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Snoop Dogg's rider for Summer Fest: Rapper demands a basketball court,Applebee's ribs & more
A basketball court, watermelon-flavored candies and Applebee's ribs? Snoop Doggis a man who knows what he likes.Idolator.com
Free Press Summer Fest's 2012 line-up boasts lots of big names. Will they all betough to accommodate?
It takes a lot of manpower to correctly configure lighting and sound and set-up specifications for a large-scale concert.
That's where the backstage rider — a detailed list of to-dos and preferences sent to the promoter before the show — comes in, to prevent issues and to catch short cuts.
What purportedly began as a verification procedure with Van Halen's legendary, oft-referenced "ABSOLUTELY NO BROWN [M&Ms]" warning has evolved into a sort of outlet for self-aggrandizement, as in the case of JLo, or absurdity, like DMX's impossibly optimistic three-boxes-of-condoms requirement.
We hear the rapper wants a private basketball court, several bowls of watermelon Jolly Rancher candies and ribs from Applebee's.
Over a 20 year career, Snoop Dogg's riders have generally proven more preposterous than practical: One rider published on The Smoking Gun revealed that, for Snoop and his 16-person entourage, fried chicken is a "must," vanilla ice cream is "important" and a rented Sony Playstation with "miscellaneous 1999 sport video cartridges" is "VERY IMPORTANT."
The rapper's personal predilections have been further reflected in other backstage requirements, which have included: "Two packs of Hubba Bubba gum, which must be watermelon flavour, a bag of Skittles with red packaging only, four packets of throat lozenges and a list of all the nearby McDonald's outlets. . . assorted computer games, still mineral water, which must be at room temperature, no plastic cutlery and enough chicken strips to feed 20 people."
This history had us wondering what Snoop would request for his appearance at next month's Free Press Summer Fest, where he is scheduled to headline alongside Willie Nelson, the Flaming Lips, the Avett Brothers and many more.
Items allegedly on his Houston rider? We hear the rapper wants a private basketball court, several bowls of watermelon Jolly Rancher candies and ribs from Applebee's.
It's curious that he and Willie get alongso well, as their backstage preferences couldn't be more different: The living country legend greatly appreciates "plants, comfortable furniture [and] tables with ash trays" and requests "organic only" fruits, vegetables and dairy products, high-grade beef and free range pork, "home cooking" and as little fried food as possible.
Which pot-smoking performer would you rather share a backstage meal with?
