Snoop Dogg Talks Los Angeles Being United Following George Floyd Protests
Snoop Dogg was the latest guest on Lil Wayne’s Young Money Radio on Friday (June 5) and the West Coast OG had a unique perspective on the recent protests and marches occurring in Los Angeles.
“I’m always gon’ say its gotten worse but through technology and platforms like social media and people having phones with cameras on ’em, it’s being broadcasted,” Snoop said. “Racism been going on, police brutality been going on, we been trying to tell y’all.
“It’s just now getting filmed. We been getting beat on by the police … and the camera is the best witness we got in court. Cause he don’t lie, he don’t change his story and he can’t be paid off.”
He continued, “I’m proud as a black people … it’s not surprising. Our generation took it as far as we could take it. This new generation? They’re taking it farther than we did. It’s what its supposed to be. We can only go so far so now it’s up to them to take it to the mountain top.
“Like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, they could only go so far. Then they gave it to the Black Panthers; the Black Panthers could only take it so far. Then we got it, and it’s like, now it’s up to y’all. The beauty of is you got White, Asian, Latino working with us this time as opposed to us doing it on our own.”
When asked about Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s plan to slash $150 million from the police budget and invest it into black communities, Snoop called it a step in the right direction.
“These police departments are overfunded and they’re over-protected. We need to start taking that money out of their pocket and put it back into our communities where we can police ourselves,” the Doggystyle rapper said. “Cause you know like I know, ain’t no police like a gangbanger in the neighborhood that don’t gangbang no more. He mean more than the governor, he mean more than anybody!
He continued, “Those are the people who need the finances cause those are the people who patrol and control the neighborhoods. I think they should call all the gang members that have stopped gangbanging that have organized their neighborhoods, that have put peace treaties in motion and make sure they get those finances and get them on a relationship with the police force.
“The new recruits are the ones coming in that don’t know how to deal with black folks. Get them an understanding off the top so there won’t be no misunderstanding down the road.”
Snoop also took the time to lift up Darnella Frazier, the woman who filmed George Floyd’s death while he was in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day (May 25).
“We got [her] back. We nullify bullies and we the big bully because we the bullies bully,” Snoop said of Fraizer. “We want to give her some spirit cause she did the right thing.”
The veteran MC also made a bold proclamation earlier this week. For the first time in his life, he’s voting in the presidential election and it’s all to remove Donald Trump from office.
“I ain’t never voted a day in my life, but this year I think Imma get out and vote because I can’t stand to see this punk in office one more year,” Snoop told Big Boy during an interview on Real 92.3 LA on Thursday (June 4). “For many years they had me brainwashed thinking that you couldn’t vote cause you had a criminal record. I didn’t know that. My record’s been expunged, so now I can vote.”
Hip Hop has not been silent during this crucial time in history. JAY-Z called MN Governor Walz to help get George Floyd’s case into the hands of Attorney General Keith Ellison, Russ raised over $150k for Black Lives Matter, The Weeknd donated $500k to various BLM causes, Drake donated $100k to a bail relief fund, and Killer Mike provided a powerful speech addressing Atlanta amid city wide protests.
Kanye West donated $2 million to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. J. Cole and Kendrick were both spotted at local protests and Meek Mill dropped a song addressing police brutality.
These efforts are only a few highlights among the many people who are doing what they can to help spread messaging and advance the Black Lives Matter movement.