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When Snoop Dogg first revealed that he would be releasing a new album, Reincarnated, under a different name we were skeptical. It seemed like the rapper was only really planning to use the new moniker, Snoop Lion, for the release, almost as a gimmick. But as it turns out Snoop is pretty serious about the name change and is releasing a documentary to explain his journey from one title to the other.
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The rapper participated in a live chat yesterday, along with Diplo and a few industry executives, and explained to fans what exactly was going through his mind. Snoop said, “It’s not that I want to become Snoop Dogg on a reggae track. I want to bury Snoop Dogg, and become Snoop Lion. I didn’t know that until I went to the temple, where the High Priest asked me what my name was, and I said, ‘Snoop Dogg.’ And he looked me in my eyes and said, ‘No more. You are the light; you are the lion.’ From that moment on, it’s like I had started to understand why I was there.”
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It also sounds like the rapper is maybe not so much interested in being a rapper – at least for now. Snoop explained, “Rap is not a challenge to me. With no disrespect to other rappers, but they can’t fuck with me in rap… I’ve won every accolade you can get in rap, they call me ‘Uncle Snoop’ in rap. When you’re an uncle, it’s time to find something new… I want to feel like a kid again.”
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But if that’s not explanation enough, VICE Films, in partnership with Snoopadelic Films, will release a documentary called Reincarnated. The documentary follows Snoop as he journeys to Jamaica to record his album with Diplo. According to the description, “While there, Snoop finds himself embraced by the Jamaican people, is positively impacted by Rastafarian culture, and becomes reincarnated as Snoop Lion.” Watch the trailer for the documentary below:
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This seems like fairly big news, that one of the more important figures in rap is moving on and leaving his iconic moniker behind. We’re curious how far Snoop plans to take this beyond the new album, although we’d imagine that’s a question even he isn’t prepared to answer yet. What do you think about this revelation from Snoop? Tell us in the comments.
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For more from Snoop Dogg head to his Myspace Radio channel here.
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