Whether he wore his Huggy Bear attire is unclear, but Snoop Dogg had some business meetings before he attended the “Starsky & Hutch” premiere a couple of weeks back.
If the rapper appeared a little more lively than his usual laid-back self at Los Angeles’ Mann’s Westwood Village theater, it’s probably because his all-star group 213, featuring Warren G and Nate Dogg, signed a record deal hours before.
“We just did the deal with TVT today, so y’all be on the lookout,” Snoop said as he strolled the red carpet in full-on pimp wear. “The album should be out late April or early May.”
The trio began rapping together years ago, before any of their careers took off, but have only now gotten around to recording together. In fact, the rappers took their moniker from the Long Beach area code they all grew up with, which has since changed to 562.
“Yeah, it ain’t no more. But that’s what it’s all about,” Snoop said, laughing. “It’s a dream for us, since we [were] kids.”
“Dollar Dollar Bill,” the first single from 213’s album, The Hard Way, is due on airwaves soon.
“You got a lot of different styles,” Warren G said of the album as he walked with Snoop at the premiere. “You got Snoop, Warren and Nate all bundled up in one. Soul, hip-hop, gangster – that’s what it is.”
The album marks a return to music for Snoop, who has shot three movies during the past year: “Starsky & Hutch,” “Soul Plane” and “The L.A. Riot Spectacular”. As much as Snoop, who would love to make a “Starsky & Hutch” sequel, is excited about his thespian future, he insists he will never abandon hip-hop.
“I’m still having fun, musically. It’s still beautiful to me,” he said. “Whenever people need me, I come through. I might be on a hook, I might be on a verse, I’m gonna keep my name out there.”
In the meantime, Snoop is rehearsing his live show for the Projekt Revolution Tour.
“Being out with these great bands, I got to put together a great show so when I’m done doing what I’m doing, everyone can say Snoop did his part,” he said. “I already know they gonna do what they do, so I gotta step my game up.”