Snoop Dogg joins a growing list of celebrities standing by TV/film writers who are on strike.
On Wednesday (May 3), the California rapper appeared on a Milken Institute Global Conference panel, Variety reported. During a discussion, Snoop gave his thoughts on streaming models that have resulted in the Writers Guild of America going on strike for better compensation.
He noted that, like writers, “[Artists] need to figure it out the same way.” “The writers are striking because [of] streaming. They can’t get paid. Because when it’s on the platform, it’s not like in the box office. I don’t understand how the f**k you get paid off of that s**t.” Snoop continued, “Somebody explain to me how you can get a billion streams and not get a million dollars? That’s the main gripe with a lot of us artists is that we do major numbers, but it don’t add up to the money. Like where the f**k is the money?”
On Tuesday (May 2), NBC News reported that many Hollywood writers closed their laptops and began an early strike. The outlet revealed it was the first walkout for screenwriters in the entertainment industry in over 15 years.
Before the strike, unionized workers expressed displeasure with unfair wages in the streaming era. The writers’ representation and a trade association for the Hollywood studios attempted a high-stakes negotiation. But when the parties couldn’t agree, the WGA called for a walkout, the outlet shared. The union said, “The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union work force. And their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing.”
Due to the strike, some of Hollywood’s hottest shows have shut down productions, including Quinta Brunson’s “Abbott Elementary,” “Yellowjackets,” and 50 Cent’s “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.”