Snoop Dogg wants you to know that he's tired of hip-hop, is Bob Marley reincarnated and is embracing reggae instead of the culture of guns he once rapped about.
Also, he's got a new name: Snoop Lion.
The artist said at a news conference Monday in New York that he was "born again" during a visit to Jamaica in February and is ready to make music that his "kids and grandparents can listen to."
The former gangster rapper is releasing a reggae album called Reincarnated in the fall. He said that in Jamaica, he connected with Bob Marley's spirit and is now "Bob Marley reincarnated."
Snoop didn't explain why he was switching from "Dogg" to "Lion," but it's likely a reference to the Lion of Judah, a religious symbol popular in Rastafarian and Ethiopian culture.
Snoop, best known for hits Gin and Juice and Drop It Like It's Hot, is an avid supporter of marijuana rights and has been banned from entering Norway for two years after trying to enter the country with a small amount last month.
