Rap legend Snoop Dogg proves he’s a timeless showman worth waiting for

REVIEW: Californian rap royalty, the man with the ‘double g’, hit Christchurch’s Orangetheory stadium with an ageless swagger, charming charisma, and of course, a smoky haze on Friday night.

We’ve been itching to see the hip-hop veteran for months, after Snoop Dogg’s I Wanna Thank Me tour faced postponements and delays.

But if I could tell you one thing, it was worth the wait.

Strolling on stage in a signature blue bandanna jumpsuit decked out in gold bling, the man had a hold of the crowd instantly with his opening line.

READ MORE:
* Snoop Dogg lands in Auckland for pōwhiri ahead of two-show tour
* Super Saturday: Snoop Dogg, My Chemical Romance and Backstreet Boys all playing on one night
* My Chemical Romance superfans camp outside Western Springs, Auckland

“La-da-da-da-dah. It’s the mother…” (you get the rest).

Snoop’s opening hit track The Next Episode was released before I was born, yet the lyrics belting out of me lost in the sounds of thousands of others was a nod to the artist’s timeless career.

He took the crowd back to the early 2000s with chart toppers Gin and Juice and his remix of 50 Cent’s PIMP before slowing it down singing Ups & Downs.

If fans weren’t already off earth from Snoop-endorsed substances, taking one look at his right-hand man – a smoking monkey mascot dancing on a pole – may have confused you like you had partaken.

The Dogg amped up the tempo and had everyone throwing their hands in the air on cue while rapping All I Do Is Win, and didn’t miss a beat riffing his verse from Katy Perry’s eight-time certified platinum record California Gurls.

The crowd never dropped their heads unless in the midst of a headbanging base drop.

After returning from a short disappearance that we can only imagine was a needed relight backstage, Snoop got fans well on their feet covering House of Pain’s track Jump Around and paid a heartfelt tribute to arguably one of the most influential rappers of all time – Tupac.

“We miss you, we love you,” Snoop said to the clouds.

The old dog put his knees to the test, jumping up and down to his DJ track Sweat which had the crowd doing exactly that.

Just when I thought Snoop’s showmanship and enduring humour couldn’t be topped, he shot out dollar bills from a money printer into the crowd.

It was sleazy and cheesy, but it was Snoop – so it was cool.

The pro had the audience hollering back and forth lyrics from more of his greatest hits featuring Drop it Like It’s Hot, I Wanna Love You and Who Am I (What’s My Name?).

There wasn’t a more fitting track to close out the show with than the tune that capsulated his whole life mantra, and he invited the crowd to sing along to what he described as “our national anthem”.

The lyrics to Young, Wild & Free played behind Snoop – despite not a single fan needing them – while he sang over a slowed piano-led backing track.

The rap legend bowed out, thanking his fans who had followed him since his career kicked off 30 years ago in 1992, and it’s safe to say, his verses will still be belted out 30 years from now.

Friday night’s stadium show was the first of two New Zealand gigs, with Snoop set to perform at The Trusts Outdoors in Auckland on Saturday.