Snoop Dogg
At the Commodore on Thursday, June 19

So the real question is, how the hell can someone smoke that much weed and still manage to release nine albums over the course of a 16-year career? Not to mention finding the motivation to host a porn video, steal a Blowfly record from a notable Vancouver journalist, and moonlight as a soap star on One Life To Live? But this is no ordinary rapper, this is Snoop Dogg, and after performing to a sold-out crowd at the Commodore, the West Coast icon proved that a little weed (who am I kidding; make that a lot of weed) can actually do wonders.

Sauntering onstage with his unmistakably laconic bounce, Snoop Dogg looked every bit the rap superstar with oversized pants, entirely unnecessary black shades, and a bedazzling cross hanging from his neck—not to mention a microphone with his named spelled out in ghetto-fab bling, making it seem more like a decal off a monster truck than something to sing into.

Hyping the crowd with nostalgic “Bow wow wow yippy-yo yippy-yay” shout-outs—a hint of what was to come—and West Coast hip-hop pride, the legendary California rapper played the nostalgia card early on. From the catchy “With my mind on my money and my money on my mind” chorus of early ’90s drinking anthem “Gin and Juice” to the bouncy bass line of “Snoop’s Upside Your Head,” Calvin Broadus, Jr. made it known that he was going to turn the party out, without a doubt.

With his fellow West Fest acts, Long Beach’s Tha Dogg Pound and Warren G at his side, Snoop offered up a history lesson in funky hip-hop, the highlights including impressive freestyles in between puffs of cigars, an exploding champagne bottle, the obligatory 2Pac homage, and of course, mad mad toking.

Taking the lead so that Snoop could flirt with some of the local hip-hop hos grinding together on the side of the stage, Warren G performed his laid-back G-funk megahit, “Regulate” to an ecstatic crowd. All smooth R & B charisma, G-Dub captivated the room until Snoop returned—clearly inspired by his encounter with the ladies—to play material off his latest record Ego Trippin’.

Convincing a group of buxom beauties from backstage to join his entourage in the spotlight, Snoop proceeded to unleash the over-the-top gangsta serenade “Sensual Seduction”. While you can’t blame the Grammy-nominated rapper for trying to show off his sensitive side, it was a bit much watching the bevy of starstruck bitches swoon in the cheesy blue light.

As blindingly horrorific as the bump ‘n’ grind groupie sleaze-fest was, the crowd was predictably unfazed. The West Coast playas were happy to throw their arms in the air and wave ’em like they just didn’t care as soon as Snoop got back to blastin’ the good-time beats of “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?” Ending the night in a hazy cloud of pot smoke—which is exactly how the night started—the prolific rapper and his debauched crew rocked out with the bass-driven thumper “Life of da Party.” Nothing could have summed up the night, especially when Snoop Dogg shouted out “Hey, look, I’m only in town for a night/And when I pull up, man, the crowd get hyped.”