The race for the Ottawa Senators turned into a celebrity frenzy over the past few weeks. First, Ryan Reynolds, who previously received a key to the city, announced that he’d be placing a bid behind the NHL team. Surprisingly, he wasn’t the biggest A-Lister to try and gain a stake in the Sens. Snoop Dogg, out of all people, announced that he joined forces with Neko Sparks to place a bid behind Ottawa’s hockey team. The Weeknd, too, placed a bid behind the team, but there’s no doubt that Snoop Dogg’s been the most aggressive in his pursuit.
The Senators’ connection to hip-hop runs a bit deeper than Snoop Dogg and The Weeknd. In fact, one might argue that it’s Belly that is an indirect catalyst. In 2007, the Senators fought their way to the Stanley Cup finals against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. As excitement built in the “town that fun forgot,” Belly became the celebrity face of the franchise for the playoffs. So what exactly does Belly think of Snoop Dogg’s bid for the Sens? “Snoop Dogg is an amazing person, a great businessman and we gon’ be able to smoke weed in the stadium! So, I’m all for it,” he told HotNewHipHop. “Smoking weed in the box, for sure… RIP Ray Emery.”
Belly’s Ties To The Ottawa Senators
When Belly penned the Sens’ playoff anthem, “Go Sens Go,” he had not reached the same type of success he sees now outside of Canada. Around this time, Belly also began to form a relationship with Snoop Dogg after touring with the rap legend across Canada. The same night of his homecoming show, the late Ray Emery presented Snoop Dogg with a custom jersey that he’s recently flaunted during his campaign for the Sens.
Belly’s fresh off of the release of his album, Mumble Rap 2, the sequel to his 2017 mixtape. The rapper’s latest project boasts appearances from XO labelmate Nav, Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, and a posthumous appearance from Gil-Scott Heron. It marks one of Belly’s final projects before he retires from the music industry as a whole but rests assured, he still has big plans up his sleeve.