Xzibit used to have some seriously banging production behind him—but none of that is here. The beats on this album fall flat, and the whole motivational and introspective angle he's going for kind of feels forced. The introduction of the opening track is a prime example—it comes off corny and sounds like something we've all heard a hundred times before.
As for other vets on the album, it might be time for Dre to hang up the mic. Whoever’s writing for him keeps recycling the same tired material. Ice Cube—who I still have a lot of love for—drops a verse on 'For the Love' that feels recycled too; about 60% of it sounds like something he's already said elsewhere.
'Everywhere I Go' brings a bit more of that classic, fun Xzibit energy, with a bounce that the rest of the album sorely lacks. Symba's feature on 'American Idols' is a standout—his verse is sharp and confident, and includes a line that seems to defend Ye: “Kanye dropped some Jews and now he too anti-semitic (Shh).” 'Success' switches the vibe a bit with some jazz poetry, which is a refreshing change of pace and works well.
Overall, there’s not much here that’s catchy. The hooks are missing, and Xzibit's usually commanding delivery just starts to wear thin. Most of this is just forgettable. Not what you want from a comeback album.
Beats: ★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★★
Hooks: ★★
Best Tracks: Play This At My Funeral, Everywhere I Go, American Idols, Success
"Did you know that if you took two steps that way and then turn left, you can get the fuck out my face?"
Snoop is back not long after his recent collaboration with Dr. Dre. While some listeners have criticised the number of tracks, the album itself isn't overly long—clocking in at just under an hour, so run-time isn't an issue. It kicks off strong with the title track, where Snoop drops wisdom over a dark and soulful thumping beat. Though there are a few laid-back, vibey moments scattered throughout, the album shines more so when the energy ramps up and the bangers hit.
Unfortunately, the slower tracks like 'Can’t Get Enough' don’t quite land. On the flip side, the closing track stands out as one of the album’s strongest moments, sampling K-Ci & JoJo’s 'Life', which was written and produced by R. Kelly.
Some guest appearances don’t do the tracks any favours. LaRussell’s verse on 'Can’t Wait' detracts from an otherwise standout track that cleverly samples Five Star’s 'Can’t Wait Another Minute'. Akeem Ali also makes an appearance, but his voice sounds like bad Lil Wayne when he raps.
Other tracks, like 'What’s Hattnin?', feel undercooked in content and could’ve been left on the cutting room floor—and the same could be said for several others. The album starts strong, but loses momentum midway, struggling to maintain the same impact. It didn’t need to be this many tracks. And I can't believe many think 'Me N OG Snoop' with Sexyy Red is the best song. That says a lot.
Still, for what is Snoop’s 21st album, this is a solid, fairly consistent listen with a few tracks to save for later. There is more here that instantly caught my attention than on 'Missionary'. He is rapping extremely well, has his charisma and isn't just writing track after track of gangsta rap. There are plenty of head-nodding moments and quotable lines—some of which are due to Snoop reusing some famous bars.
Beats: ★★★☆
Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆
Hooks: ★★★☆
Best Tracks: Iz It a Crime?, Joy, Sophisticated Crippin’, West Up, Live Life
1. Intro
2. Iz It a Crime? 90
3. Joy 81
4. Unsung Heroes 74
5. Sophisticated Crippin’ 84
6. Can't Wait 72
7. Can’t Get Enough 40
8. Keep It Moving 70
9. Just the Way It Iz 64
10. You Want My All 60
11. What’s Hattnin? 54
12. Spot 60
13. ShutYoBitchAssUp 70
14. Cold Summer 54
15. Snoop Will Make You Dance 60
16. Life’s Journey 70
17. Me N OG Snoop 50
18. Let Me Love You 64
19. West Up 90
20. My Friend 62
21. Live Life 86
I've been anticipating this album for ages as I really enjoy his last album, 'Guilty by Affiliation', that I still occasionally spin these days, and I kind of wish I held off and didn't check out the EP that was released prior to this, because it means I'd already heard 25% of this as three of the five EP tracks make the standard release of the album.
Early impressions are that this isn't as good as his previous album, as I'm not feeling most of these beats as much. Most feel more like your stock standard hardcore west coast beats, where I feel many on his previous effort had something extra to 'em, and the amount you heard Cube on the previous album almost made it feel like a joint effort. Speaking of Cube, some of this, especially 'You Know Me', reminds me of a few of the beats on Cube's recent album, 'I Am the West', like 'Life In California', and the last track 'Dub C', produced by Trick Trick, feels very much like 'Trick Trick' by, oddly enough, Trick Trick.
Despite not matching his previous and best effort, it's a solid bangin' album, where Dub-C continues to entertain featuring some tracks to go back to. 3.5-3 / 5. None of the Japan bonus tracks are worth searching for.
Best Tracks: Revenge of the Barracuda, What's Good, That's What I'm Talking About, D Boy
1 Revenge of the Barracuda 76
2 You Know Me 72
3 Reality Show 64
4 What's Good 76
5 Walking in My Taylors 60
6 That's What I'm Talkin About 86
7 Sticking to the Script 74
8 100% Legit 70
9 D Boy 74
10 Hustla 65
11 The Spot 67
12 Dub C 80
Bonus Tracks
13 It's Official - Maylay solo pretty much
14 Frontline 50
15 Dr. Mandingo 65
16 Back to the Basics 65
One of the more lackluster Statham action flicks. The action scenes are quite short and apart from some gore, aren't noteworthy. It's pretty predictable and ends in a way that exists to either set up a sequel or in a lazy fashion.
This lacks energy and the crescendos of the best mob films. As do the efforts to bring more tension to the movie that seems more forced. The story itself kept me into it for two hours as I think it would for those who are into the genre.