The great spiritual leader known as Snoop Lion (né Dogg) may have hit a stumbling block in his path toward enlightenment—mainly because a number of prominent Rastafarians have expressed some serious doubts that his recent turn toward the faith is at all spiritual.
In an interview with TMZ, Bunny Wailer (of Bob Marley And The Wailers) said that he is outraged by the rapper’s “fraudulent use of Rastafari Community’s personalities and symbolism” in his new all-encompassing project, Reincarnated. And the Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council has even threatened to sue if Snoop doesn’t desist soon.
Snoop began this latest endeavor last July, when, following a trip to Jamaica, he announced that he would be replacing his surname “Dogg” with “Lion”—a moniker supposedly given to him by a Nyabinghi priest—to reflect his newfound love for Rastafarianism. Reincarnated is slated to include a reggae album, a photo book, a non-profit organization, and a documentary about his cultural and spiritual expedition.
The Millennium Council expressed its anger in a letter to Snoop demanding he drop the “Lion,” provide the “financial and moral support” he allegedly promised, and also publicly apologize. “[S]moking weed and loving Bob Marley and reggae music is not what defines the Rastafari Indigenous Culture!” the letter explains. (Incidentally, this may come as a surprise to more people than just Snoop.)
Snoop himself has yet to respond to the complaints, though it’s doubtful he’ll abandon the project. And obviously, it's certain he won’t stop smoking weed.