One of Snoop Dogg‘s most famous catchphrases has landed a Mississippi news anchor in hot water for using it on live television.
According to Clarion Ledger, WLBT journalist and meteorologist Barbie Bassett was removed from the network’s site on Friday (March 24) and fired for saying “Fo’ shizzle, my nizzle,” during a television newscast earlier this month.
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Bassett, who is white, used the term which is a bastardization of “For sure, ma N-gga,” in the Black community. E-40 is credited as being the person to coin the phrase, “izzle,” during the late 1990s, per Dictionary.
According to the Mississippi newspaper, WLBT Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry said: “As I am sure you can understand, WLBT is unable to comment on personnel matters.”
Check out the video of Bassett using the phrase below:
This isn’t the first time Barbie Bassett has used language on air that has offended the Black community. In October 2022, she issued an apology after being reprimanded by the television station for referencing a co-worker’s grandmother as her “grandmammy.”
The term “mammy” is a racist word that represents a Black woman who served as a nurse to a white family during slavery.
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“Last Friday on our newscast ‘Today at 11’, I used a term that was offensive to many in our audience and to my coworkers here at WLBT,” said Bassett. “Though not intentional, I now understand how my comment was both insensitive and hurtful. I have apologized to Carmen Poe.”
She continued: “Now, I would like to apologize to you. That is not the heart of who I am. And for that, I humbly ask for your forgiveness and I apologize to everyone I have offended. I will learn from this and participate in training so I can better understand our history and our people.”
“I can’t mend the hurt my comment caused. I pray you’ll forgive me and that you’ll extend grace through this awful mistake.”
Although Snoop Dogg himself wouldn’t approve Bassett saying “My nizzle,” he would definitely take pleasure in knowing his influence is still permeating across the music industry. On Tuesday (March 21), Ab-Soul paid homage to Snoop Dogg in his brand new music video for the single “Gotta Rap.”
In the beginning of the video, Ab-Soul is seen sporting corn-rows, dark shades, a bullet proof vest, and some Marathon clothing apparel. Ab-Soul is also on top of a building, rapping his heart out, much like Snoop Dogg did in the 1993 video for “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”
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Later in the video, Ab-Soul is seen spitting in an unknown Los Angeles neighborhood while the men around him partake in some of the hood’s favorite past-times, much like Snoop did in his earlier videos during the 1990s.
