Though hip-hop legends Ice Dice, Too $hort, E-40 and Snoop Dogg have spun the rotating wheel of collaboration for about 30 years, a full-length album from pioneering elder statesmen was an sudden, however welcome, growth. First teased in late 2020, NFT lovers had been handled to the group’s official debut album, ‘Unhealthy MFs’ in June of this 12 months, when the album was launched by way of blockchain. ‘Snoop, Dice, 40, $hort’ reads like a fleshed-out, retooled model of that; West Coast rap followers are serviced effectively right here.
The LP opens with the Rick Rock-produced ‘California’. Sharing the third and last verse with Dice, Too $hort’s verbal volley of explosives overpower the potent kicks and snares: “And we ain’t throwin’ no indicators (oh god), only a clip and a 9 / One bullet to the pinnacle, put some shit in your thoughts”. However regardless of the brilliance proven early on, ‘Snoop, Dice, 40, $hort’ is restrained by its personal ambition, catering to the 4 emcees’ wants sparingly. ‘Have A Good Day’ sees Snoop open with Antarctic ranges of cool earlier than a stilted refrain by Dem Jointz and Jenn Em melts any momentum the lower as soon as had.
Dr. Dre pops up for a welcome cameo on ‘Too Large’ and mid-album treasure ‘I Obtained Pull’ is nothing in need of G-Funk perfection. With a tempered bassline and liquid synths harking back to DJ Quik’s ‘Rhythm-al-ism’ and Warren G’s ‘Regulate… The G Funk Period’, spotlight ‘I Obtained Pull’ beams listeners right into a palm tree-covered, westside wanderlust as E-40 spits: “Get up man, get up / 40 right here with some brand-new recreation / Like I mentioned once I’m all up in her mind / She suppose I’m a cloud, need me to make it rain”.
Awkwardly, ‘Up & Down’ is an unworthy successor. The tried “thug romance” quantity sees our 4 leads concoct a bitter and repetitive snooze-fest. “Nipples pokin’ out like missiles (missiles) / Once I whisper in her ear / she get tickled”, rapped by E-40 comes throughout as juvenile. The report teeters on self-parody with ‘How Many’, a creatively skint membership report with sparse replay worth. Because of this, listeners could solid their minds again to $hort’s blazing membership anthem ‘Blow the Whistle’, Dice’s era-defining ‘Dying Certificates’ LP, Snoop’s funk-driven ‘Doggystyle’ and E-40’s thug autobiography ‘In a Main Approach’ for refreshment.
‘Snoop, Dice, 40, $hort’ isn’t utterly devoid of reward; having to accommodate 4 distinct types and personalities isn’t any easy process. However whereas there are moments of brilliance, it’s clear there are too many cooks within the kitchen.
Particulars
• Launch Date: December 9, 2022
•File label: Mount Westmore LLC / MNRK Music Group
