Snoop doggs it

Snoop Dogg’s breakthrough album Doggystyle is unanimously regarded as a masterpiece of hip-hop, and it had to be. For Snoop and Dr. Dre, it was practically a matter of life or death: Make something classic and amazing, or stay another year in the horrifying squalor of Compton, Calif., and Long Beach, Calif. Since Doggystyle’s massive success, Snoop hasn’t had to work so hard at music. The guy has his own reality show, shoe line, adult film, action figure and Lord knows what else.

For the 12 years since his widely-underrated Doggfather, he’s been consistently inconsistent. Apparently, without a real need to make albums, his work falls flat. It took reuniting with his old pals Warren G and Nate Dogg – with the mission of single-handedly saving West Coast hip-hop – for 213’s The Hard Way for him to really bring it.

This, in a word, is bullshit. Snoop is blessed with one of the best voices and most charming personalities not only in hip-hop, but all of popular music. He has his choice of working with whomever he wants in the areas of both production and guest vocalists. There is no excuse for his albums to not be completely overflowing with straight-up bangers.

Instead, Ego Trippin’ sinks comfortably into that 12-year-old pattern. Like its many predecessors, it has exactly two decent songs: “Flashbacks” – a “trump tight” new edition of classic G-funk’s liquid bounce – and, of course, the more-hilarious-than-musical “Sensual Seduction,” which may well go down as the best video of 2008.

The problem on Snoop’s albums is commonplace in hip-hop: His songs lack architecture. Their structures were shoddily conceived and constructed, if they exist at all. The unfortunate pattern of Snoop’s releases is nothing new; dozens of great R&B singers went through the latter phases of their careers with similar laxity. This method works for greatest-hits compilations, but little else. Evidently, after turning your natural talent into a Midas touch, it’s easy to go through the motions.