Snoop Dogg "Ego Trippin" (Doggystyle/Geffen) Sounds like: A combination of old school rap and a mature musical sound
He may be a daddy with his own reality show on E!, but he's still Snoop. In his ninth solo studio album, "Ego Trippin," which is also the introduction track, he woos listeners into this experience. Yes, it is an experience.
Twenty-one tracks of Snoop's distinct voice teamed with vintage '80s sounds - old-school synthesizers, vocoders - result in a musical maturity for Snoop Dogg's sound. After 16 years in the business, he has to reinvent himself somehow. Instead of attempting to completely embody one persona, he successfully switches gears from his fatherly side to his playboy womanizing self to his hustler image, sandwiched in between some mighty impressive beats. The end product is a solid and diverse hip-hop album layered with myriad lyrics and old school rhythm, beckoning listeners to dance and appreciate the origins of hip-hop.
Tracks like "Cool" and "Sets Up" harken back to the days when De La Soul and Yo! MTV Raps reigned over hip-hop music. But tracks like "Been Around Tha' World" and "Ridin' In My Chevy" encompass the contemporary rap sound, making his album relevant and winning the approval of contemporary listeners. "Press Play," his second song and quite possibly the best song on the entire album, is like a theatrical musical experience complete with claps, female back-up singers and trumpets. It's a feel-good song that leaves no musical senses untapped, resembling Kanye West's musical construction, sans that often pretentious pink polo.
All of his songs unmistakably sound like Snoop, but they will also remind you of everyone from T-Pain to Lupe Fiasco. "Ego Trippin" does not disappoint and is reminiscent of traditional hip-hop glamour and gangster lyrics that one would expect from Snoop Dogg.
