While the South
is currently dominating Hip-Hop, West Coast rap icon Snoop Dogg is confident that
his beloved region is ready to reclaim its top spot. With
his new solo album Blue Carpet Treatment, due in October, the Long Beach,
Calif., rapper hopes to restore the West’s dominion. "I
hate losing. I’m a sore loser," Snoop told AllHipHop.com. "That’s why
when the West Coast was losing, I had to come step the game up so we could get
back in the game. We just want to get noticed one more time and then once you
notice us and start to hear us, then you’ll start to feel us."
Although the
West has been unusually silent in the rap scene the past few years, Snoop sees
recent activity as a sign of change. "Ice
Cube’s album is out doing tremendous things right now and E-40’s record came out
bangin’," the lyricist noted. "Keak Da Sneak did his thing, my n***as
Tha Dogg Pound just came out [and] they s**t smoking. Everybody’s gearing up for
my new record so it’s coming back around. The Waist Deep movie just came
out, which is West Coast s**t. So it’s like the movement is coming back full circle.
It’s got to come back home." To
further capitalize on the West’s momentum, Snoop is developing two new groups
in an effort to present a united front. Western
Union is comprised of artists from Los Angeles, Inglewood, Long Beach, and Watts,
while the War Zone is based in Compton, Long Beach, and Watts. The
new factions include artists such as Supafly, Bad Luck, MC Eiht, Kam, Goldie Loc,
and Lady of Rage. "My
thing is trying to build the West Coast up by putting n***as together and formulating
groups so we can learn how to group up as opposed to putting n***as out individually,"
said Snoop. "I figured if we do groups and then one member shines, then we
can push him solo. Put the group first and that way everybody eats."
Never one to
shun controversy, Snoop expressed discontent at artists from other regions who
take advantage of the West’s dormant state. "I’m
fin to put a stop to all that s**t," he said. "All you motherf**kin’
suckers that ain’t from the West Coast, n***a, your pass has been revoked. Time
out. We need our b***hes back, we need our lowriders back, n***a. We need all
that back n***a — with interest. We don’t need y’all comin’ out here wastin’
time shooting our videos in our hood and then by the time we want to shoot, it
look like some s**t we stole from y’all. Get the f**k out of here.
"They
know not to confront me and I wish one of them would," Snoop continued. "I’m
talking to every last one of you n***as. Straight from the Dogg’s mouth. All that
doing videos and s**t out here n***a without checking in with Snoop Dogg is over
with." But
Snoop said his frustration goes deeper than artists using the West as a background
for videos. The rapper also feels that people on his coast are being overlooked
for possible employment opportunities. "A
lot of these n***as just come out here using us, and not using us. If you gonna
come to the West, start using some of these n***as and give them jobs," said
Snoop. "I can’t come to your town and shoot a video without hiring some of
your people and checking in with the right folks and what not. I’mma get ran up
out there. Come on man. Show some love."Snoop
Dogg’s Blue Carpet Treatment hits stores October 18.
