It may be Dr. Dre's mug in the iconic Zig Zag logo on the cover of The Chronic, but it was the introduction of Snoop Dogg that catapulted that album into the hip-hop hall of fame. One of the best summer cruising albums of all time, you're just as likely to hear it pumping out of an open window this summer as you were in 1992. While Dr. Dre is most relevant today behind the boards, Snoop has continued to release a steady stream of albums since his solo debut, Doggystyle.
This March, Snoop Dogg will release his tenth proper album. Titled Ego Trippin, the album is preceded by the new Shawty Redd-produced single, "Sensual Seduction." The single is available now on iTunes, and the video will premiere November 28 on MTV.
Being a good journalist, I figured I'd plunk down the $0.99 for "Sensual Seduction," so I could better let you know what to expect from Calvin Broadus this time out. But after a quick run-through of the 30-second preview, I decided a buck was asking too much. Snoop Dogg takes rap's most recognizable flow through the vocoder, and here's what comes out: "So she can get a sensual seduction/ So I can get a sensual seduction/ So we can get a sensual seduction."
One of the main gripes against Snoop as a serious rapper is that, in 15 years and 10 albums, he has never come close to eclipsing his debut. And if this 30 seconds is any indicator, Ego Trippin will fall far short as well. But, such as his collaborations with Pharrell, Snoop has emerged from the haze a number of times since he was top dog. So there is a chance you will catch an unmistakably laid-back verse from Snoop's new album wafting out of a car window in the summer of 2008.