Upon entering the arena, fans were greeted by a massive, two-story set designed to look like a seedy Los Angeles boulevard. There were real streetlights, fire hydrants, and the facade of a lowrider shop. But the centerpiece was the "Chronic Cloud"—a massive inflatable skull with glowing red eyes that rose from the stage, blowing smoke across the entire floor.
By: Legacy of the West
Before this, major acts like The Rolling Stones or U2 did massive stadium tours. Rap was seen as "dangerous" for big venues. The Up In Smoke Tour proved that hip-hop could not only fill arenas but could command the same stage production budget as rock legends. Up In Smoke Tour 2000 - med Dr dre- snoop dog- ...
For those who missed it, the Up in Smoke Tour DVD became a holy relic. Filmed in high quality, it allowed fans worldwide to see the chemistry between Dre, Snoop, and Em. Watching the "med" sessions on the tour bus (where legends freestyled for hours) became required viewing for aspiring rappers. Conclusion: A High Never Replicated There have been bigger tours ( Watch the Throne ) and longer ones ( Drake & Future ), but there has never been a more essential rap tour than the Up In Smoke Tour 2000 . It was the victory lap for Death Row’s legacy, the launchpad for Shady Records, and the final flourish of the West Coast G-Funk era before the South (Lil Wayne, T.I.) and the Midwest (Kanye) changed the sound again. Upon entering the arena, fans were greeted by