Link: Official Snoop Dogg Site
The Inside Pulse:
Love him or hate him, the career of Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus is one of the most remarkable in recent memory. Everyone knows the story”¦Snoop drops his Doggystyle debut in 1993 and, with each subsequent album, is unable to recapture the commercial or critical success that first put him on the map way back when. After the mumbling Mafioso-themed mess that was 1996’s Doggfather album, Snoop’s career was officially on life support. Then, his infamous 1998 No Limit Records debut, Da Game is to Sold, Not to be Told, killed him off for good. But, a funny thing happened on the slow walk to “Lady of Rage Way” and “O.F.T.B. Boulevard”. No Limit Top Dogg was released in 1999, spawning a hit single (B*tch Please) that saved the careers of Snoop and mentor, Dr. Dre and made Xzibit, albeit briefly, into an A-list act. The Best of Snoop Dogg isn’t entirely truth in advertising, as this collection focuses exclusively on the post-Death Row years. In 2001, Tha Row released their own version of Snoop’s Greatest Hits, which took the listener through 1997. This is the rest of the story.
Positives:
Over the last few years, Snoop’s albums have ran the gamut from enjoyable to uneven to awful. But, they all have managed to manufacture a hit single or two and those cuts are all in attendance here. Still A G Thang may have been an ill-advised sequel to the song that first put Snoop out there, but it’s a fun little ride. Beautiful is made better by Pharrell’s beatmaking, while Lay Low might be the closest that Master P ever got to greatness. Extra credit for the inclusion of the abrasively playful Stoplight, the hard-to-find Ride On/Caught Up cut and the glorious guilty pleasure from the WWF Aggression album, with Snoop and WC dropping their take of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s theme.
Negatives:
It’s a greatest hits album, kids, which means it’s already obsolete in this era of the internet, iPods and music downloads. There aren’t any “exclusive” tracks to be had here to entice the hardcore Snoop fan, either. And, while there are usually a few unavoidable omissions on these types of albums, some of the joints kept on/left off here are simply inexplicable. Take your pick: Woof, Gin & Juice II, G Bedtime Stories and Loosen Control could’ve all been cut from this. Obvious replacements include: Hoes, Money & Clout, Ghetto Symphony, Set It Off and G’d Up, just to name a few.
Cross-Breed:
You get some of the Snoop Dogg that had lost his way in 1998, mixed with the version we’ve got today. It’s an interesting evolution, to be sure.
Reason to Buy:
If you don’t have access to obtain this material through the advancements in musical technology, then this one’s for you, if you’re a Snoop fan. Otherwise, there’s nothing here that the most loyal Snoop devotees don’t already have. This is a decent, but flawed collection of work.
