On Friday night, Franklin Field gets gangsta. Snoop Dogg, Kid Cudi, and opening act Shwayze are hitting the stage to put Penn’s most start-studded Fling concert to date. Now, all you have to do is be sober enough to show up. Welcome to Snoop and Cudi 101.
SNOOP DOGG
The basics:
With his signature mix of laid-back LA swagger and old-school rhyming style, Snoop Dogg has been a hip-hop mainstay for as long as the freshman class has been alive. From the classic album Doggystyle to his most recent release, Malice N Wonderland, Snoop’s music is consistently party-ready
The music:
It’s hard to do justice to Snoop’s discography, but there are a few tracks you can’t miss.
• It’s safe to say that even your parents would be able to belt out the chorus to “Gin and Juice.” A true 90s classic.
• “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” appeared on Dr. Dre’s debut album, but the rhymes are quintessential Snoop.
• With its impossibly funky samples and low-key bounce, “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)” taught us what it means to be a Dogg.
• Okay, so it might be a bit lyrically offensive, but we can’t resist the menacing beat and strangely cute chorus of “Bitch Please,” featuring Dr. Dre and Xzibit.
• A Street favorite, “From the Chuuuch to da Palace” brought a killer combination – Snoop’s deft lyricism and the Neptunes’ artful production.
• “Beautiful,” featuring Pharrell Williams and singer Charlie Wilson, marked Snoop’s move toward a more pop-friendly sound. And we’re not complaining.
• “Drop It Like It’s Hot” was, somehow, Snoop’s first number to reach number one, and remains one of the most fun hip-hop songs we know. The track’s remix, featuring Jay-Z and Pharrell, brings a modern G-funk style.
• On “Sexual Eruption,” Snoop serenaded us over a perfectly retro beat… and showed us the closest thing possible to his romantic side.
• In a nod to his old-school hip-hop heritage, Snoop sampled the Rob Base track “It Takes Two” for his most recent single. “I Wanna Rock” reminds listeners exactly who the boss is.
KID CUDI
The basics:
The current poster boy for hipster hip-hop, Kid Cudi brings thoughtful lyrics and careful, unique production to all of his tracks. His 2008 mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, and 2009 album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, showcase Cudi’s conception of a modern rapper – one who moves beyond the constraints of his genre to deliver tracks that are consistently complex, yet fun.
The music:
• We could write about “Day ‘N’ Nite” all day … and night. First released in February 2008, the track’s brooding lyrics and space-agey beats have steadily grown on us since. Despite its loneliness trope, “Day ‘N’ Nite” manages to endure as a classic party song.
• As great as the original may be, the mere thought of Crooker’s “Day ‘N’ Nite” has us fist-pumping in excitement. The Italian duo took all the best parts of the track and, well, dirtied them up a bit.
• Using a plucky Lady Gaga sample, Cudi showed us his clever side on “Make Her Say.” Common and Kanye West’s verses only add to the perverse fun.
• Cudi’s angsty lyrics on “Pursuit of Happiness” work perfectly over Ratatat’s trip-hop beat. And, of course, a little MGMT on the chorus doesn’t hurt either.
• An Acapulco favorite, we love “Memories” back in America too. Although Cudi and David Guetta are something of an unlikely pairing, the piano-heavy beat caters perfectly to Cudi’s smooth delivery.
• Cudi and Snoop’s recent collaboration, “That Tree,” has us hoping for a joint performance. Diplo’s stellar production brings out the best in both Snoop and Cudi’s lyrical repertoires.
