After the crowd in the Grand Sierra's Grand Theatre had stood around for almost an hour Thursday waiting for an appearance by rapper Snoop Dogg, a voice came over the loudspeakers telling everyone Snoop was late because he was still driving in from Eureka, Calif.

Now what would Snoop Dogg, known for his glorification of smoking marijuana, be doing in the remote regions of Humboldt County? Perhaps making a donation to the area's biggest cash crop since lumber?

Whatever his errand, it made him an hour late to start his show. But when he did arrive and take the stage at 11 p.m., the crowd responded with gusto as Snoop broke into some of his well-known hits like "Murder Was the Case," "Gin and Juice" and "What's My Name?"

The packed house bounced up and down with each song and then raised their fingers in a "V," representing the number two for Tupac Shakur, as Snoop busted out a tribute to the fellow West Coast rapper who was murdered in 1996. Paying homage to another of his influences, Snoop performed "Fuck the Police," by NWA, the band that helped launch Dr. Dre to fame before Dre helped Snoop Dogg to his own career.

Touching on newer material, Snoop invited a horde of ladies to dance on stage with him for the song "Sensual Seduction." Several of the spontaneous go-go dancers got freaky with Snoop, who had to peel some of them off with help from stagehands.

As the show neared the end at around midnight, Snoop performed a portion of the House of Pain hit "Jump Around" to get the audience bouncing for the last few songs. Even for non-rap fans (such as myself), Snoop's show was entertaining and worth seeing. Waiting around wasn't so entertaining, but when you're Snoop the party doesn't start until you arrive.