Another Side of Snoop Dogg

Twenty years ago we were introduced to a young G by the name of Snoop Doggy Dogg. His smoothed out, sing-song vocals instantly set him apart from other rappers during the gangster rap era in hip hop. As years passed and Snoop grew, we have seen several different sides of the Dogg; Actor, avid pot smoker, father and even a reggae album. Now Snoop has partnered up with Dam Funk to release 7 Days of Funk as Snoopzilla (the duo records as 7 Days of Funk). This venture brings both some new and familiar to the listener. 7 Days of Funk allows Snoop to be a bit more experimental while also bringing us back to the g-funk sound of his debut album.

“Niggaz Hit D Pavement” begins the record and it’s a nice mixture of hip hop and funkadelic. Snoop has been rapping over beats like this since the beginning. Dam Funk has earned his name; this beat is funkier than a day old bologna sandwich. “Let It Go” continues the same way, proving that the first song wasn’t just some sort of fluke. The slapping of the bass drum with a nice, mellow beat allows Snoop to sing as only Snoop does — effortlessly, as if he’s simply speaking. Snoop states, “This is the way we funk / Yes sir making everybody wanting to get up,” and a better mission statement hasn’t been constructed since Jerry McGuire.

“Question,” featuring Steve Arrington, is one of the more interesting songs on the album. Snoop and Dam let their love of Parliament shine through. The uniqueness of the verses and chorus are straight Bootsy Collins.

7 Days of Funk shows yet again that Snoop is an artist first and a rapper second. These eight tracks in which he lets Snoopzilla come out to play leave the listener wishing that this alter ego would see the light of day more frequently.