Police Group Boycotts Snoop Dogg’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance for Anti-Police Lyrics
While many anticipated watching Snoop Dogg's Super Bowl halftime performance this weekend, a police group boycotted the rapper's set over his anti-police lyrics.
According to a report from Newsweek on Monday (Feb. 14), the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (SCBA) based in Long Island, N.Y. announced in the days leading up to the Super Bowl on Sunday (Feb. 13) that they would not be watching the Long Beach, Calif. rapper's performance following the release of his new song "Police" with rhymer J5 Slap.
On the record, Snoop Dogg's collaborator J5 Slap discusses the lack of trust with law enforcement and urges people to shoot their guns at police, whom he feels are getting out of line.
The SCBA uploaded a Facebook post on Feb. 11, including a letter dated for Feb. 3. calling for the Super Bowl to drop Snoop and for Constellation Brands to no longer allow him to be their spokesperson.
The post read, "Encouraging people to shoot police officers apparently earns you a spot as a headliner at the Superbowl. If you choose to watch the game at all, (we won't be) halftime is a great moment to shut your TV off in honor of those men and women in blue who gave their lives for us. Thank you to Anthony A. Capetola for standing up for our police."
The letter, addressed to Williams A. Newlands, CEO of Svedka Vodka, closed out with: "I am simultaneously sending a copy of this letter to Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the NFL, asking him to eliminate Snoop Dogg from his halftime show at the [Super Bowl]. We can no longer sensationalize hurting our men in blue who protect our families with this reckless conduct."
Despite the efforts made to thwart Snoop's performance, the Doggfather hit the stage at the midway point of the Super Bowl game alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige to perform "The Next Episode," "California Love" with Dre and "Still D.R.E."
Shortly after hitting the stage, Snoop tweeted, "Thank you 4 a beautiful night !!"
XXL has reached out to a rep for Snoop Dogg for comment.