Snoop Dogg On 80s Era L.A. Violence: Ronald Reagan Is The Reason
Snoop Dogg is one of the most prominent hip-hop icons the United States has ever known, having come from an era when rap was turning dark, even personally supporting the legalization of marijuana. Calvin Broadus has come a long way from being the kid who starred in rap megastar Dr. Dre‘s “Ain’t Nuthin’ But a G Thang” music video.
The Doggfather started out as a rapper himself, whose distinct voice gained him instant fame in an era when the Rodney King riots had flared up in Los Angeles. On that subject, Broadus has revealed that he believes former President Ronald Reagan is to blame for the violence that jump-started the era of gangsta rap.
It certainly appears that Reagan was a prominent figure in that period of time when N.W.A. started making waves with their violent lyrics. The following is what Snoop Dogg had to say about the former president in his keynote speech at Texas’ South by Southwest Festival (SXSW).
“Early in the ’70s and toward the latter part of the ’70s everything was beautiful because we had ways to have fun and communicate, and those who were underprivileged, the low economic side of life, the government would provide for us, which helped us get by.
“It was a society and we all needed it and we all had it and we all helped each other. Then when Reaganomics kicked in, certain things were taken away, after-school programs and things of that nature.
“Guns and drugs were shipped into the neighborhood. So it was a shift of having fun and playing football to selling drugs and shooting at each other. To me it was a system that was designed, because when the Reaganomics era began, that’s when this began.”
Snoop Dogg may have a point though some question his accusations.
The IJ Review points out that Reagan had been governor of California in the period that the Doggfather refers to as a peaceful time in the history of L.A., so his accusations seem ironic at best.
NEW! @SnoopDogg Says @RonaldReagan? Responsible For Rise Of Drugs & Gangs http://t.co/ZQbVLp4dBF by @brooklynatlien pic.twitter.com/b5dQT7pd3V
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 23, 2015
This will certainly add a degree of perspective to Broadus’ new HBO series about growing up in the 80s in the middle of an era of gang violence. He claims that while he made it to stardom with help from Dr. Dre, many others didn’t. The series is expected to focus on his experiences in the industry, and most likely continuing to blame “Reaganomics” for the whole thing.
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What do you think of Snoop Dogg blaming the era of L.A. violence on former President Reagan?
[Picture by Daniel Boczarski / Getty Images]
