Snoop Dogg - Ego Trippin
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Artist:
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Album:Ego Trippin
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Track:
*Rating:* 8 stars out of 10*The Good:* No skits on the album. Lots of experimenting while still remaining true to what he does, you will most likely find a song you like.*The Bad:* Sexual Seduction is the most 'radical' song offered, so if you were expecting some Gnarls Barkley-ish stuff... you'll be disappointed.*Download These:* "Staxxx in my jeans", "My Medicine", "Sets Up"
Snoop Dogg has always been a little more experimental than his hip hop peers, which is particularly surprising when you consider he started out with a hard "gangsta rap" edge. While he still delivers hardcore material like "Gangbangin 101", there have been many instances where he fuses soul, gospel, rock and R&B into his music. On his last album "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment", Snoop even had a theme song for his kids youth football league, right alongside a duet with Stevie Wonder. Why is this relevant? Because for the first time, Snoop pledged to push his boundaries even further on his latest project "Ego Trippin". In case anyone thought he was joking, the first single "Sexual Eruption" featured Snoop singing in an auto-tune assisted 70s jam. This is the same guy who made "It ain't no fun if the homies can't have none"... it's a remarkable transformation. The album is titled "Ego Trippin" because for the first time, Snoop wants to create an album with minimal guest appearances. Can Snoop carry an album over 20 tracks long by himself without getting redundant? Lets find out.
If you were to use a loose guideline of Ego Trippin, the first section of the album is comprised of traditional Snoop songs we've come to know and love. The middle of the album are fun songs where he steps out of his boundaries a little and tries something new, and the last act contains a little maturity on subjects he's not known for (honest relationships, love, heartbreak, inspiration). He holds down each section very well, but I always believe 'fun Snoop' is the best Snoop. Upon first listen, "Staxxx In My Jeans" is far and away my favorite track on the album. The beat is heavy and hard, but very inviting at the same time and it complements his trademark lazy flow. It's definitely a song I could have seen Snoop making in the late 90s with his stint down south with Master P (I know the mere mention of Master P turns you off, but trust me)."My Medicine" is a country song dedicated to Johnny Cash (because Snoop respected his gangsta). Everlast a.k.a. Whitey Ford a.k.a the dude from House Of Pain handles the guitars on the track. Like many Snoop songs before it, the song is about grabbing a ho and making her go get you some weed. Despite the song being country it's just SO SNOOP at the exact same time, so it doesn't come off as a forced attempt to do something out of your element. "Cool" reminds me of an 80s styled track from Morris Day & The Time. Uptempo, lighthearted, dance-able and slightly funky, of the many 'experiments' on this album, Cool is definitely one that ended up working out for the better. "Deez Hollywood Nights" is a track that you will either love or hate, I happen to love it because of the pseudo storytelling. The song is an entertaining account of Snoop's various activities while attending Hollywood gatherings/clubs/functions which include sharing groupies with Leonardo DiCaprio, giving drugs to people, and directing women to your testicles while yelling "Action!". The novelty of the song may wear off after a while, but for now it's great.
Sandwiched between tales of debauchery with the hoes, Snoop dedicates a track to his wife on "Been Around The World". The song itself is okay, it's definitely not horrible but I can't see myself playing it regularly. I mention it because although the song is about how much he loves his wife, he halfway brags about having sex with another woman in Europe, I just thought it was funny, thats Snoop for ya. "One Chance" is like "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, except it's not nearly as good. I'm not sure the soul sample used in the beat worked for me, but it was good to hear him branch out to a subject with a little more meat on it. "Why Did You Leave Me" is a heartbreak song about missing a former lover, I'm not sure who it is singing the chorus but this guy sounds even worse than Akon. The final song "Can't Say Goodbye" takes a look at the balancing act Snoop performs with his career, fame, and his old on the streets. It's one of the stronger songs on the album, Charlie Wilson's vocals really help push it over the top.Since Snoop openly used other people to write his songs for the first time, we got to see dramatically expanded subject matter. Hip Hop has always been a young man's game, and like Scarface did with his recent album "Made", Snoop has taken a step forward in making music that's a bit more mature. For far too long now, grown men in their late 20s and 30s have been acting like kids in the name of "keeping it hip hop". But albums like Snoop's, Scarface's, and Jay-Z's keep pushing the boundaries ever so slightly to where it one day may be "cool" to be responsible and act your age. I write this fully realizing that there are some songs filled with drugs, anonymous sex, and violence on this album, but when you put Ego Trippin within the context of the other albums in his career it's definitely an improvement. Baby steps folks... baby steps. Something that every album from Snoop has in common, is the ample amount of tracks included on the disc. This album has over 20 songs and theres a decent amount of filler, Ego Trippin could have been trimmed to 15 songs and that really would have made it more potent. While that slightly dilutes the album, it's still worthy of a purchase in the end.
Snoop Dogg has always been a little more experimental than his hip hop peers, which is particularly surprising when you consider he started out with a hard "gangsta rap" edge. While he still delivers hardcore material like "Gangbangin 101", there have been many instances where he fuses soul, gospel, rock and R&B into his music. On his last album "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment", Snoop even had a theme song for his kids youth football league, right alongside a duet with Stevie Wonder. Why is this relevant? Because for the first time, Snoop pledged to push his boundaries even further on his latest project "Ego Trippin". In case anyone thought he was joking, the first single "Sexual Eruption" featured Snoop singing in an auto-tune assisted 70s jam. This is the same guy who made "It ain't no fun if the homies can't have none"... it's a remarkable transformation. The album is titled "Ego Trippin" because for the first time, Snoop wants to create an album with minimal guest appearances. Can Snoop carry an album over 20 tracks long by himself without getting redundant? Lets find out.If you were to use a loose guideline of Ego Trippin, the first section of the album is comprised of traditional Snoop songs we've come to know and love. The middle of the album are fun songs where he steps out of his boundaries a little and tries something new, and the last act contains a little maturity on subjects he's not known for (honest relationships, love, heartbreak, inspiration). He holds down each section very well, but I always believe 'fun Snoop' is the best Snoop. Upon first listen, "Staxxx In My Jeans" is far and away my favorite track on the album. The beat is heavy and hard, but very inviting at the same time and it complements his trademark lazy flow. It's definitely a song I could have seen Snoop making in the late 90s with his stint down south with Master P (I know the mere mention of Master P turns you off, but trust me)."My Medicine" is a country song dedicated to Johnny Cash (because Snoop respected his gangsta). Everlast a.k.a. Whitey Ford a.k.a the dude from House Of Pain handles the guitars on the track. Like many Snoop songs before it, the song is about grabbing a ho and making her go get you some weed. Despite the song being country it's just SO SNOOP at the exact same time, so it doesn't come off as a forced attempt to do something out of your element. "Cool" reminds me of an 80s styled track from Morris Day & The Time. Uptempo, lighthearted, dance-able and slightly funky, of the many 'experiments' on this album, Cool is definitely one that ended up working out for the better. "Deez Hollywood Nights" is a track that you will either love or hate, I happen to love it because of the pseudo storytelling. The song is an entertaining account of Snoop's various activities while attending Hollywood gatherings/clubs/functions which include sharing groupies with Leonardo DiCaprio, giving drugs to people, and directing women to your testicles while yelling "Action!". The novelty of the song may wear off after a while, but for now it's great.
Sandwiched between tales of debauchery with the hoes, Snoop dedicates a track to his wife on "Been Around The World". The song itself is okay, it's definitely not horrible but I can't see myself playing it regularly. I mention it because although the song is about how much he loves his wife, he halfway brags about having sex with another woman in Europe, I just thought it was funny, thats Snoop for ya. "One Chance" is like "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, except it's not nearly as good. I'm not sure the soul sample used in the beat worked for me, but it was good to hear him branch out to a subject with a little more meat on it. "Why Did You Leave Me" is a heartbreak song about missing a former lover, I'm not sure who it is singing the chorus but this guy sounds even worse than Akon. The final song "Can't Say Goodbye" takes a look at the balancing act Snoop performs with his career, fame, and his old on the streets. It's one of the stronger songs on the album, Charlie Wilson's vocals really help push it over the top.Since Snoop openly used other people to write his songs for the first time, we got to see dramatically expanded subject matter. Hip Hop has always been a young man's game, and like Scarface did with his recent album "Made", Snoop has taken a step forward in making music that's a bit more mature. For far too long now, grown men in their late 20s and 30s have been acting like kids in the name of "keeping it hip hop". But albums like Snoop's, Scarface's, and Jay-Z's keep pushing the boundaries ever so slightly to where it one day may be "cool" to be responsible and act your age. I write this fully realizing that there are some songs filled with drugs, anonymous sex, and violence on this album, but when you put Ego Trippin within the context of the other albums in his career it's definitely an improvement. Baby steps folks... baby steps. Something that every album from Snoop has in common, is the ample amount of tracks included on the disc. This album has over 20 songs and theres a decent amount of filler, Ego Trippin could have been trimmed to 15 songs and that really would have made it more potent. While that slightly dilutes the album, it's still worthy of a purchase in the end.
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