Snoop is rarely seen not smoking marijuana. At the press conference, he didn’t even smoke once.
4. If you see Snoop walking around Toronto and he’s leaning heavily on a cane, it has nothing to do with his transformation from Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion.
In fact, its the result of an injury he got playing football.
5. To quell the controversy of what people may think who don’t buy the Snoop transformation, the Lion offered this metaphor.
“To those who feel its not real, it is what it is, but I’ll put it like this: I can put a clean glass and a dirty glass of water before you, and you can pick whichever one that you choose.”