Over the past few years, Snoop Dogg has evolved in such a way that he has become an established artist in a huge variety of genres of music.
From featuring on Katy Perry’s huge pop hit ‘California Girls’ to guesting on the Gorillaz album Plastic Beach – including joining them on stage at Glastonbury 2010 – Snoop Dogg has become universal. His ability to branch out has coincided with his position in hip-hop. As one of the older recording artists, he is seen very much as the Godfather of the genre, producing protégés and helping others make their mark.
His new album, Doggumentary, sees this evolution stamped into a twenty one track record that covers the various aspects of Snoop Dogg’s musical career. After moving past the disappointing opening track, we are taken through a number of slow jams such as ‘The Way Life Used To Be’ and ‘Wonder What It Do‘, which reminds us that Snoop Dogg is an elder of the genre:
“They say I’ve changed/I’m getting old.”
‘My Fucn House’ sees the first heavy hip-hop beat, with a deeper, dirtier bassline, and fuller sound. Young Jeezy’s influence is clear, and we see Snoop’s MC-ing ability.
There’s no expense spared on this album. Collaborations are apparent on almost every track on the record. And they’re not half hearted cameos either. R Kelly, T-Pain, Wiz Kalifa, David Guetta, Gorillaz, Willie Nelson and Kanye West amongst others have their say on various parts of the Doggumentary, and their influences are all established. The tracks reflect the part played by them, whilst Snoop takes a back seat, guiding them on their way through their three minutes. These are almost their own songs, Snoop using his experience to give them their break.
As with many of Snoop Dogg’s previous albums, Doggumentary combines slam jams, dance anthems, hip-hop beats, and Rn’B soulful sounds. ‘Gangbang Rookie’ has the piano feel of a blues or jazz number, whilst possibly the biggest track on the album, ‘Wet’, combines Guetta’s established dance beats with 80s classic ‘Don’t You Want Me’ – sure to 
make it a huge floor filler.
Whilst there are unlikely to be any stand out Snoop Dogg hits, like the days of ‘Gin N’ Juice’ and ‘What’s My Name‘, this record represents another huge development in the career of Snoop Dogg. Drawing in some of the biggest names from a variety of genres, he holds them all together with his smooth lyrical ability and more importantly, his established presence in the industry. It is an album that deserves a listen, particularly ‘I Don’t Need No B*tch’, ‘Boom’ and ‘Wet’. If nothing else, it may give you a chance to discover new talent, revisit other old heads such as T-Pain and John Legend, or simply reflect on the latter stages of what has been a phenomenal dominance in hip-hop circles for Snoop himself.
Tom Wallin
Tags: dance, David Guetta, Doggumentary, gorillaz, hip hop, John Legend, Kanye West, Katy Perry, R Kelly, RnB, Snoop Dogg, soul, T-Pain, Willie Nelson
