By shelz.

It’s sad to say, but many last millennium Hip-Hop somebodies are now viewed as new millennium nobodies.  The balancing act for aging rappers involves walking a very thin line between yesteryear and the present.  They have to retain the style and personality that brought them to prominence but infuse enough of today so they wont sound dated.  However, leaping too far into the hot right now trends makes the 1^st generation crowd look like past their prime old dudes who are unsuccessfully searching for the sonic fountain of youth. Unfortunately most of our 20^th century rhyme slayers have erred too far to one side of that line or the other.  

Snoop Dogg is another story.  His journey through almost two decades of change and upheaval has been marked by an ever-present stoner façadethat has always produced a smoothflight on the red eye.  He is a bit more style than substance and that simple lyrical presentation along withhis weed shaken, but not slurred delivery has stood the test of time.  But with his tenth album on the horizon can he still go back to that same well and expect it to produce something relevant and accepted?  Yes.

Malice N Wonderland is nothing groundbreaking.  We still find the doggy dog barking up the same lyrical tree filled with broads to bang, rags to wave and green to smoke.  However, he does find ways to weave in his grown man assertions, his OG status and plenty of love for the wife and kids, the wife especially.

The album is broken into halves.  Snoop starts with his malicious side and then moves on to wonderful.  Sonically, the two halves aren’t horribly different though.  Much of the production is streamlined and atmospheric. It’s just enough of a foundation to add either an ominous tinge or an everything is groovy kind of party vibe and a thump for Snoop to two-step over.  There is some pretty nifty use of samples, most notably the intro to Rob Base’s “It Takes Two” on the lead off cut, “I Wanna Rock” and the Nottz created track for “Pimpin Ain’t Ez” that borrows heavily from “Zoom” by the Commodores.  Some of the songs get a little draggy on the production side though. The Lil Jon crafted “1800” is a sneaky stab at crunk but doesn’t have enough oomph to be exciting and the Battle Cat concocted interpolation of the Romantics’ “Talking in Your Sleep” entitled “Secrets” will make you drowsy. It also doesn’t help that the hook stands poorly against the original which wasn’t all that great to begin with and the song is almost 2 minutes in before Snoop starts rapping.

Fortunately there are several tracks on the album that are bump worthy.  “2 Minute Warning” comes courtesy of Terrace Martin and has some synth, some bass, some guitar, a bell and real simple piano tinkering.   The sum of all that is back in the day atmospheric gangsta without sounding too back in the day. The most interesting thing about the song though is Snoops claim that if Dre and Suge didn’t exist, you would still be listening to this album right now.  Oh really Snoop?

The Teddy Riley/Scoop Deville/PMG produced “Different Languages” with Jazmine Sullivan on the hook will, on the onset, remind you of Jays “Feelin It.”  It’s a top down, summer day song that should get play at the park. Well, next summer anyway. Snoop is all about his other half  in this song.  The ode to the wifey is sweet and the ladies will feel this one.

“Pronto” has Soulja Boy taking the helm on the southern fried track.  His singing on the hook leaves a bit to be desired and it really sounds like Snoop is the feature on this one as Soulja Boy has two verses to Snoop’s one. Beliveit or not the kid kinda bodies uncle Snoop on his second verse.  “Upside Down” is pretty dope party song with Nipsey Hustle dropping a decent verse. “Gangsta Luv” is another infectious track.  It’s good for the ladies, good for the club and a perfectly decent radio song.

So does Snoop win?  Of course he does.  When was the last time you remember this dude taking a real L? Between popping his brand new executive collar at Priority and filming the probably pretty bad movie that accompanies this release, Snoop has managed to create an album that is stylistically a notch on the same belt but just enough of a change that he won’t be considered the Hip Hop Flyguy.  Lucky for him and maybe even some of yall, pulling hoes and getting blunted will never go out of style.

 out of 5

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