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In Burn Out Smithsonians, Sizzla accuses Snoop Dogg who was recently in Jamaica to record , of taking advantage of the Rastafarian community for financial gain.
"All you do is go around and record the sacred services in the holy temple of His Majesty and try to sell it. Nothing is right bwoy nothing is cool who di ... Snoop Dogg a try fool, tell him sey a Emperor Haile Selassie I rule, him cyah even get Selassie I stool," he sang.
"You don't have no conscience yu wicked people, yu come fi sell out Rasta people waah come record and video tape den run wey wid the copyright, and think yu escape dem, everybody want a piece a mi culture dem a raid it like vulture," Were Sizzla's lyrics.
The song labeled by YouTube users as a Snoop Dogg diss record, however, Sizzla's publicist Olimatta Taal expressed that the reggae artiste did not have personal grouse against the rapper.
Taal said that recording Rastafarian ceremonies without permission was disrespectful to the Rastafarian community.Based on the work that I have done with Sizzla, the Rastafarian community and Africa, I don't think that the Rastafarian community has a problem with certain ceremonies being videotaped. The issue is the process in which people use the tapings. If you go into the Rasta communities or to their ceremonies and begin to tape without permission, that is not allowed. It shows disrespect towards the people and the culture. There is also an issue of intellectual property and what the footage is being used for.
She explained. "I don't think that Sizzla nor any member of the Rasta community have an issue with Snoop Dogg not being Rasta. If anything the community embraces individuals who want to 'overstand' the Rasta community, its principles, values, and way of life,"
"The leadership within the Rastafarian community is against the exploitation of the culture for economic benefit. It is so unfortunate that people make money off Rasta but the community nor its institutions benefit, this is where the problem lies. Anybody trying to commercialise aspects of Rasta culture should go through the correct channels to ensure that the Rastafarian community benefits from the economic gains and profits," Taal said.
The publicist also disclosed that Sizzla's song was merely speaking on behalf of the voiceless.
"Sizza is a voice for the voiceless. He addresses many issues through his music, so take it for what it is, face value. But let me be very clear, it is wrong to go into anyone's community to film a documentary that will be distributed for economic gain without the community receiving its fair portion from the profits," she continued.
"The roots film based on Kunta Kinteh from The Gambia made millions of dollars. However, if you go to the village of Juffureh and visit the Kinteh family or the museum, it does not reflect the millions of dollars that were made off this storybased in The Gambia. So I say to Sizzla and the Rastafarian community, keep fighting and speaking for truth and justice. Don't let anyone rape and exploit the culture. They must all go through the proper channels, always," Taal concluded.
YouTube users labelled the song as being a Snoop Dogg diss record, however, Taal expressed that the reggae artiste did not have personal grouse against the rapper.
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