About Stefan Halley
Location: Malmo, Sweden
Occupation: Editor-in-Chief
Bio: Stefan has been writing reviews for seven years and started Pop Syndicate out of need to voice his mis-guided opinion.
Posts: 719
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It’s everything you love about Snoop Dogg and nothing more.
It’s been sixteen years since we were first introduced to Snoop Dogg. Over the past sixteen years, Snoop has gone from obscurity to A-list celebrity. A lot has changed for him; sadly his music isn’t one of them. Ego Trippin’ is more of the same from Snoop. The downside is you’re going to get a lot of songs about drugs, ho’s and gangsta livin’. On the upside, Snoop’s languorous style easily flows from track to track as he teams up with some of the best hip-hop producers working today. Even though the subject of Snoop’s songs never changes, the style varies greatly.
Snoop does something new here. He actually sings on a couple of a tracks. The first single “Sexual Eruption” is a horrible track that has Snoop using a vocoder. The vocoder is one of the worst tools introduced to rap music and has done more damage than anything else. Thanks to the popularity of T Pain and others, you can find a vocoder used on almost every rap album released these days. He makes up for this egregious error with the country music inspired “My Medicine”. Dedicated to the “real American gangsta” Johnny Cash, Snoop does a fine job and it’s a refreshing change after copious amounts of slow, soul infused numbers. The other big surprise is “Cool”, a cover of a song by The Time that sounds like a lost track off the Purple Rain soundtrack.
The rest of the album falls into a soulful mélange of songs that run together. From the first song “Press Play”, where Snoop brags about smoking pot, being a gangsta and being the boss while horns blare in the background, to the final track “Can’t Say Goodbye”, where Snoop reminisces about smoking pot, being a gangsta and loving his family, Ego Trippin’ is an easy listen. It’s the saving grace for the album. Most of the songs are radio friendly and should help Snoop sell millions of copies. Still once it’s over, nothing here really makes you want to listen to it over and over again.
With twenty-one tracks on the album (that’s twenty actual tracks and not eleven songs with an additional ten filler moments), Ego Trippin’ will keep fans happy and probably bring some new people into the world of Snoop Dogg. Hopefully, someday he’ll move past his gangsta pothead shtick and deliver a more solid album that isn’t filled with tired clichés.
If you’ve seen the video for Sexual Eruption (or “Sensual Seduction” as they insist on calling it on video on radio), you’d know that the whole vocoder schtick is more meant to be reminiscent of the group Zap from the 70s/early 80s. And I think it’s fantastic! Again, I don’t know what you’re thinkin’ half the time, not liking what everyone else likes! Stop being such a dissenter!!
I gave it 3.5/5. I liked the album but what’s the difference between this album and his first? Outside of this one is newer, not much. And Sexual Eruption still sucks. Horrible song.
You can’t tell me that the vocoder isn’t over used these days. It’s been run into the ground more than someone yelling “Yeah” in the background.
Next you’re going to tell me that Janet Jackson’s new CD is good.
I hope you realize that more often than not when I bust your chops about your reviews, it’s all in good fun. i’ll fight you tooth and nail on Sexual Eruption, though.
And no, I haven’t given a rat’s ass about Janet Jackson since some lucky schmuck got to fondle her on that Rolling Stone cover back in the 90s.
I do but you have to realize that you’re so wrong on the Snoop Dogg song it’s not even funny.
I think we’re all jealous of that bastard.