The “Doggfather” of hip-hop is back, and he’s funkier than ever. Snoop Dogg’s latest album “Doggumentary” is a nostalgic throwback to Snoop’s first album, “Doggystyle.”
“Doggumentary” is a marathon of eclectic sounds that all meld together with Snoop’s lyrics, which, while not especially memorable, hook the listener and delve deeper into the life and times of Snoop Dogg. Snoop also includes an all-star cast collaborating with him on this 20-plus song album.
The album starts off with funk master Bootsy Collins introducing the big Dogg in “Toyz N da Hood,” which starts off with the funk-rap West Coast style Snoop Dogg is best known for. That leads into the song “The Way Life Used to Be,” which brings the listener into a euphoric state of nostalgia, for those who grew up listening to hip-hop before the West Coast/East Coast War.
With only a few exceptions, such as “Raised in da Hood,” Snoop Dogg tries too hard collaborating with bands and people outside his genre of music, with odd songs like his and Willie Nelson’s, “Superman,” or “Sumthing Like this Night” featuring the Gorillaz. At times the collaborations become too much, leaving the listener confused as to which genre they are listening to.
The single standout song from the album is “Peer Pressure,” Snoop Dogg’s plea to teens not to smoke, drink or do drugs. While this is a nice message for the youth, it is odd coming from a man who has built his whole rap repertoire on having sex and smoking weed — it seems dishonest.
The album has its shining moments, but they are utterly smeared by the overhaul of content and confusing genre of the album. It just goes to show how quality can speak miles compared to quantity.
2.5 out of 4 stars