Snoop Dogg is officially weighing in on the much talked-about Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef that’s captivated the world (yes, even Tom Hanks), and the “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” rapper tells ET he is not taking sides.
Speaking with ET’s Kevin Frazier at the legendary rapper’s office compound, Snoop took a diplomatic approach on the beef that hasn’t garnered this much attention since the East Coast-West Coast rap beef of the mid 1990s, which Snoop found himself engulfed in amid his meteoric rise out of Long Beach. Snoop — alongside Tupac Shakur and Death Row Records honcho Marion “Suge” Knight, among others — played a pivotal role in the rap beef, particularly with his 1994 East Coast diss, “New York, New York.” The East Coast — with Capone-N-Noreaga and Mobb Deep — clapped back with “L.A., L.A.,” and from there, things would only escalate. Tragically, the beef resulted in a drive-by shooting that 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed Tupac in September 1996 in Las Vegas. Tupac was 25. Six months later, the Notorious B.I.G. was 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Biggie was 24.
This time around, Drake’s security guard was shot and seriously injured at the height of his beef with Kendrick, though it’s unclear if the shooting is connected to their beef. Fans had also assumed Snoop took Drake’s side after OVO dropped “Taylor Made Freestyle” featuring AI versions of Snoop and Tupac’s voices. According to Billboard, Drake was ultimately forced to remove the track from social media amid a lawsuit threat from Tupac’s estate, but not before Snoop re-posted the track on his Instagram Story. The move raised eyebrows, considering Snoop and Kendrick rep Los Angeles (the LBC and Compton are a mere 11 miles apart), and the fact that they performed alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem and Mary J. Blige during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.
Snoop, however, tells ET he’s got nothing but mad love and respect for the Compton and Toronto natives, especially for raising the bar in the rap game.
Snoop Dogg wearing Olympics gear as he prepares for his NBC co-hosting role in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. – Getty
“Well, the only thing I want to say about that whole scenario is that I want to give both of them a shout-out for raising the bar as far as lyrics, as far as song-making and writing because the writing has been upped since the confrontation or whatever you call it, whatever they went through,” Snoop tells ET. “Those are my nephews. I’m not in the middle of it. I support both of them and that’s personal business, not my business.”
If and when the dust settles (there’s a consensus that Kendrick came out the victor), Snoop will look back on this rap beef with fondness for Kendrick and Drake’s contributions to the rap game.
“As far as what they did for the industry and the rap game, they made you rap again,” Snoop said. “You can’t mumble your way and gimmick your way to a song no more, buddy. So, thank y’all.”
Meanwhile, Snoop’s part of a star-studded cast in The Garfield Movie, in theaters now. Chris Pratt voices the titular character. Nicholas Hoult, Ving Rhames, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Cecily Strong and Samuel L. Jackson also lent their voices for the film.
As for Snoop, he voices Snoop Cat. And not just that, he also lent his talents for the film’s soundtrack, which nobody saw coming!
“Me neither,” Snoop quipped. “But that’s what I’m telling you, my music background has no limitations. Whatever’s good I get down with. Whatever feels good.”
Snoop said after he recorded his part in the film he was told they were thinking about adding him to the soundtrack. Snoop said he also heard another track and wondered if it was Keith Urban.
“I was like, ‘Who was that? That’s Keith Urban!’ I’m like, ‘I’m all in. You don’t gotta ask me twice.'”
Perhaps the best thing about being involved with The Garfield Movie? Snoop can share this with his grandchildren.
“That’s the best part, is that I can show my grandkids,” he said. “A lot of times I make stuff that is not appropriate for kids, and they can’t really see it. Everybody knows who I am. I’ve been doing this for a long time, but it’s beautiful that I can be a part of things that I can show my grandkids all over the world, that [there] is not just one side of Snoop Dogg. There’s a flip side to everything, and when I do things like this, I feel so good about it because they get a chance to see my work. They get a chance to see what it takes to actually do the things that I do.”
