Thank God the Rastafarian converted Snoop Lion has become a weird, but distant memory and the D.O. Double G has returned. For Snoop’s latest project, it’s the OG Dogg Pound member who shows up; one of the pioneering leaders of the G-Funk movement. Bush is ten-track summer party, with the grooviest jams you can imagine, crafted predominantly by the incredible and artistically gifted Pharrell. And as Snoop’s thirteenth studio album, the beloved legend is alive and well and showing no signs of stopping.
The opening track “California Roll,” is a dynamic and immediately transports you to the West Coast. California is unapologetically celebrated and idolized as a place of dreams, women and weed. Pharrell and Stevie Wonder rock the hook with delicate power while Snoop delivers cool and collected rhymes. Unfortunately, the pace doesn’t change much as the album progresses. Although Snoop and Pharrell have an undeniable chemistry that has worked well for years, both artists rely on one consistent formula to craft soundscapes rather than innovation.
The Charlie Wilson assisted single “Peaches N Cream” fits perfectly in the cohesive project, yet still stands out as vibrant gem. The mood is funky and Snoop is energized for his rhymes. The liveliness is essential and reviving as Snoop switches between a bouncy cadence for the hook and crisp bars for his verses. The DTF theme, standing as both its typical meaning and Snoop’s proclaimed “down to feel,” is executed with dynamic and jovial festivity on “Peaches n Cream.” Pharrell’s production still pounds with vigor, but remains light in feel and is simply impossible to keep still to.
Kendrick Lamar and Rick Ross aid the finale track and it’s the most hip-hop record of the bunch. “I’m Ya Dogg” has a sultry sound, while Ross and K. Dot remind us that no matter the vibe, Snoop Dogg will always be hip-hop. Just as exhibited on To Pimp A Butterfly, Kendrick’s and Snoop’s collaborations are remarkable and we’re hoping they continue to brilliantly bridge their classic and contemporary West Coast sounds.
Though, due in part to Pharrell’s one tone production and Snoop’s uniform cadence throughout Bush, it’s at times hard to distinguish the end of one track and the beginning of the next. But the evenness allows you to get lost in the music and enjoy the vibes of two artistic veterans. Snoop has absolutely nothing left to prove at this point and deserves the freedom to experiment and discover new vibrations. Bush is the manifestation of just that.