The last six months have not been going well for Snoop Dogg. He was arrested twice for gun violations and marijuana possession. Two weeks ago, he was sentenced to five years of probation for drug and gun charges. On the top of it all, his request to enter the U.K. has been denied, to the great disappointment of all his European fans. Australia also denied him entrance. Despite all this, Snoop continues to tour extensively and even record albums. When these albums turn out to be amazing, I think most will forgive Snoop's recent misbehavior.
The compilation album "Snoop Dogg Preesents: The Big Squeeze" was released on April 24, and critics and fans have been raving. Snoop collaborates with Goldie Loc, MC Eiht, The Warzone, his own Western Union pals, Kurupt and Das Dilinger of Tha Dog Pound, Uncle Chuck and many other heroes of the West Coast hip-hop scene, and delivers this blast of an album with a great ease. The record consists of 15 songs, some of which have the catchiest beats I have heard in a year.
The greatest thing about compilation albums is the refreshing variety; you get to enjoy 12 different styles of rapping. Some tracks in this album are collaborations between five or six different rappers ("Like Rock Stars," "Spend Some Time"), each artist with his own flow and way of getting around the beat. This is one of the least boring albums from the West Coast, giving you the opportunity to hear the essence of each artist's style and featuring incredibly catchy songs. Don't even come close to this album if you don't need a beat stuck in your head for the next two weeks. When the songs are not catchy, they are at least above average. I don't know whether there will be many mind-boggling, chart-climbing singles here, but all of them will be underground hits because they are playable and addictive. The production is top notch.
Thematically, the album is everything you have heard from Snoop before, with some updates on his recent legal problems. In one of the songs, he introduces his newest protégé?the rapper Damani?who is a treasure indeed. The track is called, fittingly, "All About Damani." The catchiest track is undoubtedly "Pop Pop Bang," a collaboration between Kurupt, Kam and Snoop Dogg. The Western Union song, "Hat to the Bacc," is also catchy and features a simple beat that sticks. Western Pond's flow is outstanding, especially Soopafly's.The only song that annoyed me was "Get It Started," an incredibly repetitive song with a lot of heavy breathing and some misplaced flow here and there.
All in all, though the album won't get the same amount of hype because it is a compilation (for better or worse, solo albums always sell more), it is an essential for every West Coast-loving fan.