Dogg’s Night Out

On the eve of his first ever gig in India at Amanora Park Town in Pune, Snoop Dogg addressed a press conference at Taj Lands End in Bandra, Mumbai, on Thursday. Wearing shiny sunglasses in Rastafari colours, the rapper arrived two hours later than scheduled, but patiently answered questions on everything from his first tour of India and his fascination with Bollywood to his recent rechristening as Snoop Lion by a Rastafarian priest in Jamaica.

Those in India not entirely familiar with the rapper's music will, however, remember him for his appearance in Singh Is Kinng alongside Akshay Kumar. Bollywood, he says, is something he's keen on doing again. "I love Bollywood. I did Singh is Kinng with Akshay Kumar and I'm looking forward to doing something like that again," he said. He also expressed an interest in collaborating with local talent, saying "I'm looking forward to meeting producers and musicians. I love music, I love expressing through music and I love being a part of the culture that I'm in."

In July last year, the rapper, singer-songwriter, producer and actor, who launched his musical career in 1993 under the moniker Snoop Dogg, released his first single — titled La La La — under the pseudonym Snoop Lion. He then announced that on his next album, Reincarnated, he planned not to rap at all, and that it would be an entirely reggae record. Much to the delight — and relief — of fans of the original Snoop Dogg, however, he confirmed that during this tour of India, he plans to perform a fair amount of his old material too.

Following the gig in Pune on January 11, Snoop Dogg will perform in Delhi on January 13 at Leisure Valley, Gurgaon. Both are set to be day-long events and will begin at noon. While Snoop Dogg himself will only play late evening, events through the day include b-boy/b-girl performances, local DJs and numerous food and beverage stalls. Mumbai-based Bombay Bassment will open for him in Pune and the Reggae Rajahs accompanied by Delhi Sultanate and Begum X in Delhi.

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