Dear Loyal Reader -

For those who are unaware, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop. That is right, 50 years old. It is crazy to think that it has hit this milestone, but it has and the hip-hop nation is making sure that it is known. This past Wednesday, August 23rd, Phoenix Arizona had it’s own celebration of the anniversary when legendary artist Snoop Dogg came to town with his band of artists that included Wiz Khalifa, Too $hort, Warren G, Berner, and DJ Drama. This show was like none other that I had been too before, and not just because it was only my second time shooting a show in Phoenix since the move (third concert since I have been down here) but because of the absolute pleasure it was to do.

Berner showing a case of pre-rolled joints that he was about to throw into the audience, followed by the phrase “If you catch them, you have to pass them.”

Let’s be real here, going into that night, people who have read my articles and seen my photos from the past two years with The Pitch know that I have not covered a lot of hip-hop shows in the past. In fact, I covered more country, classic rock, and punk than anything else. I had not done anything like this since the EARLY days of my music coverage career, when working for the old online magazines that a few friends of mine and I did before the RockKansas.com days. AND That was a trip.

However, this world is not foreign or new to me. My older brother, Jason, was very heavy into the movement back in the 90s, and I had my own collection of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube tapes (yes, I said tapes as in cassette tapes), but that version of me had been long gone for some time. Yet that night, the music just pounded away and hit something that was special. It made me think back to when I used to do PR and images for the old Lawrence, KS group called The Bomb Squad, and their record label, then working with EJ Carter in about 2013, and it all just came back.

It was amazing to hear Berner, the first act to come out to the stage (I say that as DJ Drama was before him, but he was also in and out through a good portion of the evening) and he made a special shout out to all of the Mexicans that were there that night. Being a new Latino to the area, that itself made me happy, getting that shout out and realizing that yeah…we are here and in the area…and unlike the Midwest, we are known and visible here.

However, throughout the opening artists short sets (seriously, most sets being close to a half hour, and by close I mean on the underside of that), when Wiz and Snoop took the stage, the entire theater took a different feel. Yes, people slowly filed into Talking Sticks Resort Amp., and the places looked more than half empty when DJ Drama took the stage to open the night, but by the time that Wiz came on and opened his set with his hit Black and Yellow, the now filled venue erupted with screams and shouts that I had heard most recently for Taylor Swift during her stop at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.

Yet, I am not as sure as it was as loud as it could have been. Between Swift and this show, the Swifties were mostly younger to middle aged females (and some dads) while this show, with Snoop and Wiz, everyone was almost stoned off of their backsides by the time these two came on. Hell, when I even stepped out of my car when I got there, I basically got contact high, and remember, this is an outdoor venue. However, when you are dealing with someone like Snoop and his shows, what does one expect? I had seen more people carried out to the medical tent that night because of how messed up they were than any other show, and that is for sure. There were more people messed up off of weed and booze, and whatever else they might have taken in than I had seen from old school house parties and people coming out of the pits from metal and hardcore punk shows. I hope those people had a good time and hope that they remembered what they paid good money to go see.

An audience member taking a hit off of his nicely rolled joint.

But if you were good off enough to be able to see the entire show, you had one hell of a night. From seeing Martha Stewart’s best friend, the iconic Uncle Snoop come out in his car to open his set, to DJ Drama throwing out pre-rolled joints to the audience, and every. single. person who was able to go nuts over everything.

This was absolutely a night to remember.

Snoop Dogg’s Setlist:

The Next Episode (Dr. Dre cover), Boyz-n-the-Hood (Eazy-E cover), Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang (Dr. Dre cover), Bitch Please, Tha Shiznit, Deep Cover (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg cover), G Funk Intro (with Lady of Range), Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None) (with Warren G), Lodi Dodi, Murder Was the Case, Cause I Love You (Lenny Williams audio track), I Wanna Love You (Akon cover), Beautiful, Smile (Living My Best Life) (Lil Duval cover), Sexual Eruption, Afro Puffs (The Lady of Rage cover, with The Lady of Rage), Interlude/Shaft Pimp Video, P.I.M.P. (50 Cent cover), California Gurls (Katy Perry cover), Hypnotize (The Notorious B.I.G. cover), 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted (2Pac cover), Gin and Juice Encore High School Reunion Video with Mike Epps, We Dem Boyz (Wiz Khalifa cover with Wiz Khalifa), Who Am I? (What’s My Name?) (with Wiz Khalifa), You and Your Friends (Wiz Khalifa cover with Wiz Khalifa), Jump Around (Houes of Pain cover, with Wiz Khalifa), Drop it like it’s hot (with Wiz Khalifa), See you again (Wiz Khalifa cover with Wiz Khalifa), Young, Wild & Free (Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa cover with Wiz Khalifa)

Wiz Khalifa Setlist:

Slow Burn the Joint intro video, In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins, tape used as intro song), Black and Yellow, Roll Up, No Sleep, Payphone (Maroon 5 cover), The Thrill, Swole Life, 23 (Mile WILL Made-It cover), Or Nah (Ty Dolla $ign cover), Bake Sale, Bad Ass Bitches, Iced Out Necklace, Taylor Gang, Peace and Love, You, On My Level (with Too $hort), So High.

Too $hort Setlist:

Big Subwoofer (Mount Westmore song, used as intro), Ain’t Gone Do It (Too $hort and E-40 cover), Shake That Monkey, Blow the Whistle, Loyal (West Coast Version) (Chris Brown cover), Gangsters & Strippers, Sliding Down the Pole (E-40 cover), Gettin’ It, Don’t Fight the Feelin’, Freaky Tales, Fuck Faces (Scarface cover), I’m a Player, The Ghetto

Warren G Setlist:

This D.J., Do You See, What’s Next, I Want It All, Recognize, Round & Round, Nobody Does It Better (Nate Dogg cover), Mary Jane (Rick James cover), Regulate

Berner Setlist:

Best Thang Smokin, Wax Room, Top Down, Gettin’ It, Faded, Pass Me the Green, 20 Joints

A Cold Pizza and Coffee Review - Snoop Dogg in Phoenix, AZ