Snoop Lion On Frank Ocean, Homosexuality In Rap: Gay Rappers Not Accepted In Industry

Rapper Snoop Lion has been known as a strong supporter of gay marriage, but the artist asserts that homosexuality and rap do not match.

When asked by The Guardian whether Frank Ocean's revelation about being gay would help other rappers open up, Snoop Lion, formerly known as Snoop Dogg, asserted, "Frank Ocean ain't no rapper. He's a singer. It's acceptable in the singing world, but in the rap world I don't know if it will ever be acceptable because rap is so masculine."

He added, "It's like a football team. You can't be in a locker room full of [expletive] tough-ass dudes, then all of a sudden say, 'Hey, man, I like you.' You know, that's going to be tough."

Snoop Lion  did make it clear that this perspective was not his own and that he did not have anything against homosexuals. "I don't have a problem with gay people. I got some gay homies," he said.

Back in August 2012, Snoop Lion responded to Ocean's confession by stating, "People are learning how to live and get along more, and accept people for who they are and not bash them or hurt them because they're different. When I was growing up, you could never do that and announce that... There would be so much scrutiny and hate and negativity, and no one would step (forward) to support you because that's what we were brainwashed and trained to know."

Snoop Lion's statement echoes that of soccer player Robbie Rogers' recent claims about homosexuality and soccer not mixing. During an interview the former USA soccer player stated, "Would I have had the same opportunities when I was younger if I'd come out? I don't think so. There would have been that mentality: 'Oh, he's gay ... how will that affect the team?'"