The NFL Players Choir, which features 40 current and former NFL players, will be on hand as they celebrate their 10-year anniversary. This year’s event at Bethel’s Benson Great Hall will be hosted by Yvonne Orji of HBO’s Insecure and Pastor John Gray of OWN’s The Book of John. “I’m excited that this will be our 19 th annual event,” Few declared. It is the first and only Gospel concert sanctioned by the NFL, and it has grown into a nationally televised event over the years, including sellout crowds in several Super Bowl host cities such as Dallas, Tampa, Detroit, Jacksonville, Houston and Phoenix. I wrote the NFL for seven years and got seven years of rejection letters.”īut the eighth year the league finally relented, she said proudly on launching the Gospel Celebration in Miami during Super Bowl weekend in 1999. When asked what inspired her to put on such an event almost two decades ago, Few said, “I had gone to Super Bowls over the years and realized that there was no Gospel event. He realizes that his children don’t know Gospel, and he realizes that this next generation, those kids don’t know Gospel music.” “He said that God loves and it kept weighing on him to do it. He’s not perfect, but neither I,” she noted. It is really wonderful, uplifting and spiritual. “We step out here on faith,” Few confirmed. “…aving a foul-mouthed, weed-smoking man to do a Gospel event is very saddening,” wrote another. “I’m so concerned… I’m praying for Bethel leadership to reconsider inviting Snoop Dogg to campus,” wrote one person on social media. Snoop’s fears, however, have been somewhat realized as some have taken to social media to express their displeasure about the rapper’s announced appearance on the program, especially at a predominately White Christian-based college campus. “We knew that there would be some backlash.” “Once we heard the album, and the uplifting messages on the album,” there was no problem including Snoop Dogg on the program, Few said. I know that people tend to be judgmental.’” He said he had been wanting to do it for a while, but he didn’t do it because ‘I know that I’m flawed. She was also impressed that Snoop said he is releasing his first Gospel effort because of his religious upbringing. His action is his ministry,” Few learned. He has poured into them financially, and many of them are fatherless. What I determined was that Snoop’s youth football league has mentored hundreds of young boys that have gone on to great careers - 21 current NFL players came out of his youth football league. Melanie Few (Charles Hallman/MSR News)īut she learned that Snoop Dogg is more than just a rapper. “They said they really want him to be a part of Super Bowl Gospel,” she told the MSR in a sit-down interview. “Like everyone else, I was kind of floored” admitted Melanie Few, the show’s creator and executive producer, when BET told her of the rapper’s appearance on her show. The West Coast rap veteran will premiere Snoop Dogg Presents the Bible of Love, his first Gospel album - R&B singer Faith Evans, Gospel notables Tye Tribbett, The Clark Sisters, and Rance Allen are expected to join him on stage for his live performance. Yes, Snoop Dogg the rapper is set to perform. A star-studded cast, including Sounds of Blackness, Erica Campbell, Sheila E., Donnie McClurkin and Snoop Dogg, will head up the 19 th Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration Thursday at Bethel University in Arden Hills.