Habib Battah is a blogger , freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker based in New York and Beirut . BEIRUT , Lebanon -- When I heard Snoop Dogg was coming to Beirut , I jumped at the opportunity to show the world a different side of the country I had grown up in . So I hit the phones , tracked down the promoter and before I knew it , I was driving to the airport to film Snoop 's arrival . Beirut blogger Habib Battah with U.S. rap legend Snoop Dogg . When I first met the Dogg ( as he 's known by his very courteous suit-wearing bodyguards ) , he was seated in the VIP lounge of Beirut International Airport , surrounded by entourage while awaiting passport control . The U.S. rap legend had never been to the Middle East before , and I was wondering why he decided to perform in Beirut of all cities . Outfitted in a hooded sweater , despite the sweltering heat of the Beirut summer , Snoop leaned forward and told me in his low voice : `` There are a lot of places I could have started but I chose to start here because I felt they 've been supporting me you know -- they 've been down with me for long time . '' By `` starting '' in Lebanon , Snoop meant that he intended to embark on a Middle East tour in the coming months . `` Me and my man Roger had a nice conversation about putting together a Snoop Dogg Middle East tour ... so we gon na try to get that together over the next couple of months , '' Snoop , flanked by his forever-smiling local organizer , Lebanese entertainment mogul , Roger Kalaouz , told a room full of eager photographers and entertainment journalists . But the Lebanese paparazzi still wondered , why Beirut ? `` This is my first chance to party with the people of Lebanon , '' Snoop said . `` They were always partying to my music but now they get a chance to actually party with Snoop Dogg . `` This is the party capital of the world , '' he added and the room filled with applause . Hours later , Snoop drove the locals wild once again during his performance in front of thousands of adoring young fans by holding up a Lebanese flag on stage and then performing an impromptu sing-along with the chorus line `` Beirut , Lebanon . '' When the show ended just before one a.m. , Snoop did not leave Beirut without living up to his promise to party hard . Acting on a tip from a source close to Snoop 's circle , I managed to follow Snoop 's entourage to the afterparty , at a massive and highly exclusive rooftop club overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the Lebanese mountains . I entered the club through the back entrance with members of Snoop 's band that I had met at the airport . When we got inside , the champagne was flowing and the club was rocking with hundreds of people . A mixture of house and trance music reverberated across all surfaces as fireworks lit up the evening sky . Snoop 's band and crew were ecstatic , sporting looks of awe when they reached their VIP tables in the balcony section which boasts outdoor air conditioning . And even though the European electric beat was quite a stretch from the hip hop he produces , Snoop himself seemed to be getting down -- waving his hands in the air . But it was n't long before the Dogg switched things up grabbed the microphone : `` You are now rocking with the big Snoopie D.O . double jizzle for shizzle dizzle '' he said , sending screams through the glamorous crowd . Then he turned toward the DJ podium : `` Hey ! Yo ! DJ ! Why do n't you play some of that Snoop Dogg sh*t ? Once again the crowd was electrified , as Snoop began rapping to his track `` Drop it Like It 's Hot , '' ( Part of the that performance is available on Snoop 's Web site . ) Later he played other local favorites such as `` Gin and Juice '' and then rocked to a new track `` That 's the Homie '' from his upcoming album `` Malice in Wonderland '' while being filmed by two cameraman and a flash light . The Beirut show producer , Roger Kalaouz later explained that Snoop was actually filming part of the music video for the new track that night . And when Snoop left the club at 3 a.m. , the party continued till seven in the morning , according to Kalaouz , in true Snoop fashion , back at the hotel . Kalaouz says he 's now preparing for Snoop 's Middle East tour beginning in December , with a focus on cities in the oil-rich Arabian Gulf states , such as the UAE , Kuwait , Qatar and maybe even Saudi Arabia . Though it remains unclear how much Kalaouz actually paid Snoop to perform in Beirut , he emphasized that the bidding process was intense with much competition from promoters in other Arab countries . Check out Battah 's blog at beirurtreport.blogspot.com .
Legendary U.S. rapper Snoop Dogg performs in Lebanon 's capital , Beirut . Beirut journalist Habib Battah followed Snoop to show a different side of Lebanon . Snoop has never visited the Middle East before and plans more dates in region . Snoop on Beirut : `` This is the party capital of the world ''