When I was a little boy, I knew one day I would be a writer. And despite a few attempts at other occupations, I ended up going back to the one thing I always knew I could do. Point is that you are who you are, and the sooner you recognize it, the better off you’ll be. The secret to Snoop Dogg’s success over the years is that he’s always known who he is - an entertainer with one of the smoothest flows in the industry. Party records are his business, and business has always been good. He’s gone a little more pop since he burst on the scene on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic
To me, this album really revolves around two singles - I Wanna Rock and 1800:
The biggest single off this album will be I Wanna Rock. You got a looped sample and part of the chorus from Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock’s classic It Takes Two, plus a filthy, shuffling drum beat that makes your head nod. 1800 is a little more generic, but the beat goes hard with the handclaps and Lil Jon yelling in the background. Most importantly, it’s already got suburban white kids c-walking. The song reminds me of Akon and Snoop’s I Wanna Love You, only harder, and that’s a good thing.
Most of the rest of the album is made up of other party tracks that just aren’t at the same level. It’s sort of like he said, “Well, I made my two hits for the record, now I can put it on cruise control.” He does mix it up from time to time and step out of his comfort zone with songs like Different Languages, but it just doesn’t sound right. Not that it’s a bad beat, but it’s the kind of offbeat jazz that would better suit hipster rappers like Kanye, Lupe Fiasco, or Kid Cudi.
Overall, I give Malice N Wonderland a 3.5 out of 5. I like the top two singles, but the rest of the album feels a little mailed in. Snoop Dogg fans who’ve been there since the beginning will feel the dropoff, but casual listeners will happily download the lead singles and call it a day.
Listen to samples and download the album:
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