Snoop Dogg brought Hip-Hop to the heart of Australia’s biggest sporting event Saturday night, performing a censored medley of his classic tracks at the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne despite weeks of scrutiny over his inclusion and a reported $2 million paycheck.
The 53-year-old rapper delivered a high-energy set at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where more than 100,000 attendees witnessed him run through staples like “The Next Episode,” “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
“It’s grand final time baby, greatness is on the line,” Snoop told the crowd in a pre-recorded video message before taking the stage in an all-white bandleader outfit, backed by marching musicians and fireworks.
The performance followed a wave of criticism from Australian lawmakers and advocacy groups, who questioned the AFL’s decision to spotlight the West Coast rapper.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young slammed the move during a parliamentary session, calling him a “slur merchant” and pointing to his controversial lyrics.
Groups like Respect Victoria and Gender Equity Victoria also condemned the booking, calling it “dangerous and ill-considered” in a joint statement. They argued that featuring an artist “whose lyrics promote violence” was at odds with efforts to combat gender-based harm.
The backlash intensified after Snoop’s recent remarks about LGBTQ+ characters in children’s films were widely criticized as homophobic. His 1998 track “Doggz Gonna Get Ya” also resurfaced due to its use of homophobic slurs.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon defended the league’s choice, saying the rapper’s image has evolved.
“He has changed, and today he is a grandfather, philanthropist. He helps rehabilitate youth and is a global entertainer who has performed at both the Super Bowl and the Olympic Closing Ceremony,” Dillon said.
Snoop himself acknowledged his personal growth in a 2015 interview with Sky News, saying, “I am more sensitive and more vulnerable writing-wise and accepting a woman for being a beautiful person, as opposed to me saying she is a b#### or w#### because that was how I was trained when I first started.”
Saturday’s show was noticeably toned down. Snoop left out profanity and offensive lyrics, opting instead for a polished stage show that leaned into spectacle over shock.
His appearance was also symbolic. In 2007, the Australian government barred him from entering the country due to past drug and gun convictions in the U.S.
Now, nearly two decades later, he stood at the center of one of Australia’s most-watched events.
“I was a kid that dreamed of getting to meet athletes, and now I’m actually to perform at the biggest sporting events in the world, so it’s a dream come true,” he said during a press conference earlier in the week.
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