Snoop puts on a show

Snoop Dogg, 02 Apollo, Manchester International Festival
MANCHESTER took a trip back to the 90s to relive the West Coast hip-hop sound of rapper Snoop Dogg.

Performing his genre-defying 1993 album ‘Doggystyle’, original fans joined teens not even born on its release in celebrating the album, which was widely credited for introducing the G-funk style of hip-hop to a mainstream audience.

From the off, the packed crowd was ready to party and gave a roaring welcome to the man who can now claim to be a producer, (not so good) actor, and all-round entertainer.

And the lanky rapper with his trademark braids, baggy clothes and shades was happy to oblige.

Accompanied by the album’s original line up including Daz Dillinger, RBX, Lady Rage, and Warren G, he was also joined by a life-size dancing dog mascot in gangster colours, bandana and tracksuit.

Kicking off with ‘Gin and Juice’, his 75-minute set was a storming romp through the seminal album, profanity, mysogynistic lyrics and all.

Fans sang each track word for word including ‘Serial Killa’, ‘Murder Was The Case’, ‘Gz and Hustlas’ and ‘Doggystle’, and cheered on Warren G during ‘Regulate’

Collaborations also made it into the set while a giant screen behind the performers meant the show, which was being filmed by on-stage cameras, could be seen from any position in the theatre, and was also used to show mocked-up films of the talking excerpts between album tracks.

Set to celebrate his 40th birthday in October, Snoop is still a charming performer, stopping for an on-stage smoke midway through the show and doing his trademark freaky dancing.

The former gangster turned into a questionable gent when he dedicated the Akon track ‘I Wanna Love You’ to “all the ladies in the house” while treating fellas to a show from his three dancing girls.

The show lost its way during House of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’.

Things got worse when he invited the audience to pump their fists in the air for David Guetta’s dance track ‘Sweat’, which drew resounding boos at its end.

But apart from that momentary blip, the show was a success and ended with a promise to his fans that he would be back in Manchester “anytime you want me to”.

Very soon then.