How Queen Elizabeth Once Saved Snoop Dog From Permanent Exile From The U.K.
Hip Hop’s King of the West, Snoop Dogg, is letting everyone know that he has royal friends across the pond. The 50-year-old rapper said that he has strong connections to Buckingham Palace, in an interview with DJ Whoo Kid.
The “Drop It Like It’s Hot” MC told the popular U.K. radio host that he was once nearly banished from the European country in 1993 while he was fighting first degree murder charges for the shooting death of Philip Woldermariam. It was later concluded that Snoop’s bodyguard, McKinley Lee, was actually the one at fault. The ensuing murder trial inspired Snoop’s record “Murder Was the Case” which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. It also helped Snoop become a global superstar allowing his fanbase to grow all the way to London.
“They was trying to — they kicked me out the U.K.,” Snoop said while reflecting on a world tour at the time, during which several tabloids called for him to be exiled from the country.
“‘Kick this evil bastard out’,” Snoop detailed what was printed in a local headline. “That sh*t is documented. They had a picture of me on the front, I had a handcuff on one of my hands — this is a picture I took. I got a handcuff on one of my hands — and the other one was off. I had my hands up like this and they didn’t like it. They was like, ‘Kick this evil bastard out.'”
Snoop told DJ Whoo Kid that the head of the royal family drilled out measures to prevent state officials from throwing him out.
“But guess who came to my defense?” Snoop Dogg said. “The Queen said ‘This man has done nothing in our country he can come.’ When The Queen speaks, bow down.”
The gesture was suggested by her grandsons, Prince Harry and Prince Williams who were fans of Snoop’s West Coast rap sounds.
“That’s Harry and William’s grandmother you dig,” the rapper laughed. “You think you think they weren’t there saying, ‘Grandma please let him in. Grandma, he's OK, we love his music.’
‘You know Harry, I’ll let him in for you he’s not so bad after all and he’s quite cute.'”
Snoop Dogg has lots to celebrate after recently hitting the stage during this year’s Super Bowl half-time show with Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige.
He is also making history becoming the first record label owner to launch as an NFT, after announcing ownership in the return of the popular 1990’s gangsta rap label, Death Row Records.
