Snoop Dogg — Neva Left

"Don't call it a comeback, it's not a comeback"

Snoop Dogg's 15th solo studio album comes out with the will to be a comeback album: it's the first done well and with some good music in more than ten years, but nobody cares. The cover indicates that we are returning to the typical gangster themes of the nineties. The production welcomes the return of DJ Battlecat, who hasn't made beats for a studio album of Snoopzilla in six years. In addition to him, behind the keyboards are Rick Rock, Brody Brown, BadBadNotGood, Dr. Evo, J-Massive, Jahlil Beats, Mike & Keys, League of Starz, Musik MajorX, Kaytranada, Mars and Big Bub. For the first time in many years, there are more rappers than singers in guest roles: Too Short, Devin the Dude, Wiz Khalifa, Krs-One, B-Real, Redman & Method Man, Big Tray Deee, K CAMP, October London, Nef the Pharaoh, DJ Battlecat, BadBadNotGood, Kaytranada, Big Bub, Stresmatic, Rick Rock, Teena Marie and Charlie Wilson.

The album starts as best it could: Snoop Dogg raps on the beat of "C.R.E.A.M." and offers an inspired and energetic delivery. After five minutes, the product goes into a stagnant phase with awkward beats performed by dudes who want to imitate Swizz Beatz for some reason. Hooks, rhythms, rap, nothing works well: "Trash Bags" is the worst song. A saving random ballad lifts the quality of the LP and from then on, the record sails with a whole series of quality hosts that allow it to be one of the best-performed releases by the rapper over the decade. The hymn to weed "420 (Blaze Up)" boasts a glamorously elegant production with good downtempo drum machine, good funky samples and a laid-back rap from the performers. KRS is an interesting guest on a Snoop album, however, his performance isn't memorable on a shoddy Battlecat beat. "Mount Kushmore" is a posse track with weed devotees B-Real, Method Man & Redman: the Newark MC shows its talent on a decent beat by Dr. Evo, well the others.

Released by the Snoop label and EMPIRE, the product sells all over the world, but not enough to achieve significant results: for the first time in his career, a solo album doesn't enter the top 50 of the pop chart and in the top 25 hip-hop releases. After more than a decade of mediocre and shoddy pop rap releases, awkwardly performance as guest in pop and mainstream albums, justified solely by the desire to increase the volume of its wallet, no one cares about a rare competent Snoop CD with a shorter length than usual, good guests and tolerable music (for half an album). 6/10.