Big Snoop Dogg is back on the block with a new album and name. While on a spiritual journey to Jamaica, the Dogg found his inner Rastafarian and has become Reincarnated as Snoop Lion.
On this strictly reggae project, Snoop channels Bob Marley and flows like never before. Stating publicly, "I want to bury Snoop Dogg and become Snoop Lion," the Artist Formerly Known as Snoop Doggie Dogg ditches all the gangsta attitude and embraces the One-Love mentality of Jamaica and its people. Lion speaks to his longtime G's on "Tired of Running" featuring Akon (the song originally appeared on Akon's 2006 album, Konvicted), putting it all out there when he sings, "You can tell by the look of me, this gangsta life ain’t no longer in me."
That theme is front and center on all 12 album cuts. Snoop has a changed attitude towards every aspect of his former life as the Doggfather, except for his love of The Chronic. Peace, love and ganja is what Snoop's preaching now. He gets overtly political on "No Guns Allowed" featuring Drake - a major about-face for the former Dogg.
No surprise, marijuana is extoled on "Lighters Up" and "Smoke the Weed" featuring Collie Buddz, on which Snoop warns, "Don’t smoke the seeds, no way."
And on the radio-worthy "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" featuring Miley Cyrus, he's all about firing up a blunt for those who've passed: "Tonight there's gonna be a whole lot of smoke in the air, blow it high for the ones who ain't here."
Just a year ago, D-Oh-Double-G was mixing dub-step and making live appearances as DJ Snoopadelic. On Reincarnated, Lion didn't forget about those crazy raver kids. The tunes "Here Comes the King" and "Get Away," both featuring Angela Hunte, are the perfect blend of techno, house and dub-step.
Reincarnated boasts a terrific supporting cast: Movado, Popcaan, Busta Rymes, Cori B, Mr. Vegas, Rita Ora and Chris Brown. Snoop hooked up with Diplo, the popular DJ who produced the entire album under his alias Major Lazer and who's no stranger at making joint-jumping Jamaican dancehall music. The future of reggae's popularity could spike if other artists take advantage of Major Lazer's considerable talents.
Make sure to pick up the deluxe edition of Reincarnated for the extra four tracks, plus the DVD documentary that catalogs Snoop's journey from Dogg to Lion.
