When Bunny Wailer and Snoop Dogg-Lion met in Jamaica last year, Wailer said he would be more than happy to appear on Snoop’s first reggae album, as long as his conversion to Rastafarianism wasn’t being “commercialized.” In a recent interview with TMZ, he indicated in no uncertain terms that he felt Snoop had let him down. Via Rolling Stone:
Recently, however, Wailer came out against Snoop in a TMZ interview, decrying the Long Beach, California MC’s “outright fraudulent use of the Rastafari community’s personalities and symbolism” and his failure to meet “contractual, moral and verbal commitments.” Wailer’s contribution to the album was ultimately cut. Last week, Rolling Stone met with Snoop Lion in Los Angeles for an upcoming profile. During the discussion, he elaborated on his side of the fallout with Wailer.
Snoop responded in a new interview with Rolling Stone.
He’s speaking and the album isn’t out. That gave me fair warning to get this motherfucker off my shit. I have no insight what turned him. The people I visited at the Nyabinghi Temple aren’t speaking negative on me. They’re real Rastas. I went in there and filmed them, showed their whole get-down. Nobody did that before. If anyone, they should have complained – “He exploited us!” Why aren’t they saying that? To me, they have the most gripe to make. How did I exploit Bunny? I gave you a chance to be in my movie. My movie gonna be the shit with or without you. I’m gonna be the shit with or without you. I’m Snoop Dogg. Relevant right now.
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. You get the energy? When it should have been, 'Hey, this brother is putting me back in the light; I could possibly get on the road with him, be on his album, eat again. Let me get in line. This is Snoop Dogg; he’s already a star.’ It should have been, play along with me as opposed to stick me up. I’m gonna give you what you worth, but you not gonna stick me up.
Last month Snoop Lion, formerly Snoop Dogg, told NME that he may never do another reggae album in Jamaica due to issues with Bunny Wailer and members of the Rastafarian Millennium Council, who accused the rap icon of exploiting Rastafarian culture for profits.
It turns out that there is a deeper underlining reason why Snoop is turning his back on Jamaica, the island that changed his life forever.
An inside source at the Rastafarian Millennium Council exclusively told Urban Islandz that some unknown Rastafarians have been sending death threats to the rapper.
“Am not surprise Snoop don’t want to come back to Jamaica because I heard from good source that he has been getting death threats from rastas,” the source said, requesting anonymity.
“Rastafarian is about peace, love and unity, so these Rastas who are sending these threats are not members of the council,” the source added.
“Yes there were some issues with Snoop and the Council but we don’t address issues with violence, we love Snoop and we welcome him with open arms,” the source continues.
Snoop Lion was in Jamaica in February to shoot the video for “Lighters Up,” a collaborative single featuring Mavado and Popcaan that will appear on his upcoming album Reincarnated, due in stores on April 23.
The West Coast rap legend, turn reggae star, has not returned to Jamaica since and may never return.
Despite his issues with Bunny Wailer and the Rastafarian Millennium Council, Snoop Lion says he will continue to spread the Rastafarian message of peace and love.
His latest single is titled “No Guns Allowed” and features appearances from Drake and his daughter Cori B.
The album that placed Bob Marley and the Wailers - Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer - at the helm of superstardom debuted in the marketplace on April 13, 1973.
Saturday marked 40 years since the release of The Wailers' Catch A Fire, one of the seminal albums in pop music.
Despite the fire and brimstone that branded Reggae music's revolutionary appearance in the 1970s, forty years later, Catch A Fire remains as one of the most successful and to many the greatest Reggae albums of all times.
When Catch A Fire was released in 1973, the Wailers already had three studio albums (The Wailing Wailers (1965), Soul Rebels (1970) and Soul Revolution (1971)) under their belts, along with a best of collection and varying singles that popped up throughout the time span at which point they were signed to CBS Records.
Here are some other reggae recordings released in 1973 that have stood the test of time.
Beat Down Babylon: The debut album from singer Junior Byles, this set was produced by Lee 'Scratch' Perry and released in Britain by Trojan Records. Contains the ominous title track.
Book Of Rules: Produced by Harry 'Harry J' Johnson, this song is arguably the Heptones' finest moment. Features Barry Llewellyn on lead vocals.
All I Have Is Love: Gregory Isaacs was not yet 'The Cool Ruler' but this Phil Pratt-produced hit certainly paved the way for his later success as a lovers rock singer.
Funky Kingston: Toots and The Maytals lose little to The Wailers on this masterpiece which includes the monster title track. This album proved reggae was an international force.
Everyday Wondering (Skanga): Fresh out of Jamaica College, singer Johnny Clarke cut this 'rockers' for producer Rupie Edwards. Became a minor hit in Britain.
Silver Words (Ken Boothe) and Westbound Train (Dennis Brown): Both songs produced by Winston 'Niney' Holness for his emerging Observer label, they feature the Soul Syndicate band on top of their game.
Since his 'reincarnation' Snoop has struggled to convince the Rastafari and Reggae community that he is sincere about his profession of, and transition to the faith, principles and beliefs of Rastafari. Most doubtful of them all is Bunny Wailer the only living member of the original Wailers
Wailer has always had his doubts about Snoop Lion's intent and now his scepticism has taken an even stronger stance, that of excommunication. Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it. Some groups use the term disfellowship instead.
The news was broken via Wailer's Facebook early Sunday (April 7) morning outlining what exactly excommunication entails:
"The word excommunication means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group. Excommunication may involve banishment, shunning, and shaming, depending on the religion, the offense that caused excommunication, or the rules or norms of the religious community."
Wailer told TMZ earlier in the year that his scepticism spawned from the docu-film "Reincarnated" ... which documented Snoop's immersion in the Rasta culture as he recorded his first reggae album in Jamaica last year.
Wailer claimed Snoop had engaged in "outright fraudulent use of Rastafari Community's personalities and symbolism" -- and has failed to meet "contractual, moral and verbal commitments." Leaders of the Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council also known as the Rastafari Millennium Council echoed Wailer's thoughts firing off a 7-page demand letter to Snoop criticizing his Rastafarian transformation.
They are asking Snoop to drop the "Lion" moniker and revert back to Dogg, as well as, issue an apology to the Rastafarian Community.
Failing to do so would result in a lawsuit against the rap icon…but it eventually led to excommunication.
Since news broke a few persons took to Facebook to express their thoughts on the situation. One person gushed "Rasta is the way of life for all black people not a religion, no one should tell anyone [what] you can't and can do. I don't agree with my elder Bunny, mind control need to be stopped and let Snoop choose his ancestors path without stopping him. If you need to be none or make headline write song not making headline like you are the one who will decide who will be rasta or not."
Another shared that "I love my Reggae music and as far as I am concern Snoop produces beautiful reggae style and lyrics. But as far as Rastafarian belief goes all I can say is that surely there must be other Rastafarian not only in Jamaica but in the world who have done worse. I know some people who have grown their crown, wear rasta clothes, and they are huge fans of Bob Marley but they do not praise or give thanks to H.I.M. They know nothing about his majesty emperor Haile Selassie I the first."
In a recent March-released NME article Snoop is quoted as having doubts with his Reggae career since being plagued with criticisms.
"That (the transformation) was a priceless moment. I definitely feel like I'm gonna make more music, but I don't know if I'm gonna go to Jamaica, I may wanna go somewhere else," he expressed further stating that "I may wanna venture into another part of the world. Some things you let them be what they are"
This "something different" could be anything from a location change to a genre jump.
"I'm just saying I don't know if I want to repeat the same process as far as going to Jamaica and making a reggae album," he says. "I may wanna go to another country and make a reggae album. I may wanna make a rap album. I don't know," he continued.
Snoop's Reincarnated album is set to be released April 23.
