Snoop Lion Wants to End Gun Violence

The West Coast MC aims to use influence to help deter violence among youth. 

Last week Snoop Dogg opened up to the press at West Hollywood's famous Westlake Studios, where the iconic rapper unveiled a completely different, and more grown-up side.
The MC and former Crip made it a point to show that his recent metamorphosis from West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg into Rastafarian rebel Snoop Lion was no publicity stunt. In addition to his newfound culture, Snoop plans on making right mistakes he made in his younger days.
See: Snoop Lion debut his new single on Conan
In a notably candid discussion, the multi-faceted superstar proposed a solution to the increasingly problematic rise in gun violence in this country.
"One of them is doing what I'm doing: correcting my mistakes by being a better person and putting out more energy and more music that represents what we're going through as opposed to what we went through," a new, more peaceful Snoop told www.hiphopdx.com.
He also added, "I ain't going through that no more. I'm going through what you're going through, watching the world and watching the power that I have and watching the way people react when I walk into a room. What should I do with this power? Should I abuse it? Should I continue to send my peoples down the wrong path? Or should I at least try to wake them up and let them know that there is another way and show them that the way that I'm doing it may be the new way. They've been following everything else that I've been giving them, let me give them something that got some substance to it with thought behind it."
Snoop has continued to fight criticism from the general public and even Rastafarians, such as Bunny Wailer, who believe that the whole Snoop Lion identity is nothing more than a ploy to gain attention.
Critics and supporters can see Snoop's entire transformation process for themselves this Friday, when his documentary, Reincarnated, hits theaters. His debut album (of the same name) under the Snoop Lion moniker is available for purchase and download April 23.