In hip-hop, big ego is nothing new and Snoop Dogg reminds us why and how he's managed to stay on top. Even at the height of braggadocio, he's still more humble than Kanye on an average day. This is not to suggest that he has lost his edge. If anything, he's merely shifted his focus.
Funkin' With Some New Shhh....
In real life, Snoop Dogg has traded fatherhood for gangsterisms and renewed marriage vows over the pursuit of ... lets just say those he claims not to love. On his ninth album, he has reemerged with a lot of new pimped-out persona and the same reluctance to relinquish any kind of G-thang. The cleverly Internet-leaked video of the eighties retro sounding, "Sensual Seduction," ("Sexual Eruption," on the album) lets us know Snoop was cooking up some good stuff. And thankfully, after about sixteen years in the game, he's not afraid to funk with new styles to refresh his sound.
Keepin' It Gangsta
In some ways Snoop has an almost back-to-basics kind of sound and look. His album art features him sitting aside one of his classic cars with his trademark cornrows and a varsity-style jacket, as if to say, "this is just me."
On "Gangsta Like Me," he talks trash about how he can still put it down and make girls get freaky from the sheer effect of his star power. "Neva Have 2 Worry" offers an introspective take on his survival from the streets and an equally turbulent career. "The One up above didn't like my pace/I was movin' to fast and I caught that case," he says, referencing his arrest and ultimate acquittal in the death of Phillip Woldermarian. The song also features some John Legend-esque crooning from guest vocalist Uncle Chucc.Snoop quickly gets back to the streets on "Life of da Party," where guest rapper Too $hort quips, "I got ten bad b***hes acting retarded," a line which manages to be both misogynistic and offensive to the mentally challenged -- about as far from politically correct as one can get.
If It Ain't Broke...
Raphael Saddiq assists on "Waste of Time," a song about the breakup of a relationship and the first sign of an unusually sentimental Snoop Dogg. Amidst the many tracks about his pimp magnetism, Snoop still shows growth for the most part. Production wise, Ego Trippin' assembles one of this year's strongest rosters of hitmakers. DJ Quik, Shawty Redd, The Neptunes, Teddy Riley, Raphael Saddiq, and even Everlast, bring an 80's revival, funked-out vibe with the occasional nod to country music. The Everlast-laced "My Medicine" features an unexpected shout-out to "my main man Johnny Cash, a real American gangsta," in the blatant celebration of drug use. On "One Chance (Make It Good)," he surprises with "you goin' lose if you're scared of marriage.
"Cool," which features production from Teddy Riley, almost makes you want to go out and get a Jheri Curl. Well, not really, but you get it. It's hard to imagine a track that captures the '80s any stronger than the aforementioned Shawty Redd-produced "Sensual Seduction." The album closers "Why Did You Leave Me" and "Can't Say Goodbye" take a melancholic turn, with the latter sporting silky vocals from Charlie Wilson. The Dogg lets us know he's a G for life: "We don't change, we become OG/You always addicted to the life you just don't OD."
'Ego Trippin'' is Same Ol' Snoop
If you were looking for the married thirty-six year old father of three to completely denounce fantasies of promiscuous sex and violence and embrace a lyrical consciousness to match his present reality, then you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you're a true fan looking for the Snoop you know and love, the one that never hesitates to raise the bar while staying to true to himself, Ego Trippin' is what you've been waiting for.
Top Tracks: Released: MArch 11, 2008
