By Martin Castro (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: June 3, 2015
Everyone’s favourite blunt-toting canine is back from his brief foray into reggae, and he’s bringing good vibes with him. Bush marks Snoop D-oh-double-G’s first appearance in the hip-hop arena since 2011’s Doggumentary. However, unlike Doggumentary, Bush is almost entirely produced by Pharrell Williams, and that comes through. Speaking to Complex about the album, Snoop said the driving idea behind the album came from asking, “How much fun can [Pharrell and I] have if we go into the studio and work on this record?” The answer, it would seem, is a lot.
The production on all 10 tracks of the record is lush and strongly influenced by mid-to-late ’70s soul and funk; bass guitars are slapped more often than Moe during a Three Stooges rerun marathon, and the guitars are tight and spongy.
The opener, “California Roll,” which features Stevie Wonder, sees Snoop Dogg crooning silkily over an instrumental that’s sundry with strong ’70s throwbacks. Rhodes piano and Stevie Wonder’s iconic harmonica surround the elder Snoop as he sings (quite well, actually) about his beloved California homeland.
Immediately we get a sense that this isn’t the gangster / rapper / gangster-rapper the world was introduced to back in 1993. No, this is a man who is doing what he damn well wants to do: make feel-good music for feel-good people, and smoke kush.
“So Many Pros,” which includes a chorus that rubs me the wrong way, is more than saved by a breakdown that was stuck in my head for about a week after I first heard it. This track is unapologetically hooky, and I’m sure that’s just how Snoop Dogg wants it.
One of the most striking things on “Peaches N Cream,” which features vocals from Charlie Wilson and Pharrell, is Snoop’s rapping. At this point, we’re six tracks into the record, and only now is Snoop really delivering full verses. Even here, they’re verses interspaced by oceans of silk and Curtis Mayfield-esque kit and bass. The biggest impression on me while listening to this track was: Damn, Snoop sounds like he’s having fun. He’s not just rapping to make money or to show off — he convincingly sounds like a man having the time of his life grooving in the studio, surrounded by open bottles of Hennessey and an increasingly thick layer of marijuana smoke.
“Edibles” features one of the most understated yet noteworthy features on the entire record (apart from Rick Ross’ later on, but Ross lets his presence be known immediately despite Kendrick overshadowing him). On “Edibles” T.I delivers a verse that, if anything, serves to remind those who forgot why he’s worshipped alongside Killer Mike and Bun B as a de-facto rapper / ambassador from the South. The chorus on this track also highlights how at home Snoop seems with singing; he really gets into the groove of the track.
“I Knew That” is a track that probably could have been left off the record, as it’s pretty forgettable compared to its predecessors. The track that follows it, however, “Run Away,” screams summer cookout. Aided by Gwen Stefani on the chorus and hook, the track is a bit of a hidden gem.
Traditional hip-hop fans, don’t fret. Snoop pulls through in the ninth with a home-run of a track titled “I’m Ya Dogg” (as if we still had any doubts by now). The track bounces on hi-hat tiptoes for two minutes before Rick Ross rolls in and kills a verse with all the confidence and bravado of a mastiff in a kennel of chihuahuas. Ross’ verse, as great as it would be on its own, is only further bolstered by an immaculately delivered verse by modern slam-poet celebrity Kendrick Lamar. Delivered with a hesitant, almost uneven rhythm, K-Dot’s verse ties the track together and makes for a memorable ending to a funky, smooth, reefer-scented, chocolate-flavoured, feel-good Snoop Dogg project.
