Customer Reviews

Malice N Wonderland [Vinyl]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

We all know what happened to Snoop. It's this mainstream crap where everyone has to cater to girls and sissys. Another thing you have to blame is California radio stations themselves won't play the west coast artist unless they don't sound like west coast artist. Snoop Dogg lately has done a better jobe as a featured artist for example The Game's 2nd album had "California Vacation." Thats the Snoop Doff real Snoop fans want to hear. Remember in the first Eastsidaz cd Snopp himself said, "youl never catch me going R&B,but you might catcg me in a 3 piece suit lookin way O.G." We been catchin Snoop going R&B for a loooong time now. The best song here is 2 Min. Warning and it's not even 2 min. The worse thing about this album is the artist he is featuring Soulja Boy and Lil Jon. What, he can't work with The Doggpound, Warren G, or Nate Dogg anymore?

Again he is not soley to blame I may not like it, but I understand. I have even seen guys going around bumpin Akon, Usher, and Justin Timberlake. Dont go around cruisin to that trying to act hard because in the 90's no way in hell did guys ever do that. What a bunch of sissys the young guys in this generation are turning out to be. Snoop c'mon 1 last album after this and do it DOGGYSTYLE. Just like THE DOGGFATHER would, you can do cuz you are the TOPDOGG. For the ones that was down with you from day 1 and not just when you did the stuff for the girls. My first cd was DoggyStyle and I know Snoop can really do it like he used to if he just felt like it. I dont mind his kid being in the 1st track, thats pretty cool I just want that real Snoop flavor we aint seen in a long time.

even more worse than ego trippin.

he's making an album that doesnt appeal to his fanbase.
alot of snoop fans stopped buying snoops solo records starting from the 2002 release of "paid tha cost to be tha boss" and onwards.
from 2002 all the way to the present, he's been catering to the pop audience, and alienating his real fanbase.
when you only cater to the pop audience, you have to stay in fashion to them, and keep on switching up your style of music to whats hot in pop to stay relevant.
snoop is better off staying true to the westcoast gangsta rap sound, and people will buy his records for it.

hopefully these poor sales for the album mean that snoop gives up on tryin to make albums for the ladies, and goes back to his roots with a straight westcoast bangin gfunk style album like the old days. he'd most probably win back old fans and make new ones aswell. aint no real snoop fans tryna hear no lovey-dovey pop-rnb rap from snoop. think its about time he needs to stop trying to follow trends with pop, rnb & dirty south stuff, and represent your coast properly by making westcoast style rap music.

get it right snoop!

i wont hold my breath for this to happen tho

Calvin Broadus (Snoop Dogg) has been releasing similar sounding work since the early 90s and for his most loyal of fans, that isn't a bad thing at all. If you're not familiar with the Snoop Dogg recipe, it reads as follows: take one part Snoop Dogg verse, add chorus by a guest artist, stir in a beat that repeats throughout, a pinch of name dropping for flavor, cook for 3-5 minutes. Serves 12-20 tracks.

For the choruses, Snoop Dogg has chosen a full list of has been, still are, and never will be artists. Lil Jon, R. Kelly, The Dream, Soulja Boy Tell `Em, and Brandy are just a few of the names. For their sake, I'll let them all assume they fall under the "still are" category. Although their additions to each track provide a unique change of pace on the record, the real classics on Malice `N Wonderland are the Snoop Dogg solo tracks which are a lot more similar to his earliest work than anything he has released recently.

"I Wanna Rock" and "2 Minute Warning" lead off the album after an intro from his son. Both tracks have some classic word play like "I'm gettin' Richard like Pryor" which Snoop Dogg used to be very famous for. If the whole album had kept the pace of the first two tracks, I would have loved this record, but after bringing in numerous guest artists, the remaining solo track of "That's Tha Homie" shows a newer and less creative side of Snoop Dogg, someone more concerned with fulfilling his swear word quota than creative rhyme schemes.

Snoop Dogg definitely wore out his book of rhymes with this release. By the end, you just have to accept the fact that there are only so many words that rhyme with "gangsta." He's not the same rapper he was when he was introduced by Dr. Dre in 1992, but when his old tricks shine through, and they occasionally do, his fans will be glad they bought the album.

Similar Artists: Dr. Dre, Cypress Hill

Track Suggestion: I Wanna Rock

I've read a lot of bad reviews concerning Bigg Snoop's latest release.
Therefore I haven't been to keen on getting this album. I put it on hold so to speak.
Up until about 2 weeks ago. I decided that, since I've been a dedicated Snoop fan from the start,
I'd buy it anyways.
After listening to the entire album a couple of times I gotta say this:
It's not Snoop's best, but he manages to stay in the Game.
I found that to the classic, G-funk ear the following tracks will prove to be the best on the album:
I Wanna Rock; 1800; Gangsta Luv; Secrets and Pimpin ain't Ez.
Since I've got one of those ears, any one of these tracks would have made me buy this album;
Regardless of the rest it had to offer.
If you like Pharrel, 'Special' is another good one.
If you liked Snoops No Limit period 'That's Tha Homie' sounds familiar.
The other tracks are just Snoop's undisputable way of Playing The Game and remaining POPular. Commercial you say? Hell yeah! But it pays the bills.
There's something on this album for everyone.
G's Up Hoes Down Bigg Snoop!!

After a less than stellar Ego Trippin back in 2008, Snoop comes with his newest a year later after taking over Priority Records (Capitol/EMI) with Malice & Wonderland. On the previous album, Snoop decided to experiment with different froms of music (R&B, Country) just enough that it diverted fans from the songs that we were used to hearing. With this album, Snoop sticks with the original formula which works out for the most part of the album. Also with this album, Snoop shows maturity musically, especially towards his wife (I don't know whats up with these people expect a man in his late 30's to rhyme about topics that he made in his late teens/early 20's...seriously, its called growin up...try it sometimes).

Snoop really gets things started with "I Wanna Rock", a hit single to start off the album. The song is cool with the Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock "It Takes Two" sample (the remix with Jay-Z is much better on More Malice album). Next is the solid "2 Minute Warning" followed by "1800" with Lil' Jon. The production on the latter song makes it good. "Different Languauges" with Jazmine Sullivan is a bouncy love song, and is one of the best on the album. The song is good because Snoop shows of his maturity on the song, and Jazmine's vocals are excellent too. "Gangsta Luv" with The-Drea is another solid song in my opinion. Next up is "Pronto" featuring Soulja Boy, who shows improvement. Lyrically the song is subpar, but it vibes nicely. The next three tracks, "Thats The Homie", "Upside Down" and "Secrets" are completly forgettable. "Pimpin' Ain't EZ" and "Luv Drunk" are great R&B colabs with R. Kelly and The-Dream respectively. Another favorite of mine here is the final song "Special" with Brandy and Pharrell Williams to help close out the album.

As mentioned before, this album shows Snoop's maturity for most of the time. Some of the rhymes are cliched, but thats how it's always been with Snoop. This is a great album for fans of Snoop that don't expect material from The Chronic or Doggystyle. Hes much older than when those albums came out, and things as well as music has changed since that point. Peace.

Lyrics: B
Production: B+
Guest Appearances: A-
Musical Vibes: B+

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Special (featuring Brandy and Pharrell Williams)
2. Different Languauges (featuring Jazmine Sullivan)
3. 1800 (featuring Lil' Jon)
4. I Wanna Rock
5. Gangsta Luv (featuring The-Dream)

Honorable Mention:
1. Pimpin Ain't EZ (featuring R. Kelly)
2. Luv Drunk (featuring The-Dream)

I haven't been keeping a close eye on Snoop, but when he hit the shelves of the local CD shop, I checked it out, but I feel that there's a great deal of substance missing. Most of the tracks act like spring-boards for newer or lesser-known acts, like Soulja Boy Tell 'Em or Nipsey Hussle. It's almost like fatherhood is eating away at his conscience, and to build these cats up is a new mission on these tracks, as well as rap's age-old mission of repping how popular you are, how many people know you, and how much power you think you have.

First off, the CD hits hard. "I Wanna Rock" takes a simple request started by Rob Base, and plasters Snoop Dogg amongst the theoretical walls of any given alley in the hood. He backs up that billboard of a rap-superstar status with a reminder track, "2 Minute Warning," which serves both as a warning for rappers that cross him and a reminder for himself of where he stands in this rap game. Then he looses that driven-aging-rapper-persona in...where else, the club, with "1800", probably the best club track on the disc. As he tries to pull himself back together after the club, the disc goes haywire.

Wanksta-posterboy Soulja Boy kills "Pronto" with autotune and horribly- written/flowed lyrics that makes me snizzore, snizzore. The Dream provides the pillow for the typical hip hop fan by produced and starring in 2 typical, boring tracks "Gangsta Luv" and "Luv Drunk". These tracks make me question Snoop's future as something to keep watch on, especially after boosting the entire melody/lyrics from The Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep" for "Secrets."

The saving grace of "That's tha Homie" is welcome, but the whole disc feels unbalanced and searching for new takes on old ideas. And he's gotta look past his doppelganger Nipsey Hussle and his "cousin" Soulja Boy to save his act. Overall, on a 5 star scale, I'd go with a 2.

THANK YOU SNOOP FOR BRINGING THE BEST RAP IN THE GAME. AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THESE ALBUMS COMING OUT, YOU'LL HAVE A PURCHASE FROM ME!! "I WANNA ROCK" FROM MALICE N WONDERLAND, AND BY WAY OF HISTORY, "CANDY" IS PUT ON REPEAT, IN MY BOSE, CONSTANTLY! SUPPORT!!!

I will always purchase Albums from Artist that stay consistant. Snoop Dogg is one of the Artist that always comes out with something that gets our attention. Bursting onto the Scene again with "I wanna Rock right now" and his Collabo with the young Soulja Boy tellem - Pronto (which was quite, bizzarely entertaining to the ears... my point Snoop ripped it, while Soulja SANG that chorus like a hypeman)

Snoop Dogg has been dropping nothing but Epic classic's since he got off his No Limit record phase (Thanks to Master P for saving his Career) He released Paid the Co$t to be tha Bo$$ (my favorite) and R&G - Rhythm and Gangsta. When it comes to Rap and Hip Hop Snoop Dogg is the Legend of all Legends, changing Pop culture, Jay-z is nowhere near the Legend Snoop Dogg is, they all grew up on him. Buy this album alone off of the guy still being alive to Keep us grounded.

Trust me Get this album in Physical form. Some ignorant fans will not understand that Snoop is a grown man now, a father and even though he still raps about the gangsta life and environment he has to be a Role model to the youth still. So Get over it, he's still the man. A MUST BUY!, SNOOOOOP DOOOOOOG. A LIVING LEGEND!!

It's pretty hard to sit through the whole album at once. Waaaay too much of same sound/beat/I'm stoned, tone. Hey maybe I should rhyme! I love Snoop, but he makes me sleepy with this one. I was hoping for some smiles generating tunes during the turkey neck moves I got, like, Drop it like it's hot. He's still good, it may be the timing is off for hard core gangsta songs in today's society.

2008's Ego Trippin' wasn't a bad album, but in comparison to 2004's excellent R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece or it's consistent follow-up, 2006's Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, it paled in comparison. It found Snoop Dogg singing with auto-tune on lead single "Sensual Seduction" and on Morris Day cover "Cool" and it was just a bit odd. Yes, the album had it's virtues, with the fine "Life of Da Party" being one, but it just didn't click like some of his better, previous releases. Malice N Wonderland however, is more inline with Snoop's best, restoring faith to his fans who didn't buy his concessions on 'Ego Trippin''. In the process, Snoop's former platinum sales suffer, as 'Malice N Wonderland' certainly opened unimpressively, but the quality didn't falter, which means something.

Following an "Intro" featuring Snoop's son, Snoop gets things going quickly with the exceptional "I Wanna Rock", where one instantly notices that Snoop hasn't lost his flow. On the "jerkin'" first track, Snoop sounds more a tuned. "2 Minute Warning" is as it states, only two minutes in length, however it is two minutes of the genius of a hip-hop legend. No, it isn't revolutionary, but then what is these days? It is, however, a true Snoop performance that reflects Snoop's veteran status. "1800" featuring a long-lost Lil' Jon lays well with a catchy, gangsta-savvy hook. The track makes you glad that Snoop returned hardcore and that there is hope that Lil Jon will finally release a new album in 2010!

"Different Languages", featuring Grammy-nominated R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan is fantastic, finding 'Jaz' singing an incredibly catchy, though corny hook. On "Gangsta Luv", featuring The-Dream, Snoop obviously wanted to capture the commercial success of previous singles. It isn't my favorite Snoop Dogg single, but it works and is certainly above par by all means. "Pronto" features a more grown-up Soulja-Boy. The track is well-produced and as consistent as everything else on 'Malice'. "That's Tha Homie" is a true show-stopper with killer production work by Danja. Here Snoop is among his most effective lyrically.

"Upside Down" featuring Nipsey Hussle and Problem is incredibly catchy, proving to be an undeniably enjoyable listen. The production is top-notch and once again, Snoop Dogg is on his game. "Secrets" featuring Kokane & "Pimpin' Ain't EZ" featuring R. Kelly both prove to standout, while "Luv Drunk" (feat. The-Dream) and "Special (feat. Brandy & Pharrell) end the album soundly .

Overall, 'Malice N Wonderland' is a fine Snoop Dogg album. There is no outright filler material and the condensed length of this album in comparison to longer efforts in the past by Snoop make it all the more enjoyable. 4 stars.