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Philadelphia Tribune - Entertainment Now - Friday, March 14, 2008 - Index

Friday, March 14, 2008 Philadelphia Tribune
Page 29-E
Snoop’s musical variety makes
‘Ego Trippin’’ a strong album
Brett Johnson
Leave it to Snoop Dogg to
breathe new life (and a few
laughs) into a borderlineoverused
urban music trend.
On the slinky first single from
“Ego Trippin’” (Doggy
Style/Geffen), “Sexual
Seduction,” the West Coast
rap veteran utilized the popular
Auto-Tune processor —
the production device that
digitizes music to sound
much like Roger Troutman’s
vocoder-assisted vocals —
and scored with a major hit
and a hilarious ‘80s-inspired
throwback video.
But that shrewd ability to
stay in step with the times
while not taking himself too
seriously is partly what has
enabled Snoop to extend his
career long past his gangstarapping,
early ‘90s heyday.
After more than 15 years,
Snoop may be covering
familiar lyrical terrain on his
ninth studio album, “Ego
Trippin’.” His brags again reference
his gangsta-slim sex
appeal, his gang affiliation
and undeniable star power.
But Snoop’s brand of cool
make the redundancies
seem more like excusable
character ticks than artistic
liabilities. On “Press Play,” a
stellar, horn-accented track
ANNIE from Page 5
Without many challenges
to hinder her, Andrews
admits the only real thing
weighing on her are the
physical demands of the
show. “You just have to be
careful and take good care
of yourself. The musicians
can go out drinking and partying
all night long, if they’d
like to. But we have to go
home, go to sleep, take our
vitamins and be very careful
with our voices.”
Snoop Dogg has the ability to stay in step with times, while not taking himself too seriously. – AP PHOTO
produced by DJ Quik,
Snoops explains: “Still toking,
title holding, Desert
Eagle 4-5 toting ... yeah, I’m
still focused.”
For periods of “Ego
Trippin’,” Snoop does sound
focused. The first half is
chocked with bangers,
including a wistful look back
at his career, “Neva Have 2
Worry,” and the bass-heavy,
Neptunes-helmed, “Sets
Up.” But two-thirds in, it’s
clear that Snoop has trouble
editing himself as he crams
in odes to a range of musical
influences. “Cool” is an aver-
And although the show
can be draining, it is never
boring because there’s so
much to work on all the time.
“The director pops in every
once in a while and gives us
something new to think
about, something that’s in
development.
“Plus, I’m so thrilled to be
in the show that nothing
bothers me ... I love the
piece just as everyone else
does. The other people in
the show are wonderful,
which is necessary when
age remake of The Time’s
synth-funk party-starter.
“Staxxx In My Jeans” meekly
mimics the trunk-rattling
Southern rap sound and
contains an inane, slo-mo
hook: “My pockets look like
Re-Run’s/ your pockets look
like Raj.” Snoop even goes
country-western on the
Everlast-produced “My
Medicine.” However, that
track, like most of the disc, is
an undeniable good time,
and further proof Snoop’s
still not wasting his breath.
CHECK OUT: While
Snoop raps of his “big blue
you are on the road for nine
months. If they are not
pleasant, it could ruin the
experience — but not this
one. This experience is very,
very good.”
At this point, Andrews
admits she has no lofty goal.
“I just want to work. I know a
lot of actors say their goal is to
do this, or do that. With me,
my goal is to just make my living
at this for the rest of my
life.”
For more information, call
(215) 731-3333.
Chucks” and his coast’s
“sunshine and palm trees,”
Pharrell Williams details the
steps of what might be a new
dance craze on “Sets Up.” —
(AP)