Snoop Says Hip Hop Is Ready For a Gay Rapper

Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg (who really goes by Snoop Lion these days) said it's time that the music world had an openly gay rapper.

"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," he said to the Associated Press.

The statement came on the heels of rising R&B star Frank Ocean, who released a blog post about the first time he fell in love with a man.

"When I was growing up, you could never do that and announce that," Snoop said. "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."

Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels of Run D.M.C., added that while he is supportive of getting rid of homophobia in hip-hop, he is skeptical that the rampant support of Frank Ocean will endure. Meanwhile, Ice-T says hip-hop now has a more pop sense, which might be more of a welcoming field for gay artists.

"It would be difficult to listen to a gay gangster rapper," Ice-T said. "If you're a gangster rapper like myself and Ice Cube ... if one of us came out and said something, that would be a big thing. That would be like, 'Whoa! What?'"