By: Chantal Dunn
Snoop Dogg played at Rogers Place February 20th, 2019, and the whole venue was a cloud.
The legalization of weed was a hot topic at the show and the crowd engaged big time. At one point, Snoop gave a shout out to a girl holding a big joint, but immediately took it back and told security not to “get her in trouble” as it’s still against the rules to smoke inside Rogers Place. Still, he actively encouraged the crowd to “light it up” and “cross smoking with Snoop Dogg off the bucket list.”
Even before the legalization of weed, this has always been a big part of Snoop Dogg’s music. Though he definitely used the recent legalization to his advantage when engaging the crowd. The dog mascot known as Nasty Dogg was holding a giant fake blunt while running around on the stage. However, the concert wasn’t solely centered on marijuana, but more so the feel good vibes Snoop wanted to bring to the audience. He thanked the audience multiple times and vocalized his appreciation for his Edmonton fan base.
“I will be back anytime you want,” he said in an Oilers jersey he wore all show.
Even with the artists admitting to being stoned, the rapping was on beat and true to the original recordings.
Snoop showcased his entire careeer, from his new tracks to his rap, from Katy Perry’s “California Girls” to some of his classics like “Gin and Juice”. Like most of his shows, he also did tribute songs to Biggie Smalls, Tupac and Eazy-E. The transitions and dynamics of the show were very consistent, leaving no silences or awkward pauses.
The lights and background pictures kept an ongoing upbeat vibe to the show, allowing the audience to visually recognize the music with the display of old album covers and art. To keep the audience’s attention, there were not only backup dancers and stage props, but also four poles with an exotic dancer on each. The four ladies came out in different outfits for different songs, and Snoop had a money gun that shot out cash at the dancers and the audience.
The cliché rap gimmicks were of course in use, but still in a respective way. Snoop Dogg uses these potentially controversial gimmicks, but simultaneously vocalizes his appreciation for his female fans. There are no apparent degrading undertones in his message. During the show he hyped up his female staff and audience members on multiple occasions. Behind that gangster rap exterior, Snoop Dogg still displayed respect for his fans, his crew, as well as the venue and their staff. As a result, even with the weed in the air, the show still didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Photo courtesy of Narcity
