A lot has to be said about former Death-Row artist “Snoop Dogg”. With “Ego Trippin'” set to be Snoop's ninth studio album, questions have been raised whether he still has the passion that we all witnessed in “Doggystyle”. Snoop was previously quoted in saying his desire to make good music has vanished, however the intro track for “Ego Trippin'” proves otherwise. Snoop begins the album stating he has never forgot about the “thing he loves most – making music”. With that being said, could Ego Trippin' prove to be a turn-of-events from previous albums? Or are we to expect the same commercial-focused release that's expected?

The album features a range of big names, that have been long-time friends and associates of Snoop, along with artists he has never worked with before. The likes of Kurupt, Jamie Foxx, Mistah F.A.B, Pharrell, and Charlie Wilson, amongst others. A range of producers have hooked up with Snoop for behind-the-board action, including DJ Quik, The Neptunes, Everlast and Raphael Saadiq. The single “Sexual Eruption” has made a huge impact in the US and UK, however was renamed to “Sensual Seduction”, due to various industry laws. The album has sold 200,000 in the first two weeks, and continues to do well worldwide.

Snoop Dogg does show glimpses of his former self, lyrically speaking. In the likes of “Let It Out”. Snoop displays a quick-fire flow, met with a vocal-lead hook that is a small reminiscent of his former personality. The same could be said when referring to “One Chance (Make It Good)”. The story-type track is a Snoop-Dogg-At-His-Best effort, and will no doubt prove to be one of the highlights on the album. Snoop has been quoted when speaking about “Can't Say Goodbye” Ft. Charlie Wilson, as “crying every time he hears the song”. Charlie's vocals for the hook, mixed with a rare genuinely heart-felt contribution from Snoop Dogg creating a beautiful single for “Ego Trippin'”.

Snoop Dogg has hooked up with some great artists throughout the album. The likes of Too Short and Mistah F.A.B appear on “Life Of Da Party”. The club anthem is very well produced, and the duo contribute well to the track. The only downside being the slightly annoying chorus, however Scoop DeVille produces what seems to be a very addictive beat. The ever-present Raphael Saadiq lends his vocals on “Waste Of Time”. The female-inspired track is the type of record Snoop Dogg seems to excel on, and his lyrics are met with a beautiful cameo from the Californian-based Raphael Saadiq.

The album does have a downside. Several cuts really shouldn't have made the album, including the likes of “Cool”, which is Snoop's attempt to sing on a techno-type affair, which quite simply doesn't work. “Been Around The World” is a second, boring track which sounds very similar to Jay-Z's “All Around The World”. These two tracks alone drag the album on, and question Snoop Dogg's ability to perform consistently at this stage in his career.

Slightly different from we were expecting, concluding the above the album isn't half bad. A change of production was a key to another classic Snoop album, and “Tha Boss” has certainly done that. Cutting the album length to eighteen would have helped the cause, however more importantly old-school Snoop Dogg fans will favour the album above any of the previous two (Rhythm And Gangsta) and (The Blue Carpet Treatment). As Snoop says in “Let It Out”

“Look Nigga I'm The King And I Ain't Giving Up A Thing!”

Hip-Hop Kings Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Crowns

Written By Ryan Maxwell
Edited By Emma Dawson

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