Snoop Dogg: Hip Hop is ready to accept openly gay rappers

Aug 26 2012
Written by Joseph McCormick

Rapper, Snoop Dogg, has spoken out to say that the world of Hip Hop is ready to accept a gay rapper, following Frank Ocean’s recent announcement that he had been in love with a man.

Snoop, who recently announced he was changing his name to Snoop Lion, spoke of the history of homophobia and intolerance inherent within the music industry, but said that things were changing for the better:

“People are learning how to live and get along more, and accept people for who they are and not bash them or hurt them because they’re different,” he told the Salt Lake Tribune.

Musician Frank Ocean recently revealed his first love was with a man and, received praise from those in the music industry for coming out while beginning to forge a successful career as a hip-hop artist.

“When I was growing up, you could never do that and announce that,” said Snoop, referring to Ocean’s letter: “There would be so much scrutiny and hate and negativity, and no one would step [forward] to support you because that’s what we were brainwashed and trained to know.”

Fellow rapper, 50 Cent, who seemed to rapidly change his stance from anti-gay to pro, spoke recently about his childhood, saying that he grew up with a lesbian mother, and that he grew to understand her sexuality.

Not the first time a challenge to the typical nature of the hip-hop industry – in 2007, Princeton religious professor Cornel West released an album designed to counter rap’s negative image.