Snoop Dogg's Smokin' Christmas

Christmas came early on Saturday night at the House of Blues in Los Angeles as Snoop Dogg held his Third Annual Youth Football League Benefit Concert. All proceeds from the sold-out show went to the Snoop Youth Football League, the 2500 strong league created by Snoop to help kids stay off the streets with a positive, disciplined routine in sports. You knew you were at a Snoop Dogg show before entering the doors judging from the thick smell of weed emanating from the venue.

Before the hip-hop icon took the stage, West Coast rapper WC performed a 20-minute set which included new material from his recently released album Guilty By Affiliation.

When Snoop took the stage at around midnight wearing a Long Beach Poly jacket, the audience was ready to party. The Doggfather ran through his expansive catalog of hits including “Ain’t No Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None),” “Gin & Juice,” “Lodi Dodi,” “Vato,” and “Beautiful.” He was joined on stage at one-time by 29 people including Kurupt and Daz of his Dogg Pound Gangstaz family, Uncle JuneBug, a newly bald Xzibit who did “Bitch Please,” and DJ Quik. Quik played in Snoop’s band, The Snoopadelics, and performed his own set, which dragged on a little longer than expected.

One of the highlights was when Snoop sat down at the keyboard to perform his sensational new single “Sensual Seduction” along with two provocatively dressed dancers who could have been straight out of the ’80s inspired music video. The West Coast pioneer closed the show with “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?,” but by then most concertgoers were either drunk or blazed. However, it didn’t matter because Santa Snoop had delivered to all, whether naughty or nice.