Snoop Dogg
Malice N Wonderland

Unsettling tunes; disturbing rhythms; one very recognisable vocal style. That’s your friendly neighbourhood Snoop Dogg, in his own words. And he’s right. Sad thing is, it’s a bit too right – Malice N Wonderland is nothing really new.

He’s a clearly talented bloke and the rhymes are just as complex as before, yet this new offering never really jumps out and grabs you like big hits in the past. It’s almost if it’s written to a formula. Still, that’s not to say the offering isn’t enjoyable.

While you can see I Wanna Rock, the album’s first single, as being a particularly popular tune for the airwaves and download charts alike, it’s far from the best track available. The distorted bass is a little too overpowering and so repetitive that it’ll fix in your head like an air raid siren from a Vietnam-style flashback.

It’s one of very few solo efforts on Malice N Wonderland, which for all intents and purposes have little difficulty in hitting the spot otherwise. 2 Minute Warning has such strong lyrics and power in the vocals that it could be a cappella and still carry just as much moodiness and impact.

Similarly, the generally strange That’s Tha Homie is one of the more disturbing yet entrancing tracks, with paranoia-inducing loops and distorted vocals on the chorus striking a fine balance between a great and varied tune and a fear-inducing rap merry-go-round.

As far as the partnerships go, R Kelly’s effort on Pimpin Ain’t EZ is one of the more likeable yet most annoying collaborations, partially because you could almost bathe in the amount of arrogance that drips from Snoop’s softly-spoken and controversial rapper in crime. You’ll be surprised to know that he isn’t solely singing about sex as per usual, though you may want to check out R’s Untitled if you want your fix of questionable shag-based ditties (tangent: listen to Number One from that album. Seriously, it’s hilarious).

Nonetheless, there’s something you can always depend on: Lil Jon will always deliver his textbook shouty repetitions, YE-YEAH!s and WHAT?!s throughout any tune he contributes to. Luckily for Snoop, it’s genuinely enjoyable to listen to their joint effort 1800, which was practically built for the loud master of mimicry.

Additionally, the Brandy and Pharrell effort Special is a unique display of wonderful harmony, cutting a huge contrast to the likes of That’s Tha Homie and 2 Minute Warning by harnessing pan pipes and a standard-yet-comforting drum beat to relax you after listening to all of Malice N Wonderland.

In between the songs mentioned above, however, is a lot of filler; at least, filler by Snoop’s standards. The better tracks also fail to really vary from what’s come before and as a result, it’s almost like an update of a previous release or a simple message telling people that he can still do this with ease. A bit more effort may have gone a long way, however.

It’s a bit too short, too. For a rapper of this calibre, it’s a bit of a kick in the stomach to only get just under 54 minutes of material.

Nonetheless, it’s Snoop proving that after 16 years in the game, he’s still one of the modern-day greats. The intro and outro, however twee and cute, also give it a little added depth of personality without being too cheesy. Either way, it’s a solid addition to his huge back catalogue and one which fans of the D O double G will cherish.

Malice N Wonderland is out now on Priority Records.

By Matt Gardner