West Coast super group fizzles, fo'shizzle

It's been a long time since Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg and Warren G hooked up to break us off a piece. In between drug arrests, side projects and feature films, these West Coast hall-of-famers have hyped up their dream of putting out a 213 album. They say the game don't wait, but apparently it does, because the collaboration of these three has taken nearly a decade to finally drop. And now that it has, it just can't live up to the anticipation.\nLooking at their similar styles, past collaborations and multi-platinum pedigrees, you'd think these legendary rappers would add up to the hip-hop equivalent of the '92 Dream Team. But 213 has fallen into the same trap as the current U.S. Olympic men's basketball team. You can assemble great talent, but if there isn't a strong effort, it doesn't matter.\nOne of the main reasons why this trio has seemed to fizzle fo' shizzle is because they have just changed the game too much since the days of "Regulators" and "Ain't no Fun." Nate has kept it gangsta, but it seems like Snoop and Warren have traded roles. Over the years, Snoop has traded in the aggressive flow seen during his Death Row days for his current laid-back image. Warren on the other hand is no longer the smooth playa of the night. He has seemed to be embittered by the industry, probably because his last album was a flop. As a result, you end up with a Warren G who talks more about guns and violence than "chords, strings, melodies… G Funk." On the song "Run on Up," Snoop boasts, "I'm a low-key OG" while Warren vents, "I'm mad as fuck I let the industry use me."\nThe chemistry on the album just isn't there, which is baffling since they've been on each others' songs for years. Snoop seems to dominate the entire album, with Warren G being used sparingly. Nate Dogg isn't given much of a presence either, being relegated to pretty much chorus duty. Still, when he gets the chance to croon a verse, he nails it as usual. Indeed his riffing, such as his singing on "Mary Jane," is the best part of the album.\nAnother glaring problem with the album is the production. Although DJ Hi-Tek and Kanye West provide solid backgrounds, they are from Cincinnati and Chicago, respectively, and just aren't Cali flavor. I don't understand why they didn't recruit Dr. Dre or even Battlecat to lay down some beats that are truly West Coast. The beats throughout the album boom with bass and are pretty indicative of what to expect from Snoop nowadays, but it seems like the album has too many mellow tracks. You'd think you were listening to the Isley Brothers, not a rap album. There also doesn't seem to be a classic song on this CD, let alone a real radio single.\nThis isn't to say that it is a horrible album. It's far from it. Even without their A-game, these three smash most rappers out there. If your collection consists of primarily West Coast rap, I don't see why you wouldn't add this to your rotation, but don't expect a classic.\nAll-in-all, this album reminds me a lot of Snoop's first Eastsidaz album, but with the likes of Warren and Nate, the expectations were a lot higher. With Eastsidaz, you were surprised by these newcomers. With 213, you're disappointed with these veterans.