Las Vegas welcomes ‘Doggfather’ of hip-hop

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 8:48 a.m.

Bill Belichick and Bill Cowher will be in Pittsburgh this weekend, but the world's most famous football coach might actually be the one headed for Nevada.

Youth football coach Calvin Broadus, better known as rapper Snoop Dogg, kicks off his winter tour in Reno tonight, then performs at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Saturday night.

Ten lucky fans will also have the chance to get up close to the "Doggfather" at a special meet & greet before Saturday's show.

Tickets to that event were auctioned off this week, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Rowland Heights Raiders, the team Snoop Dogg coaches in the Los Angeles-area Orange County Junior All-American Football League.

His 10-year-old son, Corde, quarterbacks the squad, which went 13-0 and won the league title in 2004. Reportedly, the Raiders' story will be made into a movie, "Coach Snoop," by 20th Century Fox, which won a recent bidding war for the rights.

Snoop Dogg, who has acted in such films as "Training Day" and "Starsky & Hutch," is expected to play himself.

Doors to Saturday night's sold-out show open at 7, with Snoop Dogg scheduled to go on at 9. Concertgoers should be advised that the 32-year-old Long Beach, Calif., resident is famous for late arrivals.

A fixture on the rap scene since collaborating on Dr. Dre's 1992 G-funk classic, "The Chronic," Snoop Dogg released his eighth solo album, "R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece," in November.

The disc, which features guest appearances by 50 Cent, Lil' Jon, Nelly and Justin Timberlake, among others, has climbed as high as No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Neptunes-produced No. 1 single "Drop it Like It's Hot" (with Pharrell Williams) is up for two Grammy awards: Best Rap Song and Best Performance by a Duo or Group.

Who: Snoop Dogg.

Where: House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Doors: 7 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: Sold out.

Opening act: None scheduled.

Latest release: "R&G (Rhythm and Gangsta): The Masterpiece" (2004, Geffen Records).

Album feedback: " 'Rhythm & Gangsta' is right up there with his best while being riskier than anything before it. New sounds like tongue clicks, smooth jazz guitars and a bit of Steve Miller's 'Fly Like an Eagle' give Snoop a brand new sonic palette to work with, and he's more than ready for it." (All Music Guide, 4 stars); "Even at its most deliriously debauched, 'R&G' isn't quite the worlds-coming-together rap-soul masterpiece the title promises ... 'R&G' begs for a little more R and some cleverer G -- or, if Snoop really wanted to be bold, no G at all." (Rolling Stone, 3 stars).

Essential release: "Doggystyle" (1993).

What to expect: Hard to say, since the tour kicks off tonight. Snoop typically mixes selections from his latest disc and old favorites. Considering his catalog now stands at eight albums, though, fans shouldn't be disappointed not to hear a personal favorite or two.

Says Snoop Dogg: "There's just a lot expected out of Snoop Dogg. Like, a Number One single is expected. It's not like, 'Wow, Snoop, you got the Number One single!' It's like, 'OK, you got another one.' He can't settle for anything less. He can't be the underdog, he's got to be the overseer. He can't do anything second best." (Rolling Stone, Dec. 30 issue).