“Doggumentary” is certainly an open portrayal of Snoop’s life, much like a documentary. However it seems more like a magnum opus incorporating all elements that he carries with him. From reggae and sing-jay elements with “Sumthin Like This Night” (Which features Gorillaz) to new wave synth music with “Boom” (which includes a T-pain feature that almost ruins the pristine sample from “Situation” by Yaz). Not to mention Snoop flexes his singing ability with Willy Nelson in their blues duet “Superman”. This album is chocked full of features by other amazing artists as well. From Bootsy Collins bringing back that real G-funk flavour, to E-40 and Young Jeezy completely going in on “My fucn house” and everyone in between including Kanye, Devin the Dude, Wiz Khalifa, John Legend and R. Kelly.
The production for “Doggumentary” is deep. Old school vibes that still seem relevant permeate every song. Excluding the obvious ventures in blues, reggae and new wave with certain songs, “Doggumentary” is the old Snoop [Doggy] Dogg style with a new take on G-funk.
Even the elements that are particularly new and fresh have a solid vibe of an old track. Perhaps that’s the specialty of Snoop having been doing his thing for so long. While he may dive into seemingly new genres the sound is distinctly Snoop and is always brought back to a familiar point.
Snoop’s last couple albums were less than stellar, which may dissuade some towards even listening to it. “Doggumentary” is clearly the result of learning from his mistakes. Snoop has overcome the learning curve of incorporating many different artists and styles with a vengeance. Simply put, “Doggumentary” is surprisingly great.
