The west coast king’s 9th album of g-funk is flavored with trips to the ’80’s, vocoders and country music. Snoop has been able to stay in the rap game longer than most by consistent recording and his nonstop execution of the Snoop brand. Snoop’s Crip pride and cavalier drawl has been used to sell everything from clothes to movies but he reminds his fans on the intro that music is the base of it all. Billowy electronic flutes lift “Sensual Seduction” into a Roger Troutman inspired universe commandered by Snoop’s vocodered tale of seismic orgasms with a desirable woman. The video features Snoop dressed as Prince circa ’84 in his “When Doves Cry” video. As if that tribute to his musical roots is not enough he sings lead on a fun version of The Time’s “Cool” Prince’s old friends and R&B alter ego.
After re-tasting the Minneapolis funk Teddy Riley’s genius for making legendary street melodies courses through dusk strolling music like “SD Is Out” and the cocksure funk of “Gangsta Like Me.” Bodega gripped beats from The Neptunes fashions “Sets Up” into a southwestern byte of cowboy posturing in another story of how Snoop’s color blue is the best. Mr.Broadus makes a creative stretch on the Whitey Ford assisted “My Medicine” proving himself able to gig at a hoedown also paying tribute to Johnny Cash. Sticking to the blueprint and adding new musical fun Snoop’s Ego Tripping is one more reason to respect Snoop’s mic swagger.
