The media is buzzing about Snoop Dogg’s latest moniker, Snoop Lion, which was part of his latest project, Reincarnated. The Reincarnated project includes a reggae album produced by Diplo and the Major Lazer production team, a documentary, a photo book, and a non-profit initiative called Mind Garden.
About his reincarnation, Snoop Lion said it was a spiritual journey he took with the help of the Rastafarian culture and the Jamaican people who embraced him along the way:
“For this project, I had no intention of making a reggae album, but the spirit called me. Anytime the spirit calls, you gotta know that it’s serious and real.”
The moniker change that caught the attention of the world after it was announced through his social network contacts was given to Snoop by Reverend Nyabinghi when he arrived on the island. The name came from the Lion that appears on the Ethiopian flag, and it happens to be an honored symbol of former Ethiopian Emperor Halie Selassie I and the Rastafarians themselves. For Snoop, this is not just a name change; it is also a major step in his career.
“I didn’t want to be Snoop Dogg on a reggae track…I wanted to bury Snoop Dogg and become Snoop Lion, but I didn’t know that until I went to the temple and received the name Snoop Lion from the Nyabinghi priest. From that moment on, I started to understand why I was there and was able to create something magical in this [Reincarnated] project…something I haven’t done before in my career.”
His first reggae single “La La La” from his Reincarnated reggae album received enthusiastic responses. To celebrate the launch of the song and also to commemorate 50 years of Jamaican independence on August 6th, Snoop has made a limited 1,962 copies of 7″ vinyls to distribute.
Looks like everything is going well for the whole Snoop Lion project, as the documentary also got accepted to the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, where it will premiere on September 7th and 8th. Reincarnated documented Snoop’s personal journey throughout Jamaica, and it contains exclusive never-before-seen images of Jamaica as Snoop was granted unprecedented access to Rastafarian culture and temples, along with Jamaican culture. The beautiful Jamaican landscapes were also captured by photographer Willie T and will be released as a coffee table book via VICE.
Last but not least, Snoop also partnered up with businessman Jean Paul DeJoria and his JP’s Love, Peace and Happiness Foundation for the development of Mind Garden. It’s a non-profit social initiative focusing on community gardens for the nourishment of the kids in Kingston, Jamaica.
Below is a trailer of the Reincarnated documentary.
