Snoop Dogg
Malice N Wonderland
Priority, Doggystyle
Rating: 4
The laid-back king of cool, Snoop Dogg, presents his own vision of Alice in Wonderland in his latest album, an amusing homage to the rapper’s own world. Each track is done in the traditional Snoop style, with straightforward beats and calm, confident raps. It’s unfortunate that, given Snoop’s distinctive star quality, nearly every track features another artist. While the inclusion of such artists as R. Kelly, Soulja Boy and Brandy provides nice variation, the album is not really a solo effort.
Ultimately, it’s the small details that make the album clever: The “Intro” is spoken by Snoop’s son, a flight attendant informs us of our current “flight” over Wonderland in “Pronto” and a voicemail message is featured in “Secrets.” Snoop takes the listener on a journey through his own gritty, backstreet Wonderland and it’s a memorable ride.
Give these tracks a listen: “I Wanna Rock,” “Pronto,” “1800”
For Fans Of: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre
– Robin Migdol