Snoop Lion — Reincarnated

In the summer of 2012, the bombshell came out that Snoop Dogg has changed his name and will now be called Snoop Lion. What appears to be a trivial joke from one of your school mates comes to reality with Calvin Broadus's album number twelve. He went on a long trip to Jamaica during which he met a Rastafari priest who suggested that he change his moniker, he recorded a reggae album and shot a documentary directed by a VICE magazine journalist, "Reincarnated", announced in early 2012, released at festivals in September and released in theaters six months later. Shortly thereafter, Snoop Lion also releases the album with RCA, which have the same title and cover as the film.

What is supposed to be Snoop Lion's reggae debut, is entirely produced by EDM group Major Lazer: not only is the music bad, but it's also a far far from reggae, dancehall and the roots of the genre. Some legitimate guests alternate with people who have nothing to do with neither reggae (Akon) nor hip hop (Drake). Not to mention the senseless appearances at the bottom of the tracklist of pop singers Rita Ora and Miley Cyrus: their contribution is indisputable, it would be completely out of place if this were a reggae album, however, it's adequate because this is a pop / dance album. Snoop sings effortlessly for three quarters of an hour, twelve songs, placing a rap as casual as his rambling statements to promote the record, including "I have always said I was Bob Marley reincarnated".

The record should go strong in the charts, and it's published by Diplo's Mad Decent, Berhane Sound System and VICE, which claims its part, together with RCA: is the best-selling album of the year among US reggae records, it comes third among the independents and brings the artist back to the top of a chart after thirteen seasons. Raised among the Baptists, yesterday he was a Muslim linked to the Nation of Islam (2009) and tomorrow he will be a born-again Christian (2018), while today he's a Rastafari (2012). In his new pseudo-spiritual religious path, he gets educated by Bunny Wailer and his pop album is a despicable middle finger to the legacy of the Wailers and the whole genre, hard to explain. Snoop builds a pop album that is easily one of the worst products of the year. 2/10.