Snoop Dogg gets Lexington high with lean, crowd-pleasing set Saturday night

About halfway through hip-hop superstar Snoop Dogg’s set Saturday night at Rupp Arena, he decided to take a breather ... actually, it was more like an inhale.

“Can we take a moment for this small chronic break?” he said to a pop of approving applause.

A beat dropped. Graphics with marijuana leaves were emblazoned on the stage’s big screen. Snoop Dogg procured what appeared to be something that was DEFINITELY not a cigarette and began smoking it while bouncing to the beat.

It’s not exactly a surprise occurrence given the reputation of the performer and his aptly named Puff Puff Pass Tour, which came to Rupp Arena Saturday night. It was a festive environment as the more than 9,200 in attendance were treated to a bevy of some of the rapper’s most beloved tracks, his charismatic personality and a few unexpected antics.

Before Snoop would take the stage, the crowd was treated to several opening acts (though not as many as advertised) that included sets from ‘90s West Coast rappers Suga Free, Too $hort and Warren G. Everyone kept things short and emphasized the respective artist’s most well-known songs. A highlight was a tribute in Warren G’s set to the late Nate Dogg with a medley of his most memorable hooks that led into the pair’s hit collaboration “Regulate.” Cleveland’s Bone Thugs-N-Harmony followed, performing a set almost identical in length and order to the one it performed opening for Nelly at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in May. The lineup included crowd favorites “1st of tha Month” and “Crossroads.”

In a similar manner, Snoop kept things relatively short and to the point, taking the stage in an all-white track suit at about 9:50 p.m. and wrapping just before 11 p.m. with no encore. What his headlining set lacked in length he made up for with a set list that was mostly devoid of fillers. It showcased the rapper’s biggest songs — both in radio hits and crowd favorite ‘90s-era deep cuts — and guest verses that emphasized the rapper’s consistent and distinctive presence in popular music.

At times, Snoop had company on stage. In addition to backing rappers and dancers, two stripper poles on each side of the stage occasionally featured scantily clad exotic dancers. Then, there was the presence of a Snoop Dogg mascot that mostly danced and crip-walked, but, at one over-the-top moment, pulled out an exaggerated phallus from its pants to dangle in the front row, prompting a scripted scolding from the headliner.

None of the theatrics upstaged Snoop with his distinctive stage presence and smooth delivery. Other than obscure set opener “I Wanna Rock” from 2009, he leaned more toward the G-Funk aesthetic of his ‘90s solo debut album “Doggystyle” (“It Ain’t No Fun,” “Murder Was The Case,” “Lodi Dodi”) and his contributions to rapper-producer Dr. Dre classics (“Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” “The Next Episode”). He also made sure to include the ‘00s hits like “Beautiful.” Instead of performing any number of songs from his extensive catalog (that included a gospel and reggae album), he gave the crowd memorable verses on songs ranging from DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P” and Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” just to name a few.

Snoop closed his set with a string of popular songs from himself and others that got the biggest response of the night. “Gin and Juice,” House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)” were included. By the time he closed with the joyous chorus from the Wiz Khalifa collaboration “Young, Wild and Free,” the stage began to fill with smoke (from smoke machines, in this instance). With the crowd singing and heading for the exits, most everyone seemed to leave on a cloud of overall satisfaction.