Marijuana aside, the generational legacy of hip-hop illustrated throughout the course of the concert was the resounding theme of The High Road Tour starring Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg Wednesday night at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Wednesday night.
The co-headliners could be father and son – but they shared the stage as evidence of the staying power, evolution and full circumference of a genre that was relegated to being a fad from its very inception.
Through the main attraction artists and the featured entertainment the new, now next and legend categories were well represented over the course of an evening that felt as much like an extended marijuana infomercial as a concert.
After a spin session by DJ Drama, L.A. based rapper Casey Veggies was first at bat for the performances. He engaged the crowd that was busy getting settled in for the rest of the lineup surprisingly well with selections that included “Aladdin” and “Backflip.”
At first the idea of Jhene Aiko being inserted into the lineup as the only R&B representative seemed a bit out of place. But the moment she emerged on stage, she fell right in line with the overt takeaway message of the show.
“How many of y’all are high tonight?” Aiko asked the crowd of 17,000. “You can always get higher.”
With bubbles and colorful psychedelic images fading in and out on the screens behind her, Aiko provided a trip all her own as the backdrop for her 30 minute set that included “The Worst,” “Post To Be” “Comfort Inn Ending” and a medley of selections by Twenty88, the group the singer formed with rapper Big Sean.
As a member of the featured performers, Louisiana rapper Kevin Gates is making his arena stage debut with The High Road. Though Aiko delivered the strongest set amongst the non-headliners, the longtime underground rapper who has enjoyed recent commercial success thanks to radio hits like “2 Phones” and “Really Really” was the crowd favorite among the non-headliners.
His unapologetically grimy trap catalog had his growing fan base on their feet for just about his entire set – which he concluded with his breakthrough hit “I Don’t Get Tired.”
Gates amped the crowd up and left them in prime position to get the most out of Snoop and Wiz – though they would have to mellow out to for the main attraction.
Snoop Dogg brags about being laid back in his gangsta rap classic “Gin and Juice.” But he could have stood taking it up a notch on the stage. Not to say that he didn’t deliver a solid show – especially considering he’s nearly 25 years in the rap game. Him and Khalifa’s non-stop marijuana smoke session simultaneously happening as the concert carried on had everything to do with the ultra-mellow performance approach.
Instead of the high impact and energetic sets Khalifa is known for delivering, he decided to meet Snoop halfway – which was a bit disappointing.
But the ground that Snoop and Khalifa covered as they passed the weed and tag teamed the final performances made up for the underwhelming energy level.
The first portion of their set would be a back and forth match with Snoop kicking the show off with “Next Episode” and “Nothin’ but a G-Thang.”
Khalifa immediately followed up with “Bake Sale.”
Over the next ninety minutes they would deliver dozens of songs – of their own and other artists – and undertake an epic smoke session at the same time.
Snoop paid tribute to fallen rap stars Notorious B.I.G. and his former label mate 2Pac –his taste of “Nothin’ but a Gangsta Party” caused the crowd to erupt.
Meanwhile, Khalifa paid tribute to Snoop, and Snoop took the liberty of flexing on his own with his latest song “Legend.”
The crowd got a healthy helping of both artists’ biggest hits – including Khalifa’s “On My Level,” “We Dem Boyz” “Black and Yellow and Snoop’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Who Am I (What’s My Name).” Snoop’s most animated moment of the show was when the pair covered the House of Pain hit “Jump Around.”
Snoop opened the set, but Khalifa closed things out with his massive crossover hit “See You Again” from “The Fast and Furious 7 Soundtrack” and “Young Wild and Free.”
At one point during the show, they coined themselves the new Cheech and Chong. The comparison is absolutely fitting – and not just because of their recreational drug of choice.
Snoop and Khalifa are especially compatible and gracious towards each other – which made for a refreshingly entertaining duo that proves the possibility of bridging the rap OGs and the hip-hop stars of today.
