The West Coast Originals Tour with Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube & Bone Thugs: Acer Arena, Saturday November

The West Coast Originals Tour with Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube & Bone Thugs: Acer Arena, Saturday November 1

Review by Mawunyo Gbogbo

The question is – did all the publicity surrounding Snoop Dogg’s visa application translate into ticket sales? Maybe. The American rapper attracted an impressive crowd to Australia’s largest indoor venue. But it’s a big ask for any musician to sell out a concert two nights in a row at a stadium capable of holding up to 21, 000 people. Snoop came close, but ticket prices were heavily discounted in the hours before his second Sydney show.

The auditorium was still mostly empty when Bone Thugs n Harmony was on stage. Regardless, the group gave a solid and enthusiastic performance as if they were playing to a full house. The only bone I have to pick (sorry I couldn’t help it) is they didn’t perform their Grammy-award winning classic ‘Tha Crossroads.’ But this concert was never really about them. The title of the West Coast Originals Tour (also referred to as the Smoked Out Tour) ignores the fact that Bone Thugs n Harmony hail from Ohio.

I felt like I was in a completely different concert when the legendary rapper Ice Cube took over. More people had arrived, the lights went out and two huge projector screens were switched on, changing the atmosphere dramatically. Cube’s performance was outstanding during his solo tour last year, but this was even better. The foundation member of N.W.A took issue with interviewers constantly asking him when he’s going to retire from rap and stick to making movies. ‘I’m never going to retire,’ he told the audience. When Cube left the stage to make room for WC, I briefly left my seat only to kick myself when I returned to hear the last few bars of one of my favourites – Ice Cube’s 1993 single ‘It was a Good Day.’

Although Cube’s performance threatened to upstage the headline act, the show was only just beginning. Snoop Dogg had made it to Australia despite all the drama about whether or not the immigration department would allow him to enter the country. Also known by his birth name Calvin Broadus, Snoop had previously been banned from the proud nation of convict ancestry due to his criminal record. But there he was on stage in a Crip rag, holding his diamond-encrusted microphone.

He opened the show with the song ‘Murder was the Case,’ from his debut album ‘Doggystyle.’ This song was a blueprint for the rest of the show. Most of the material he performed was from his earlier work and included the hit singles ‘Who am I (What’s my name)?’ and ‘Gin and Juice.’ He also touched on Dr Dre’s debut album, on which he appeared just as much as Dre did. The journey back in time was a pleasant treat for those who’ve been following Snoop’s career from day one.

Adding to the excitement of the show, Snoop Dogg was joined onstage by a live band, making the experience even more thrilling. For most of the show, Snoop was flanked on either side by Tha Dogg Pound members, Daz and Kurupt. The only person missing was one of my favourite crooners Nate Dogg, who is reported to have suffered two strokes in the space of a year. The crowd lost control when the song ‘Ain’t No Fun’ (If The Homies Can’t Have None) came on. Snoop recruited the audience to sing Nate’s verse. It was the women who got down to this song the most. Snoop also designated a section of the show to his late friend and former label mate, Tupac Shakur.

The 35-year-old rapper didn’t forget his new fans. He dropped a couple of tracks from his ninth solo album, ‘Ego Trippin’, and also performed the songs ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Drop it like it’s Hot.’ The Long Beach native helped define Gangsta rap in the ‘90s, but Snoop Dogg’s versatility is one of the reasons he’s still on the scene today. It wasn’t until he collaborated with former boy band member Justin Timberlake that he won his first MTV award outside America, garnering nods in both Europe and Australia.

The West Coast Originals Tour was a lot of fun, but as Snoop Dogg wrapped up his performance, he wasn’t afraid to get political. After running around the stage waving an Australian flag, the rapper thumbed his nose at those who didn’t want him to enter the country and then promised he’d be back. Let’s hope he makes good on his word.

This is the best review I’ve ever read about anything ever! You should pay this reporter!