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August 2nd, 2012
08:20 AM ET
Snoop Dogg is a Rasta now, so what's Rastafari?By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - Rapper Snoop Dogg announced Monday that he's burying his name and old career, all because of a religious experience with Rastafari, an Afrocentric religion with origins in Jamaica. Snoop Dogg wants to be called Snoop Lion and instead of rapping on his latest album now he'll be singing reggae. "I want to bury Snoop Dogg and become Snoop Lion," he said at a Monday press conference. "I didn't know that until I went to the temple, where the high priest asked me what my name was, and I said, 'Snoop Dogg.' And he looked me in my eyes and said, 'No more. You are the light; you are the lion.' "From that moment on," Snoop said, "it's like I had started to understand why I was there." Snoop Lion has a new single, "La la la," and a documentary "Reincarnated," which follows his recent trip to Jamaica and chronicles his conversion experience. It debuts at the Toronto Film Festival next month. So what exactly is Rastafari? Here are some basic questions and answers:
1. How old is Rastafarianism? The Rastafari movement began in Jamaica in 1930 and quickly spread. "It's an Afrocentric faith that... focuses on the return to Africa of its members," says Richard Salter, a religious studies scholar from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York who studies the movement. "Sometimes that return is a return in body, actually going back to Ethiopia, and sometimes it's more of a spiritual return." Nathaniel Murrell, a religion professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said the movement Rastafari grows out of the Judeo-Christian tradition and out of the colonial experience. He says Jamaicans oppressed by colonial overlords saw the new faith as a means of liberation. A key belief for Rastas is the notion of death to all white and black oppressors; the religion embodies a theological push for equality on all levels. Salter points to Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," as a key to understanding that point. "The line, 'emancipate yourself from mental slavery,' - if someone can convince you that you are inferior, then they have really oppressed you," Salter said. "So you can emancipate yourself from that and recognize the divine within you, your real value." CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories 2. So what do Rastafaris believe? Rastas believe in God and use the term Jah, shorthand for Jehovah, a name for God that is common in the Jewish scriptures. Many Rastas see Halie Selassie I - the longest serving emperor of Ethiopia, who died in the 1970s - as a Christ-like figure. Experts point to a wide diversity in the faith but say there are six key groups of Rastas, called mansions, that would be similar to denominations in other faiths. Rastas hate "isms" and "ians" because of the value they place on all individuals. As a result, Rastas prefer the term Rastafari as opposed to Rastafarian or Rastafarianism to describe the movement. Noel Leo Erskine, a professor of theology and ethics at Emory University in Atlanta, says it's nearly impossible to gauge how many people call themselves Rastas because there are no formal churches or membership structures and no hierarchy. Erskine said that based on Jamaican migration and the prevalence of Rastas globally - he notes the presence of groups in Israel and Tokyo - his best guess is that there are around 1 million self-professing Rastas around the world. 3. How do Rastas practice their faith? The most common outward expressions of Rastafari are Rastas' dreadlocks, penchant for smoking marijuana and vegetarian diets. Rastas read the Bible and several other religious texts, though because the movement is so diverse there is no single canon. Lifestyle choices are important for Rastas. Allowing one's hair to grow into long, matted dreadlocks serves as a reminder to practitioners that they have made a covenant to live naturally, Salter said. Marijuana smoking is seen as sacramental to Rastas, who believe it brings clarity and strength (more on that below). Another central practice is something called "reasoning." Rastas get together and smoke and have a "reasoning" session in which they hash out important spiritual ideas. The practice of vegetarianism comes from Rastas "ital lifestyle" short, for vital, and according to Salter is intended to promote life in all its forms. 4. What's the Bob Marley connection? Marley brought Rastafari to the American masses in the late 1970s and early 1980s through reggae music. It was massively popular and brought a watered-down version of the movement to the popular consciousnesses. Snoop said this week that he had no plans on recording a reggae album in Jamaica but that, "When the spirit called me and basically told me to find something that is connected toward the Bob Marley spirit, because I've always said I was Bob Marley reincarnated." Marley, the world's most famous reggae singer and practitioner of Rasta, died in 1981. Emory's Erskine said that as Snoop moves forward with his music, he should look to the reggae star. "Within Rasta there are guidelines, guidelines of dignity and songs of empowerment," he said. "I think Bob Marley provides a good guide for him in terms of the way forward and way not to belittle women and belittle others." 5. Is it a religion? "[Rastas] are insistent that they don't see Rastafari as a religion because religion exposes itself to manipulation by people in power, so they see it as a lifestyle, as a way of life practiced by Rastas," Erskine said. That said, there are many who practice the way of life with the same devotion found in other faiths. Religious scholars classify Rastafari as a religion. Rastafari has provided sanctimonious cover for loads of college students more interested in the sacrament of ganja then the tenants of the faith. Remember that kid who lived on your dorm floor, grew dreadlocks, hung a lion flag, and smoked a lot of weed? "That's been something the movement has had to struggle with," Salter said. "They have to define who a Rasta is. Is it a 21-year-old sitting in a drum circle out in the woods in some Northeastern liberal college taking bong hits, or does it require something else?" 6. So do they really smoke a lot of weed? Yes. A lot. Sometimes called the wisdom weed, Rastas believe the marijuana plant first grew from the grave of King Solomon, who the Bible calls one of the wisest men ever to walk the planet. Salter notes Rastas believe smoking the herb is biblically sanctioned, though he points out they believe "it is not for recreation, but a food that feeds their spirit.” “I bet Snoop Dogg, excuse me Snoop Lion, is particularly interested in that,” he added, noting the musician's advocacy for supporting the legalization of marijuana and his frequent use of it in music videos. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter 7. So is the Snoop thing a gimmick to sell records? It's too early to tell whether Snoop will stick with his awakening as a Rasta. Rastas don't convert; rather, they "awaken" to the faith they see as always having been there. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Why call himself a lion? It's actually the female lion that does all the work in the pride. The male is kinda like a lazy stoner...oh now I get it!
The change in genre is not a large stretch for Snoop. If you know the history of hip hop, you will find that it all started from reggae to begin with. It began with a Jamaican by the name of Kool Herc, in the Bronx, NY. Go read up on it.
http://www.daveyd.com/raphist2.html
lol what a tard nugget
Hey Reality... doesn't matter who you are! You're gona be bowing right next to me! Because one day, EVERY knee WILL bow.
That one day.. name that date. Moron.
Do the honors and become the next Camping.
It's a good thing he doesn't need money anymore.
I have a vision! Snoop will one day in the future,use the religion angle to help legalize "SMOKE" in the U.S.Although I do not SMOKE anymore,The U.S.needs to go ahead and make that move.
Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson will tell you this is a bad idea ...
Honestly, Snoop is a moron....and Hallie Sellasie, the ruler of Ethiopia thought that the Rastas were idiots also.....
true. landing in Jamaica one time he saw so many rastas waiting and cheering for him that he got freaked out and took off without even getting off of the plane.
Putting the kibosh on all religions to include "pot-laced" Rastafari:
• There was probably no Abraham i.e. the foundations of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are non-existent.
• There was probably no Moses i.e the pillars of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have no strength of purpose.
prob•a•bly
Adverb: Almost certainly; as far as one knows or can tell.
• There was no Gabriel i.e. Islam fails as a religion. Christianity partially fails.
• There was no Easter i.e. Christianity completely fails as a religion.
• There was no Moroni i.e. Mormonism is nothing more than a business cult.
• Sacred/revered cows, monkey gods, castes, reincarnations and therefore Hinduism fails as a religion.
• Fat Buddhas here, skinny Buddhas there, reincarnated Buddhas everywhere makes for a no on Buddhism.
Added details available upon written request.
A quick search will put the kibosh on any other groups calling themselves a religion.
e.g. Rastafari
"The Rastafari movement, or Rasta, is a spiritual movement. It arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves.[1][2] Most of its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia (ruled 1930–1974), as God incarnate, the Second Advent, or the reincarnation of Jesus. "
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/rastafari-movement#ixzz22QKGVQHq
So when Rasta Smoke Ganja, its got nothing to do with Sadhus, who have been around several thousand years earlier?
Doesn't matter who you are, one day every knee will bow.
Laughable.
Give us the date. Unable to? Thought so.
@debbie "feel really sorry for him and his children."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.
Ya debbie really wanted Snoop to pick up a bible – the same as hers. What a shock huh?
If Snoop converted to her delusion she'd be buying his rap.
I`m thinking he has found Charliie Sheens stash of lion`s blood.
Haha, what a surprise Snoop pics a religion where one of the main functions is smoking weed. Im sure this is in no way a publicity stunt to jump start his career. What a joke.
Rastafari > Crip Gang
It is hard to say if the problem is the author or the sources he quotes, but this is hardly an objective view of Rastafari. Aside from the slanted view of ganja, it also fails to mention the repression and abuse they suffer at the hands of various governments, especially those that are formally tied to mainstream religions.
While I do not buy into their theology (or any belief in a superior being), their core belief in the basic dignity and worth of every individual is admirable and rare.
I just hope he remembers to pass the dutchie from the left-hand side.
I like the "actually" going back to Ethiopia part.
Thanks Andrew. I never had any idea that Rastafari was an offshoot of Ethiopian Christianity. I just listened to a Joe Strummer album which contained a rendition of 'Redemption Song'. I was never a huge Bob Marley, but Strummers version of Redemption song was amazing. Over the years i've had a hard time discerning the Jamaican dialect in the songs' lyrics. Strummer annunciates the lyrics clearly which made me realize just how great of a song it is. "Oh pirates yes they rob I, Soled I to the merchant ships. Minutes after they took I, from the bottom less pits. But my hands were made strong, by the hands of the almighty. We forward in this generation triumphantly."
Leonard P. Howell created the Rastafarian movement with the approval of Ethiopian scholars.
Contrary to popular belief, weed is just as illegal in Jamaica as it is in the United States. A buddy of mine (who does not smoke) was driven to distratction by being approached by Rasta types trying to get him to buy weed.
They just could not believe that a middle class white guy from the USA had no interest in smoking weed.
just wait til they see a black middle class guy from the USA having no interest in smoking weed, Jah lives...