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WINNIPEG - Fans of West Coast hip-hop found themselves in the doghouse Tuesday night, when gangsta rap superstar Snoop Dogg brought his chronic-soaked travelling show to town.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the Convention Centre's cavernous upper deck, the fans put up with a laundry list of indignities (long lineups, no exit/enter privileges and, worst of all, no beer!) but in the end, it was all worth it, as Snoop proved to be every bit the consummate professional his far-reaching appeal would have you believe.
And it's that appeal that is perhaps the most obvious proof of Snoop's brilliance, given that over the last four or five years, he's widened his fan base to include not just hip-hop fans, but also frat boys, suburban teens, and even soccer moms (though the latter surely has more to do with his wink-nudge movie roles and penchant for coaching Pee-Wee football).
Fans of his music, however, had little to complain about Tuesday night, and even the Convention Centre's typically dreadful acoustics co-operated, providing a pretty impressive showcase for Snoop Dogg's laid-back Cali grooves.
Dressed in a funky getup patterned after a Crips bandanna and sporting a modest amount of bling, Snoop took to the stage flanked by a live drummer, two guitarists, a couple of backup singers and a host of MCs and turntablists.
With all that personnel, it was tough to tell what was live and what was canned but whatever the case, the sound was suitably fierce, allowing Snoop to rap his way through truncated versions of many hits, among them Vato (from the recently-released Blue Carpet Treatment disc), Ups and Downs, Deep Cover, Beautiful and Get a Light.
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The highlight of the set came midway, when Snoop traded lyrics with touring mate (and fellow West Coast veteran) Ice Cube, later telling the crowd, "That's a dream come true for me -- to be onstage with my favourite f--ing rapper."
We'd love to tell you more about Ice Cube's performance, but the sad truth of the matter is a monumental screwup with the showtimes provided (thanks, promoters!) meant the founding NWA member started his set at least half an hour earlier than scheduled.
So after winding our way through the security check for 20 minutes (two pat-down guys for how many thousands of people?), we finally made it on to the floor in time to catch Cube's last song, a riveting version of the low-riding Go to Church, from his latest album Laugh Now, Cry Later.
But we do have it on pretty good authority (OK, the guys in the lineup for the bathroom) that Cube's powerhouse set also included hits like Straight Outta Compton, It Was a Good Day, Check Yo Self and We Be Clubbin'. Also, that Cube's portion of the show was "awesome."
Next time, we'll know to get there early -- fo shizzle.