What does a scavenger smoker, ‘urban’ informant and pilot have in common?Why, they’re all characters played by Snoop Dogg of course!  The ‘motherfvnkin hustler’ with versatility.

It’s been eight long years since we’ve last heard from the D.O. double Gizzle.  Following the recent string of chart success fans old and new were no doubt eager to check him out, in fear of having to wait another eight years to see him.

The support was provided by New Zealander, Savage and Melbourne’s Phrase.  While they delighted obvious fans they struggled, like many international warm up acts to win the crowd over.  Certain Brisbane DJ’s would however be delighted to hear they didn’t over shadow the headliner.

Savage plugged hits from his ‘Moonshine’ album with the biggest response coming from high charters ‘Swing’ and title track ‘Moonshine’.  Phrase did like-wise with tracks off his ‘Talk with force’ album with a couple guests on the mic, including ex-Australian Idolist/ARIA winner, Daniel Merriweather.  I don’t know if it was just the large BEC stage, lack of visuals/video feed or if it was just their performance style but both supports seemed to lack the energy of a live show, even for Hip Hop.  Or maybe it was just the detached feeling of being in the stage level grandstand seating that made this feeling more noticeable.

Snoop’s charismatic Tour DJ/hype-man, DJ Jam, got a better response (even if it was mostly from the female portion of the crowd ;) ).  He worked his way through crowd favourites, Notorious BIG, Lil Jon and JayZ including the latest and greatest cut (‘all the way from New York’) from an all-star line up of Mary J, Biggie, 2pac and Nas.  The contributions from the post-humus duo sounded rather dated but worked well.  Definitely will be one to keep an ear out for in clubs in the not too distant future.

DJ Jam kept himself busy and the crowded entertained by running between centre stage on the mic and the mixer.  Further cheers of appreciation from the ladies echoed the hall with him stripping down to his wife beater.

Up next was DJ Battlecat accompanied by a back up scratcher with a unique ‘double decker’ style DJ booth setup.  A little hit and miss with some of the levels but there was no mistaking Battlecat’s talent with some of the juggles he pulled out of his bag of tricks, in between Death Row classics from Dre, 2pac and DPG.  However some of the older tracks like 2pac’s – ‘I get around’ and Mista Grimm – “Indo Smoke” seemed to be lost on the younger segment of  the crowd, but nothing ‘Still Dre’ and the reality distorting bass of the BEC sound system couldn’t help recover their enthusiasm.

Over twenty minutes after the two DJs had left the stage, with the only entertainment being a backing track of some X-ecutioners turntablism style album tracks, Snoop was still no where to be seen.  This led to the tornting of ‘bullshit’ from the A.D.D. sufferers in the crowd.  In the scheme of things I couldn’t help but to have eerie Allison Dubois styled flashbacks to the bloated corpses of the Missy, Busta and the latest DeLa shows.

A slow scan of the stadium to take my mind of those unsavoury thoughts, I noticed the varse diversity amongst the restless crowd.  The flat platter brimmed cap and jersey wearers with the metal heads and the chin-strokers side by side by the bogans and the teenie-boppers.  All true testament to Snoop’s seemingly universal appeal.

Finally the lights dimmed, then the darkness and restlessness was cut by an explosion of light and sound with Snoop getting straight into “Up’s and Down’s”.  The floater images of events past were quickly washed away with every pulse to the kicking bassline from the heaving crowd.

For someone that’s supposedly renouncing gang wars and gang related violence Mr. Broadus was only too proud to sport his Crip bandana pajama style jump suit.  If that wasn’t enough to grab your attention, the palm tree sized iced out Marijuana leaf on his mic definitely made him look like he “just robbed Liberace”.  Clearly his money wasn’t the only thing on his mind.

‘Murder was the case’ was followed by ‘Gin and Juice’ where he asked everyone to hold up their imaginary cups.  Of course mine was held high, even if I didn’t chip in. Chronic break number one was dedicated to the current man of the moment, Kayne West with ‘Gold Digga’ before jumping back into a rendition of 50 cent’s ‘P.I.M.P.’.  This time joined by his backup dancers the Snoopettes, all looking rather conservative in jeans and white tee’s, but still booty shaking like nobody’s business.

Over the course of the initial handful of tracks it was evident of the added dimensions a live band has over just a DJ.  Aptly named the Snoopadelics, they consisted of no fewer than the two earlier DJ’s, guitarist, bass player, drummer, keyboardist and percussionist.  The added dynamic and liveliness of the band lifted the performance projecting an energetic concert vibe rather than a club with MC feel.

After another ‘recharge’ through De La Soul’s ‘Me, Myself and I’, it was vintage Snoop medley time with ‘Tha Shiznit’, ‘G Thang’ (with his ‘hip hop’s most quotable’ from Source magazine) verse then ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ with obligatory salute to 2pac and finally the lead track from his sophomore album, ‘Snoop’s upside your head’.

Things then got all Amnesty International crossed with Close Encounters with the house lights turned off and everyone putting up their lighters and phones.  Even the closet ravers got into it with glow sticks and media labeled ‘drug paraphernalia’ , all to the sounds of Parliament’s ‘Flashlight’.

The alien landing however, was quickly over with the entrance of guest MC, the Lady of Rage.  I haven’t heard much from her as of late apart from some brief surfacing on compilation CD’s, but there is no doubting she can still spit a rhyme when she wants to.  After performing a few tracks she finished off her cameo with ‘Afro Puffs’ which still has all the bite of when it was first released more than 10 years ago.

Another chronic break with popster Chris Brown’s ‘Run it’, Snoop came back continuing the commercial flavour with his collaboration with ex-N’Syncer Justin Timberlake and ‘Signs’ backed with ‘Lodi Dodi’, Dre’s ‘Next Episode’, ‘Pump pump’ then into Roger Troutman’s ‘Grapevine’.  Having two of his uncles on stage, one of them (Reo?) was only too happy to get the crowd to sing along with him to the rather endearing ‘Smoke weed, get drunk and fuck’ song while the other ‘JuneBug’ couldn’t sit still the whole time dancing about the stage.  Those that went along to 50 cent would’ve heard a similar interpretation, but not in the same heart felt romantic vocal stylings of Snoop’s uncle of course.   Segueing into Rick James’ ‘Mary Jane’, an overzealous lighting operator, as they say on the innanet, “got pwn3d” rather severely when he cut the darkness short by hitting Snoop with the spotlight.  Snoop retorted by asking the crowd in a Run DMC style, “who’s house??” “It’s my motherfuckin house, when I say to keep the motherfuckin lights off you keep the motherfuckin lights off!”, he added, to the delight of the crowd and no doubt embarrassment of the lighting guy.

“What’s my name?” he asked.  Snoop Dogg?  Could it be a precursor to THE song?  “No, I want you to say it like this….”, queue “SnnnnoooooooooooooooOOP…” and ‘Drop it like its hot’ followed by another blast from the past, House of Pain ‘Jump Around’.

A quick look at my watch showed over 90mins had past and time was quickly running out for him to drop his obligatory track that started it all…. but what’s this?  “Ok, I want everybody up on their feet for this one.  If you see someone sitting down, I want you to say “Shit, goddamn, get off your ass and jam!” .  Funkadelic quotes aside, once everyone was up, down dropped the o’ too familiar bassline of ‘Who am I?’ with an explosion of light, sound and bouncing.  If you weren’t singing along you definitely were at the wrong show!

Maybe it was the nostalgia from performing the song that put him on the Hip Hop solo map, maybe it was because it was the end of the show and a tiring tour or maybe it was just that those beckoning couches were looking greener than ever, but it was all pondering and profound insights to close the energetic show, with remarks of  “I love you Brisbane” and “It’s not the last time you’re going to see someone like me up on stage”.  Finally winding down to a close with a lullabye of ‘Sha nana na hey hey Snoop Dogg’.

Leaving the BEC was the usual nightmare, but I was more than satisfied with my parting of $100 for a show well worth the money.  Even though he mentioned he’ll be back several times within the next year, I’m not holding my breath.

Rappers with a long shelf life are few and far between, let alone ones that can claim some 15 years of industry consistency.  Sure he’s gotten a little soft in places over the years but still manages to stay ‘G’d up from the feet up’ with seven albums under his belt.  Judging from his recent success with cross collaborations, it definitely looks like there’s still plenty of tricks left in the old dogg. Dr. Phil’s final words I’ll leave up to the man himself, “The world needs peace, love and a little bit of Snoop Dogg”.

Amen to that.

Woof.

Snoop Dogg’s latest LP – Rhythm and Gangsta is available now through Universal

Photo courtesy of SMH.com.au