Smoke Out

Ah, the musician's life: big money, wild revelry, glorious fame, legions of zealous fans, and--no pesky drug tests! Spotlighting the pot-advocating participants of the 2002 fifth annual Smoke Out festival, a daylong Los Angeles concert--established by rappers Cypress Hill--in celebration of “all things green,” Smoke Out's musical performances range from the interchangeably lackluster numbers of Kottonmouth Kings and Circle Jerks to the mellow rumblings of Everlast (who spices things up somewhat with a nod to his good ol' days as frontman of House of Pain with the 1992 anthem “Jump Around”) and the customary fast-talkin' classics of Bone Thugs N Harmony (“1st of the Month” and “Thuggish Ruggish Bone”). One memorable scene comes during Cypress Hill's routine: a guy named Bobo tests an eight-foot bong to the crowd's chant that he “Hit that shit!” However, the real highlight (excuse the pun) here is Snoop Dogg's performance, which he takes to a stellar level with oldies but goodies including “Murder Was the Case,” an awesome rendition of “Lodi Dodi” (sped up over Clipse's “Grindin'”), the heartwarming Tupac homage “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” and the superlative “Who Am I (What's My Name)?”. Presented in DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1, the program features brief nudity, obvious drug use and references, and offensive language; still, while inappropriate for many viewers, this should be considered a strong optional purchase for more tolerant music collections. Aud: P. (J. Williams)