Snoop Dogg fancies a good curry while he's in the UAE

Superstar Snoop Dogg may have hit the high notes as Dubai welcomed in the New Year but it seems like the dizzying heights of Burj Khalifa are just a level too far.

The ‘Beautiful’ artist provided a great welcome to 2013 as he headlined the Atelier Festival at Meydan Racecourse - bedecked in a specially made black-and-white kandora.

Unlike most visitors to Dubai, though, the At The Top viewing platform at the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, doesn’t quite make rapper Snoop’s must do hitlist.

The super-smooth lyricist, 41, admitted to 7DAYS that he prefers to keep his shimmying shoes on terra firma. “I don’t know if I’ll go to the very top,” said Snoop, who recently decided he wanted to be known as Snoop Lion, adding that he didn’t want to get that high.

While he may be ‘chicken’ when it comes to heights, there’s no negative connotation to the feathered friend when it comes to food - the rapper goes cock-a-doodle-do for a finger lickin’ poultry meal. Snoop had KFC chicken ready and waiting for him in his interview trailer post-Atelier performance.

Snoop also loves Asian grub and when asked to recommend a Dubai spot for lunch, we suggested every taxi driver’s favourite - Ravi’s.

“That’s what I’m gonna do,” said Snoop. “I do international so I got a taste and sample for stuff around the world.” He purred: “Ravi’s, we’re on our way baby - mmmm, chicken biryani baby.”

Dubai cops might want to keep an eye out, though. One thing Snoop said he did want to do after lunch was strip down and take a walk on the beach.

“I want to be young, wild and free!” he said.

Snoop ended his hit-laden Atelier set - thankfully fully clothed - by telling the crowd “Peace in the Middle East”. That’s a message he takes back to his US homeland with him.

“In America they say so many wild things about the Middle East - Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon - they say things that try to scare us away,” he said. “But when we come here we see a different perspective - and when we go back to America we tell everybody what a beautiful place this is.

“I just love this place - it’s got beautiful people, beautiful ladies - and spirit and energy.” Snoop Dogg’s special message to Dubai? “I just wanna say ‘What’s Up’ to everybody and a Happy New Year,” he said.

duncan.hare@7days.ae