Top Dogg

05/11/1999 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Billy Johnson Jr

Ah. Snoop's feeling at home once again. Still a long ways away from his classic 1993 debut Doggystyle, Top Dogg, Snoop's fourth album, matches the nasal-voiced rapper with slow, boom-heavy tracks made for macking.

Last year's Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told found Snoop in an uncomfortable-sounding attempt to assimilate to the styles of his militaristic, rhyming No Limit brethren. But Top Dogg, instead, matches Snoop with nostalgic, throbbing West Coast sounds, new smooth and jazzy player grooves, and a sneak preview of the futuristic Chronic 2000 funk, compliments of the lesser-known Meech Wells, DJ Quik, and--believe it or not--Dr. Dre, respectively.

Dre's thick twangy guitars on "Buck' Em" and nudging organs on "B Please" prove that the Dr. truly knows which beat prescriptions will best get Snoop back on his feet.

While clearly better than Snoop's last two efforts--the aforementioned The Game Is To Be Sold and 1996's Tha Doggfather--Top Dogg is safer than his earlier work. Overtly misogynistic lyrics from The Chronic's "Bi---es Ain't S--t" and Doggystyle's "Ain't No Fun" are no longer a priority for Snoop. In fact, the most shocking content comes from an explicit interlude from comedian Dolomote and a verse from rapper Suga Free.

It only takes one listen to Snoop's remake of Dana Dane's "Cinderfella," dubbed "Snoopafella," to hear where Snoop finds most enjoyment. This feel-good track produced by Ant Banks is a perfect work of art.