Gig review: Snoop Dogg

THERE is no such thing as a hurry in Snoop Dogg’s orbit – hardly surprising given his choice of herbal relaxation. So although his set was preceded by a whopping three hours of supporting attractions, he still kept the expectant crowd waiting that extra half hour, as seems to be the superstar rapper’s prerogative. At least when it finally was time to “make some noise for Tha Doggfather”, he and his Dogg Pound crew applied themselves almost industriously to a non-stop set of wall-to-wall hits.

Hip-hop credibility be damned, this was a straight-up party set, complete with blinging microphone, dancing girls and – drawing the short straw in the suffocating heat – a mascot figure wearing the cuddly “Nasty Dogg” head.

Despite his claims that he is all about the “peace, love and soul”, Snoop’s setlist said otherwise. If he wasn’t rapping with relish about money, as on Paper’d Up, he was regarding the ladies in his innately vulpine manner – the mock lapdance he received during I Wanna Love You being a reminder that Snoop Dogg can do seedy sexism as well as the next rapper.

Having riffed throughout on his signature laid-back Californian funk groove (ideal for some light shimmying), it was a not unpleasant surprise when the pace was upped in the latter stages, with a new clubby track from his latest collaboration with Tech N9ne, followed swiftly by a burst of House of Pain’s Jump Around, a powered-up rendition of Who Am I (What’s My Name?) and the classy, modernist Drop it Like It’s Hot.

All told, Snoop was only onstage for an hour but that hour was all business. And rather than run off to whatever ostentatious mode of transport was parked outside, he then took some time to connect with the front rows before sauntering offstage, cool to the last.