At age 53, the rap icon from the West Coast dropped a surprise album titled Iz It a Crime on May 15. According to reports from Rolling Stone and the New York Post, Snoop Dogg said the title came as a reply to the criticism he received earlier this year following his appearance during President Donald Trump’s inaugural festivities.
He explained during an album listening session held in New York City on May 13 that he used his music to respond to the questions and judgments that had built up around him over the past six months.
“I felt there were too many things left unanswered, and music was my way of responding,” Snoop said, according to the Post.
Lyrics Respond to Public Reactions
In the fourth track of the album titled Unsung Heroes, Snoop delivers a line that reads, “Life’s a game of spades, better keep a Trump card / You ain’t used to Hell’s Kitchen, get the hell out / Me and Dre at the SoFi, the only way I sell out.”
He follows that with, “A lot of knee-jerk reactions, false information / (expletive) that, I’m at the house on the PlayStation / Dancing with these dead presidents, the real inauguration / Too many (expletive) playing with my reputation / To step on our turf, you need an invitation.”
Backlash from Earlier Choices
Snoop Dogg, whose birth name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., was one of several hip-hop artists, including Soulja Boy and Rick Ross, who were criticized after they performed at Trump’s Crypto Ball held in Washington, D.C.
That event, as described on its official website, aimed to celebrate “America’s first ‘crypto president.’” Trump himself was not present at the gathering, but his crypto representative, David Sacks, served as the host for the night.
Snoop’s decision to be part of the show surprised many, especially because he had previously spoken strongly against any rapper who performed for Trump.
Back in 2017, he posted a video on Instagram where he warned that he would “roast” anyone who did. That same year, he also included a scene in a music video mocking the president and calling him a “clown.”
Snoop Clears the Air
While appearing on The Breakfast Club this week, Snoop addressed the criticism and explained that his reason for performing at the Crypto Ball had nothing to do with politics.
He stated that his presence at the event was due to his long-standing friendship with David Sacks, whom he’s known for fifteen years.
He made it clear during the interview that he doesn’t stand for any political party. “I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. I represent the (expletive) Gangster Party,” he said. “We don’t explain (expletive), and that’s exactly why I kept quiet when people tried to cancel me and call me a sellout.”
