Snoop Lion has told Bunny Wailer that he “wasn’t the shit in the Wailers”, after Wailer publicly criticised Snoop’s adoption of Rastafarian culture. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Snoop explained he was caught off guard by Wailer’s ‘negative energy’ after he happily appeared in Snoop’s doco Reincarnated.
When asked about Wailer’s grievance, Snoop initially attempts to take the high road but it isn’t long before the Snoop Dogg of old starts barking. Snoop goes on to describe how his 90s self would react in this situation before going onto state his opinion on Bunny’s lack of importance in Bob Marley And The Wailers:
“I’m not gonna speak nothing negative because I love him too much. Any relationship, you gotta be able to disagree. The last time I seen him, it was all love, but when I heard the negative remarks, I paid no attention. If I’m gonna be Rasta incorporated, loving energy is the only way I can match his negative energy.
“I coulda said, “Fuck that nigga. Bitch-ass nigga.” I’m still a gangsta – don’t get it fucked up. I’m growing to a man, so as a man, do I wanna revert back to my old ways…
“It’s like, people take my kindness for weakness. In the Nineties, he could have never tried that because I’d have slapped the dog shit out of his old ass. How dare you? After all I’ve done for you? How dare you? You wasn’t the shit in the Wailers. You was just one of them: Bob, Peter Tosh, then you. They dead mean more than you do alive.”
The comments by Wailer, which earned him Snoop’s wrath, were made to TMZ. Wailer said that Snoop’s move from rap to reggae was, “outright fraudulent use of Rastafari Community’s personalities and symbolism.”
The Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council echoed Wailer’s complaints, stating in a 7-page demand document sent to Snoop that, “smoking weed and loving Bob Marley and reggae music is not what defines the Rastafari Indigenous Culture!”
The council are demanding Snoop no longer claim the title of ‘Lion’, issue a public apology and pay the “financial and moral support” they claim Snoop promised.
