Published
Mon, Feb 13, 2006, 21:36
- After an eight year wait, Snoop Dogg is packing up his 12 piece live band and bringing them downunder.
After months of growing speculation, Dainty Consolidated Entertainment have announced they are presenting the upcoming Australian tour of hip-hop kingpin Snoop Dogg. Pre-sold tickets for the tour will be available via the Internet on February 21 with general tickets available from February 23.
Having not stepped a foot in the country for over eight years, rap’s self-appointed grand pimp Snoop Dogg is ready to return to our shores and wow hip-hop fans in all major cities with his signature West Coast flavour. As an added bonus, he’s also making sure his 12-piece live band – the Snoopadelics – make the journey with him.
"The last Snoop Dogg tour was so memorable, and stood out from so many other shows, simply because of Snoop himself," enthuses DJ Nino Brown, Australia’s premier urban DJ who supported Snoop during his first sell-out Australian tour in 1998. "Snoop is a complete artist and unlike no one else in hip-hop. It was his first Australian tour and every song he performed was a classic."
Born Calvin Broadus in California’s Long Beach City, Snoop has grown from a teenage member of the notorious Crip gang to a 90’s rap superstar to a global entertainment icon – and he’s still only in his early thirties. Due to his gang allegiance and ties with California hip-hop legend Dr. Dre, his 1993 album Doggystyle was the first debut album ever to enter the Billboard charts at number one. Singles such as "What’s My Name?" "Gin & Juice" and "Ain’t No Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None)" came to define West Coast hip-hop in that era. Having now completed seven studio albums, with his most recent being 2004’s R&B: (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece featuring the smash hit "Drop It Like It’s Hot", Snoop has proven himself a rare survivor in the cut-throat rap game. In 2005 alone he had two Top 40 Australian singles – "Drop It Like It’s Hot" with uber-producer Pharrell Williams and "Signs" with pop star Justin Timberlake.
In addition to his music, Snoop Dogg is also the ultimate rap brand. The street-savvy entrepreneur gets his hustle on in every way imaginable, from his signature line of Pony Sneakers ("Doggy Biscuitz"), to namesake foot-long hot dogs ("Snoop Doggs"), to his MTV show Doggy Fizzle Televizzle and frequent appearances in video games such as True Crime: Streets Of LA. His film career took off in 1998 with a small role in the indie flick Half Baked, and continues to flourish every year, with acclaimed roles in The Wash, Training Day, Starsky & Hutch, Soul Plane and Baby Boy to date.
Currently promoting Bigg Snoop Dogg Presents: Welcome To Tha Chuuch, an album he executive produced featuring artists from his Doggy Style Records plus guests. Snoop can also be seen in Boss’n Up, a film inspired by the music of his latest album, R&G. Boss’n Up is the story of Corde Christopher (played by Snoop), a dead-end grocery clerk who joins the fast life and becomes a pimp to realise his wildest dreams – with major consequences.
"Snoop is such a talented MC," says uber-producer Pharrell Williams. "But he’s more than just an MC, because he knows what he wants to look like and he understands what his videos should be. He’s just a great, all-round entertainer."
Tickets for the Sydney event only are available from Ticketmaster.com.au (Ph 136 100), while all other tickets are available from Ticketek.com (Ph 132 849). Don't be left waiting another eight years for the next tour. Catch Snoop this April in your city.
Snoop Dogg Australian Tour Dates
Tuesday 4 April - Perth, Burswood Dome
Thursday 6 April - Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
Friday 7 April - Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
Saturday 8 April - Sydney, Entertainment Centre
Tuesday 11 April - Brisbane, Entertainment Centre