Why Can’t Snoop Dogg Have a Gospel Album?

Snoop has a gospel album and Jesus is officially coming back.

Not that Jesus wasn’t coming back before, but if rappers are now rapping about Jesus… yo… the rocks truly are crying out.

“Bible of Love” – the most original album title since “The Gospel” film soundtrack — features gospel singers like Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Mary Mary, Tye Tribbett, Kim Burrell, Pastor John P. Kee, The Clark Sisters, and Mali Music. Charlie Wilson, Chance The Rapper, Ft. Patti LaBelle and Faith Evans are also on the album.

Literally everybody is on this project, and it doesn’t sound half bad (that’s the hater in me. Sorry). Still, that hasn’t stopped people for being all up in their feelings and getting their choir robes in a knot.

Some are saying that Snoop’s life is not in line with the gospel that he preaches and the Jesus he has allegedly found. Anyone who is familiar with Snoop’s career would have to concede that this is largely true.

Others, like Pastor Myron Edmonds, have a different opinion (if you can’t watch the video below, you’ll just have to go to his page.  The vids are set on “public”):

Can I just co-sign and say that God can use anybody? God can use ANYBODY! I’ll say it again for the people in the back – God can use ANYBODY and He HAS.  He has used sickly women and slave people. He saves from the gutter most to the utter most.  I personally have seen God use people, while in sin, to save or comfort another.  Far too often, we put Him in a box.  But God can do ANYTHING.  You hear me?  ANY THING (man, as I preach to you I preach to myself).  He used an ass to talk to Balaam and He sure as heck can use you.  Praise God.

Also, we become all things to all men that we might save them.  I think Snoop can minister to his peers in a way that you and I can’t.  There’s a far better chance that Snoop will reach another rapper before I ever could.

Like Pastor Myron, I’m just happy the gospel is being preached — by whatever means necessary.

Can I also say that WE DON’T KNOW HIM???  We don’t know Snoop. None of us talking about Snoop know about his life, and we might be surprised when we learn about the man behind the “gin and juice.”  For instance, once upon I time I was sure that Snoop, what with all of the scantily-clad video girls twerking in his music videos, was a weed-smoking, drug dealing thug, pimp and “playah”.  Imagine my surprise when watching “Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood” that Snoop is actually a family man with daughters and has been married to one woman — his high-school sweetheart Shante Broadus — for nineteen years (they divorced briefly in 2004 but reconciled in 2008.  See — even their marriage is Christ like).  Then imagine my surprise again when I saw that Snoop has a cooking show with Martha Stewart (“Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party”):

Snoop stays re-inventing himself and being relevant.  I’m here for it.

May I also be so bold to suggest that perhaps Snoop is just trying to find his way home like the rest of us?  At one point he was a member of the Nation of Islam, and just a few years back he became a Rastafarian and was reincarnated as “Snoop Lion.”  I’m just happy that his path is finally making its way to Jesus.

Some may say, “Well dat don’ mean nuttin.” But alls I’m saying is that when we say that so-and-so has not been living right, we need to check ourselves and realize that we seldom have all of the details and insight to make that judgement.  There is always so much we don’t know about people.

Perhaps unlike Pastor Myron, however, I have an issue with secular artists pandering to and using Black Christianity and Black Christians in the hopes of establishing their base and taking their money. R. Kelly did it too with the “You Saved Me” album, and I still haven’t gotten over that.  I feel like they just come out with this album – not to bring ppl to Christ but because they know what their fans want to hear.  They know what’ll bring in the cash.  They know that many of their fans are church-goers, and they know that said fans would be on a gospel album from their favourite artist like white on rice.  They know how to enlarge their base, and they know that (unfortunately) church people will lap it all up.  Why?  Because that’s what church people do.

I’m not saying that this is what Snoop is actually doing, but it sure does sound like it.

That said, none of us can ever truly know the motives of others, and so it’s best not to judge and to stay in our lane – especially if we don’t know the individual.

I’m all for the gospel being preached, and I can’t hate on someone for singing Christian music. As a Christian myself, I should want and encourage everyone to sing about my Saviour – including Snoop Doggy Dog himself.

What are your thoughts?