Snoop Dogg has responded after Kanye West shared an image of an “impactful” performance by the west-coast legend that proved hugely influential.
“Snoop wearing this Tommy Hilfiger Rugby was the most impactful marketing moment of my young life,” Kanye worte in a recent Instagram post. The picture shows Snoop performing in a classic Hilfiger-branded rugby shirt on Saturday Night Live in 1994. In a comment on the post, which has since been deleted, Snoop replied, “Love u king … Let’s make. A move. Call the play.”
When Snoop performed his take on Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s “La Di Da Di” on SNL, it was a huge moment for Hilfiger in the world of hip-hop. Andy Hilfiger, the brother of Tommy and the former VP of marketing for the fashion label, told Complex in 2016 just how influential that performance was.
“Snoop called me. He’s like, ‘Yo Andy, I need more gear.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, okay. Come on up!’ He’s like, ‘I can’t. I’m rehearsing for Saturday Night Live. Can you come to my hotel tonight?,’” Hilfiger explained. “I went to Hilfiger and I undressed the mannequins and then headed to the Hotel Macklowe at midnight. I brought him these new logos and these new rugbys. The next night, at about quarter to 12, Tommy calls and says, ‘Andy, turn on Saturday Night Live. Those guys we met, Snoop, they’re wearing my clothes.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know. I forgot to tell you, I went to their hotel last night.’”
The day after that performance, the rugby shirt sold out everywhere according to Peter Paul, the former director of marketing for Tommy Jeans. “That was the shining moment,” added Paul. “That’s when Tommy went from subculture to mainstream.”
