Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion, Snoop Doggy Dogg or simply Calvin Broadus has sustained a longevity that is amazing in hip hop. The man knows how to reinvent the wheel but he always has a certain style that just works. For Snoop it tends to be funk music and working with Pharrell Williams. The two have mega hits together, who does not remember ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’? The idea that this album Bush was entirely produced by Pharrell got fans excited for what they would hear. The results are somewhat mixed.
Being Snoop’s 13th album, an accomplishment in itself, is heavily influenced by funk sounds and some 70s style R&B. Those are the type of songs Snoop is tailored made for and the production is amazing, so what is missing from this project? Well it seems to be the lack of actual rhyming. Snoop Dogg spends the entire album singing really. While he does not have an unbearable singing voice like Eminem does, having the album being Snoop Dogg and the Funkettes just misses the mark of what it could have been. The lack of collaborations with rappers makes this clear since the guest appearances are the only time you get hear any rapping. T.I., Kendrick Lamar and Rick Ross appear on Bush as well as Stevie Wonder, Gwen Stefani, and Charlie Wilson. The way Snoop balanced out his guests with rappers and singers is the same way this album should have been approached with himself.
This is not to say that Bush is bad but just underwhelming. There are of course standout tracks; ‘I’m Ya Dogg’, ‘This City’ and the single ‘Peaches and Cream’ are easily enjoyable. What hurts the album is also what arguably makes it work, the cohesiveness. It is so cohesive with Pharrell being the executive producer that it all begins to sound the same. With only ten tracks total they all blend together making it hard to really like one more than the other. Bush’s critical error is believing there is no such thing as too much of a good thing. This CD is going to have its fans, especially anyone who is a product of the 70’s the way Snoop and Pharrell are.
In a way its the perfect Snoop Dogg album for the point he is in his career. Snoop does create a very feel good vibe that could sit down and enjoy, especially if you partake in the same recreational activities as Snoop. It is going to be great for cookouts and pool parties, but once the summer is over, Bush’s may not get much time in rotation.
6.7 out of 10
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