By: by Michael Crowley
Hey you! Yeah you! Stop with
all the questions about Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion, Who’s lying… stop. Snoop Dogg
is a bonafide living legend with one of the largest portfolio of hit songs
dating back to the early 90′s. When Snoop performs… he takes you on a music
journey from The Chronic, DoggyStyle, Deep Cover, his days with Pharrell to
present. It’s a musical mind-trip like no other. Until you here Snoop perform,
you almost forget how many classic songs this guy has actually produced. Below
is a write up from one of Snoop’s pervious shows:
“……And the coolest part about catching Snoop in
concert is the fact that he performs with a live band. Again, it would be very
easy to spare that touring expense but performing with a band lends an element
of spontaneity and energy that just can’t be duplicated by simply rapping over
a series of pre-recorded beats. And make no mistake, there were people onstage
spinning. But they meshed with the band nicely.
….Snoop’s band consisted of one DJ and two
keyboard players as well as live players on both bass guitar and drums.
Rounding out the stage ensemble was someone in a novelty dog costume (who at
different points during the show brandished everything from oversized novelty
joints to a gigantic phallic object), three scantily clad female dancers,
several others on the mic and of course Snoop’s Uncle
Junebug (who, might I add, may hold the best gig in live music as he
basically wanders aimlessly around the stage drinking, smoking and nodding his
head at attractive concertgoers he sees sitting close. He was eventually led
offstage, towel draped across the shoulders in a fashion I think would’ve made
James Brown proud. Hey, someone has to do it).
Snoop performed hits across his once unthinkable
twenty year career delving especially deep into his 1993 solo debut Doggystyle.
“Tha Shiznit” and “G-Funk” both came early (the latter featuring a cameo by The
Lady of Rage herself Robin Allen preceding a performance of her 1994 hit “Afro
Puffs”). But the crowd went craziest for “Who am I (What’s My Name?),” “Gin and
Juice” and “Ain’t No Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None).”
And Snoop played to the crowd as well as anyone
I’ve seen. Striking a casual pose atop an amp, he serenaded the ladies of the
front row with “Sensual Seduction,” reaching down to sign items for fans and
holding hands with them as he sang. Following that, Snoop requested a moment of
silence for “this small chronic break” before teaming up with the
aforementioned Rage.
Throughout the hour set, Snoop reminded fans
just how many hits he’s had dabbling briefly in his portion of Dr. Dre
collaborations like ”Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and “The Next Episode.”
“P.I.M.P.,” “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head,” “Young,
Wild and Free” and “Drop it Like it’s Hot” all followed. But it was “Drop it
Like it’s Hot” that took best in show. The Neptunes production values combined
with the live keyboards to really steal the show musically. The keyboards just
sounded fantastic and the song had all the Snoop swagger…”
