Snoop Dogg talks performing at Trump inaugural event in new album: 'Iz It a Crime'
Snoop Dogg talks performing at Trump inaugural event in new album: 'Iz It a Crime'
Snoop Dogg has a question for critics.
The West Coast rap legend, 53, released his surprise album, "Iz It a Crime," on May 15. Snoop Dogg said the project's title was partly a retort to the public scrutiny he faced in the wake of his performance during President Donald Trump's inaugural events earlier this year, according to Rolling Stone and the New York Post.
'I felt like there was a lot of unanswered questions over the past six months and I just wanted to answer them through my music,' he said at an album preview event in New York City on May 13, the Post reported.
On the fourth song, "Unsung Heroes," the rapper spits: "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 continues, "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."
The 21-track album, released on Death Row Records, includes features from Pharrell Williams, Sexyy Red, Wiz Khalifa, and LaRussell.
From 2017: Snoop Dogg shoots fake-President Trump in new video 'Lavender'
Snoop spoke out against Trump in the past
Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., and other hip-hop artists, including Soulja Boy and Rick Ross, came under fire for performing at Trump's Crypto Ball in Washington, D.C.
The event was intended to honor "America's first 'crypto president,'" according to its website. While Trump wasn't in attendance, the president's crypto czar David Sacks served as emcee.
Snoop's decision was shocking to fans, as he had previously criticized rappers for performing for Trump. In a 2017 Instagram video, he said he would "roast" the next rapper who performs for Trump. The same year, he also took a dig at the president in a music video and called him a "clown."
During an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" this week, Snoop clarified that he decided to do the Crypto Ball gig for Sacks, whom he said is his friend of 15 years.
"I'm not a politician. I don't represent the Republican Party. I don't represent the Democratic Party. I represent the (expletive) Gangster Party point blank period," he said. "We don't explain (expletive), so that's why I didn't explain, that's why I didn't go into detail when (expletive) was trying to cancel me and say 'he's a sellout.'"
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
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