Snoop Dogg the artist: Up Close and Personal
Drop it Like It’s Winslow Homer?
If all that comes to mind when you think of Snoop Dogg are a litany of rap classics from Doggystyle to Doggumentary (and the requisite cloud of pungent smoke) let this be the moment that the art world is put on notice. The famed Long Beach singer/songwriter has picked up palette and brush and is adding a new type of art to his repertoire.
I never thought about him as a paint brush to canvas type of guy–only as a gifted MC. However my perception of the different ways to express his talent changed the night I was able to see Snoop Doggs artwork first hand.
On November 3rd, I attended Snoop Dogg and Happy Socks 2014 Holiday Campaign called “The Art of Inspiration.” My initial thought going into the event was that the launch party was dedicated to showcasing his new line of socks, Happy Socks. That in itself would have made more sense to me given the artists relaxed in libertine lifestyle, but I had no idea that this was going to be a much more up close and personal look at the artists first collection.
The event took place at Austere, located at the edge of the Downtown LA Arts District. The building gave off a club vibe, which gave me mixed emotions as I walked inside and was overrun by bumping music played by DJ Snoopadelic (AKA himself), strobe lights, and a young and raucus crowd. Although all of these factors sort of turned me off on a Monday night, I realized how unique the room actually was when I walked inside after I had settled in and noticed all around the perimeter hung large canvases decorated with florescent paint.
Instead of falling under the spell of the music as one would expect the crowd at a club to do, it was club house meets arthouse. Everyone was holding their cocktails and taking in his work. Though rudimentary, each painting was different in some way. Some calling to mind Pollock while others called to mind finger painting – a popular art technique that is very appealing to myself. Some of the other works were more detailed, which allowed the viewer to make out objects such as hearts and even a wrist watch. Others called to mind that love is fleating or that you only have a certain amount of time to sip on gin and juice.
I learned that the display of hand paintings were never before seen which added buzz to the event and left everyone, if not awed, then appreciative. Not only were the pieces exclusive for the launch guests, but Snoop’s artwork was available for purchase during the event with proceeds donated to Snoop’s Youth Football League, a positive outlet of football and cheerleading for inner city youth.
The event brought out Snoops friends Miguel, Mayer Hawthorne and fellow rapper LL Cool J and served as not just a testament to the artists versatility, but also to his generosity.
