Reincarnated | Movie review

As his recent shilling for Hot Pockets reminds us, Snoop Dogg has always had his mind on his money and his money on his mind. Perhaps that’s why the Rastafari community has met his conversion to the movement—and his adoption of new moniker Snoop Lion—with such skepticism. Reincarnated, which chronicles the ganja-obsessed rapper’s journey to Jamaica to record his fledgling reggae record, probably won’t sway the unconvinced. Less a serious portrait of spiritual transformation than a feature-length infomercial, the film finds Snoop nodding along to peace-and-love sound bites while coercing musical legend Bunny Wailer—who’s since joined the chorus of dissenters—to lay down vocals for his album. (In the most candid moment, producer Diplo admits he just wants to get high with the MC.) In front of the camera or behind the mic, Snoop remains a charismatic character. But it’s hard to shake the feeling he’s just blowing smoke.