 | Tracklist:
1. A Word Witchya!
2. Press Play
3. SD is Out
4. Gangsta Like Me
5. Neva Have 2 Worry
6. Sensual Seduction
7. Life of Da Party (Feat. Too Short & Mistah F.A.B)
8. Waste of Time (Feat. Raphael Saadiq)
9. Cool
10. Sets Up
11. Deez Hollywood Nights
12. Whateva U Do
13. Staxxx in My Jeans
14. Been Around Tha World
15. Let it Out
16. My Medicine
17. Ridin' in My Chevy
18. Those Gurlz
19. One Chance (Make it Good)
20. Why Did You Leave Me
21. Can't Say Goodbye (Feat. Charlie Wilson)
Release Date: 03/11/2008 | |
| Also Recommended by Reviewer:
Chamillionaire - The Ultimate Victory
50 Cent - Curtis
Nate Dogg - Nate Dogg
T-Pain - Epiphany
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| Summary: Snoop needs to focus more on rapping, and less on porn films and reality TV. |
2 of 2 thought this review was well written
I know a lot of you will disagree with me, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Blue Carpet Treatment. The album showed off a Snoop Dogg that was thoroughly aware of the current trends of mainstream hip-hop: big-*** choruses, synth-glazed beats, all while maintaining Snoop’s attitude and somewhat-intricate wordplay. The problem was that it was Snoop’s best album since Doggystyle, and was still pretty average when compared to excellent releases by Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. Snoop’s debut is the only album he’s ever made that I would at least classify as “excellent”, by Sputnik’s rating system anyway. By his third album, it was obvious that Snoop had given up being influential and simply settled for being relevant. Ego Trippin isn’t going to buck the trend: “Sexual Eruption” is a gargantuan top-ten hit and its accompanying album is definitely poised for a huge opening sales week. But this album is sadly just more of the same, and its repetitiveness will just bore you to tears.
The best song on Ego Trippin is the riskiest, and that song is the one that’s currently burning up radio, “Sexual Eruption”. Snoop’s vocals are entirely auto-tuned throughout, save for a throwaway verse to signify that Snoop hasn’t completely sold out. Shawty Redd (Young Jeezy, Drama) produces this synth-shined track, and Snoop sings/raps/Auto-tunes with his tongue not completely out of his cheek. It’s easy to see this song being a complete disaster, putting Snoop on the tip of every two-bit comedian’s tongue, and nearly ruining his career a la Madonna’s “American Life”. But the song works, mainly because Snoop’s not completely serious when he sings it. Other highlights include the irresistibly funky “Cool”, which features Duran Duran-esque keyboards and an incredibly funky bassline just begging you to shake your ***, and “Deez Hollywood Nights”, where Snoop namedrops Jessica Simpson, Jessica Alba, and Jessica Biel, which has almost nothing to do with the music. Featuring a soulful chorus and a rotating piano riff that brings to mind LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends”, “Deez Hollywood” is easily one of the more instrumentally daring songs on Ego Trippin. If Snoop doesn’t want this album to be remembered for “Sexual Eruption”, then he’ll pick this track as his next single.
The only other song worth mentioning is “My Medicine”, a country-rap song that never really gets off the ground, but deserves points for being innovative and different, and being dedicated to Johnny Cash, who Snoop calls “the true American gangster”. Every other song is either incredibly average or just flat out bad. I lay the blame on the production team, and not entirely on Snoop. “QDT Music”, a recording crew made up of Eighties to Nineties has-beens Teddy Riley and DJ Quik, seem to barely make any good beats. For every excellent beat the duo produce--such as “Gangsta Like Me” or “Cool”--there’s a couple of ***ty tracks to keep Ego Trippin to be a solid album. Because we all know how bad that would be. Live-instrumentalist Terrace Martin gives otherwise generic slow jams like “Those Gurlz” and “Been around the World” a more organic feel, adding pianos and 80’s-synths that vibrate poignantly. The problem is, the songs in which this live instrumentation really shines are too damn weak to begin with, and although Martin tries, he can’t prevent these songs from being forgotten minutes later.
Ego Trippin has twenty-one songs, and as you would imagine with any repetitive album with twenty-one songs, it feels like this album is hundreds of minutes long. The best songs crowd the first half, so the second half is a humongous drag just to get through. Hell, even Snoop sounds worn out during “Can’t Say Goodbye”, when goodbye is certainly what he should of said six tracks ago. The main problem with Ego Trippin is that Snoop has now released his fourth straight album that tries to buoy itself on one hit single, without thinking about the other material or writing with the same passion than was on that one phenomenal single. Yes, it’s hard to say that songs like “Sexual Eruption” or “Cool” were written with a whole lot of passion. But they’re good, solid tracks, which is more than what most of these other tracks on Ego Trippin. If Snoop were to never make another album, he should be ashamed that this would be his last statement.
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good review.
Digging: Psycroptic - The Scepter of the Ancients
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what's '30s soul?
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
^^I dunno. I'll change it if it hurts you that much.
EDIT:fixed
This Message Edited On 03.15.08
Digging: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago | | |
Is the single called 'Sensual Seduction' or 'Sexual Eruption'? I thought it was 'Sensual Seduction'?
Digging: Envy - A Dead Sinking Story
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The censored (and way better) single version is called 'Sensual Seduction'
Digging: Republic Of Loose - VOL IV: Johnny Pyro And The Dance Of Evil
| | | Album Rating: 3
Yeah the edited version of that song is so much better.
I actually really, really like this after a single listen.
Digging: Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward | | |
Sensual Seduction is great until he starts rapping.
Digging: Opeth - Watershed
| | | Album Rating: 3
Its the worst part of the song but I think its still pretty siqq brah.
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well
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Quote:
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Sensual Seduction is great until he starts rapping.
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agreed.
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I saw him sing yesterday on some TV show and he sounded terrible.
Digging: Camel - Mirage
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(warning: potential annoyance factor)
Sensual Seduction is great except for that stupid drum machine. I'll cite this song in support of my theory of retardization and megasimplification of rap in the 2000s. One drum machine? Are you serious? One ****in 808? Grr. A song screaming for a better rhythm, and that's all they give.
What a joke. Someone needs to give that song to Daft Punk for remix therapy.
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Quote:
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megasimplification of rap in the 2000s [...] One ****in 808?
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Have you listened to 80s rap before?
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Yes.
Most of it sounds dated and tired. Even Public Enemy bore me to death. I only like Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Beastie Boys, but even they have tracks like that.
I thought music was about progress, not going backwards...
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
so what do u want from the song? more drum machines?
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Joshuatree: Eh, no. Better beats.
But then again, "So What'cha Want" by the Beastie Boys is the yardstick I always use when it comes to hip-hop.
This Message Edited On 03.29.08
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^
"So What'cha Want" is a really good song.
I haven't heard this whole album but what I have heard has been a little weak. I don't think Snoop Dogg will ever be as good as he was on The Chronic 16 years ago.
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Clever.
Haven't heard this album but Sensual Seduction is AMAZING
Digging: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
| | | Album Rating: 3
album is pretty siqq
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Snoop D O double G is playing The Bamboozle! Can't wait to youtube videos of that.
Digging: Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
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