Music Review – Snoop Dogg – Ego Trippin’

Reviewed by Steven Frith

Reviewed on 03/24/08

My Rap Music Standard – 2pac – Me Against the World

The aging rapper is, not unexpectedly, nowhere where he used to be, but The Doggfather is still much more listenable then a lot of other current rappers.

Release Date: 3/11/2008

Executive Producer: Snoop Dogg

Other Producers: DJ Quik, The Neptunes, Rick Rock, Everlast, Teddy Riley, and more.

Guest Appearances: Kurupt, Charlie Wilson, Jamie Foxx, Too Short, Pharrell, Everlast, The Gap Band

Review:

Honest Opinion: This CD is good. It’s not great; it’s not bad…just good. I do like that Snoop Dogg is still trying to evolve in his old(er) age and try new things. In his first song, “Sexual Eruption” (the dirty title), he actually sings for a good portion of the song alongside a very catchy beat. It’s one of those love it or hate it songs though, and I’m sure if you’ve heard it, you’ve already made up your mind on that one. By the way, how long is this vocoder (voice box) thing going to last? I liked it in “California Love”(Is that Chris Tucker at the beg. of the video?) back in 1996, but it must be a requirement to make a CD to use one now. Roger Troutman is probably rolling in his grave as we speak!

One of my favorites on the CD is the 2nd song, “Press Play.” Using a sample of “Voyage to Atlantis” by the Isley Brothers, Snoop brings his long-time friend, Kurupt, aboard to rap to a DJ Quik-produced track that brings back some of that same old Snoop Dogg feeling that you can sit back and “chill” too.

The more you listen to this CD, the most you start to think that Snoop is just trying to show you that he has an eclectic taste is music. In “My Medicine, The Doggfather teams with Everlast in a very Johnny Cash inspired country joint (had to throw one joint reference in here, after all this is Snoop). Snoop surprised me by concluding the CD with two, very emotional, somber tracks showing that Snoop has a Sears side (a softer side…if you don’t get it, it used to be the jingle for Sears…and I’m showing my age). In the final song, “Can’t Say Goodbye,” (a track that seems to piggy back “Changes” by 2pac) he talks about fatherhood, and how he has to be different, but how the streets don’t say goodbye. I really don’t like “Why Did You Leave Me,” though, as the beat just doesn’t fit the Snoop D-O-Double G we all grew up to know and love. But then again, a lot of the album doesn’t seem to.

1st Single Representation: “Sexual Eruption” is a fairly good representation of this album, because it is quite a bit different then anything Snoop has put out before. A lot of what is on the CD, while not like that song, is Snoop trying to toy with his production, beats and style.

If You Are Going to Download Three Songs (legally of course), This Is What I Would Download: “Press Play,” “Sexual Eruption” and “Cool.”

Rule of 4: My personal test to buy a CD (that isn’t one of my favorite artists that I’ll be waiting in line to buy the day it’s released) is to take a listen to as much as I can, and if I like 4 or more songs a lot, I’ll buy it. I figure that if I really like 4 there are at least a couple more I will somewhat like and so on. Ego Tripping is about as borderline as you can get to fitting this rule, but just does for me. I really like the first 3 I listed above in downloads (Press Play, Sexual Eruption and Cool) and there are 2 or 3 that are ALMOST to that level, but not there, but I figure if 3 are close enough to the “really like” description, that it is worth it.

Verdict: If you are a Snoop Dogg fan, you should probably pick it up. If you are just a casual Snoop fan that just liked “Gin and Juice,” “What’s My Name” and his other Death Row hits, I would recommend avoiding this and just maybe download a song or two you might like as they become singles and you see if you like them. In an era, where in my opinion, most of the rap sucks, sadly, it is actually one of the better rap CDs to come out in 2008.