Snoop Dogg has had a long career full of both endorsements and controversies. The Dogg turnt Lion, who just dropped his new album Reincarnated this week, spoke to MTV news about the recent Rick Ross lyrics scandal, defending the rappers free speech, and suggesting Reebok should have known what they were getting themselves into.
"When you're buying Snoop Dogg you're buying all that that come with it. When you're buying Rozay, you're buying all that come with it," he said, indicating that Reebok should have been prepared for this type of controversy when signing Ross. "You know what his lifestyle is about, you know what his music is about, so you have to engulf all of that. If you're not willing to take all that on, then step out of the way and stop playing and acting like he's bringing harm to your company.
Snoop expressed that Ross' co-sign brought relevance to Reebok. "He actually made your company worth something and made your company relevant, because who cares about your company if you don't have a rapper connected to it."
Lion argued that as a rapper, Ross should have the freedom to say whatever he wants on record."First of all, we as rappers we have a freedom of speech and our dialect shouldn't be taken so out of context. He has the right to speak on whatever he wants to speak on and that's his perspective," he said, adding that he does not silence himself for anyone. "Me personally, as a rapper, I don't have no regrets about what I say, so I wouldn't give a damn about endorsement deals or none of that. If y'all cut me loose than y'all weren't meant to be with me — that's what I say."
The newfound Rasta explained that his endorsements are solid because they understand his lifestyle from the get-go. "I got endorsement deals left and right because they know how I get down. I smoke, I drink, I get down, you understand me."