Defsounds

Record sales continue to suffer, sub-par artist continue to come out, and the ones who are not given a chance still blame the older artist for not giving them a chance. The Hip Hop reconstruction period is still in full effect.

But somewhere out there in the vast universe of Hip Hop there is an artist who seems unfazed by all that is going on. He has had troubles with the law, and even a couple of run ins, with the alledged Hip Hop Police, he has seen his friends and fellow artist suffer from the soundscan slump, and he has survived every era of Hip Hop. When things get tough he simply takes a puff from his blunt, exhales the thick smoke and lets out a sigh of confident relief. This artist is Rapper Snoop Dogg, and with the reconstruction of Hip Hop changing everyones musical ear and behavior, this old dog seems to stay stuck in his ways.

Lyrics 7 - What do you expect from snoop, mind blowing punchlines, subtle metaphors, and an animated delivery? If so this isn't the album or the artist for you.

Snoop stays true to his smooth baritone voice, spitting lyrics that slide onto the beat like a hot knife through butter. Even when he is imposing threats, his demeanor is so cool that even the hardest conservative would enjoy the lyrics.

Snoop doesn't try to be something that he isn't and it works for him. Don't expect a barrage of similes, or an attempt from this veteran to overload a track with multi-lyrics and alliterations, Snoop is what he is and will always be. Never the less we appreciate it.

Songs 8 - It doesn't seem plausible that someone can listen to this LP and not be able to find one track they like.

In "Ego Trippin," Snoop rides the gray line that differentiates commercial and hood. In "Cant Say Goodbye" He reminds you that he is older now and has priorities, but also reinforces his eternal love of the hood. While singer Charlie Wilson swoons in the background "I cant say goodbye" Snoop reminds everyone that the streets were there for him before his fans, so he can never ignore the streets. In "Been around the World" Snoop dedicates this song to his wife, proclaiming no matter where in the world he goes, nothing in the world will ever compare to her. Outside of "Sexual Eruption," Snoop also has a ladies favorite in the making titled "Why Did you Leave Me," spewing heartfelt lyrics, in tribute to a lady that may have left him this song is bound to get a large portion of spins if it hits the airwaves.

Production 8 - Production is usually the hardest part of an album to judge because everyones musical ear varies.

What one might consider a great beat, another might consider boring and over used, and while one might be able to get a better feeling for a song in one production another listener may feel that the beat selection was totally off key.

But "Ego Tripppin" offers a variety of beat selections, giving the listener a different feel for every song, he even goes as far as giving a country beat. Props to Snoop for trying to be different, but he should never do that again. There are a couple of beats that will get the blood going but nothing that will make you seizure with excitement.

Overall 7.5 - The original Concept for "Ego Trippin" was supposed to be an album in which snoop did not have a single guest, he had plans to hold down the entire album on his own.

Unfortunately this didn't happen as Snoop ended up having a couple of collabos make the final piece of work. Luckily enough for everyone this album does not turn into a compilation cd, it once again rides the gray area, supplying to the pop fans the mainstream songs needed "Sexual Eruption", while at the same time sticking to what he knows best. He has guest but never does any of his guest outshine him on his own album.

This Album is once again states what so many should have already know, he's not going anywhere until he's good and ready.