Z-Ro has said this will be his last. However, he finishes the album with 'He's Not Done' which features lines such as, "They don't really know who they are fucking with / I am Michael Jordan I retire / Come back and retire again for the fuck of it." It's also rap... There have been few rappers who have actually retired when they first say they will. But, if it is his last, he has left us with a brilliant discography. This album follows his last few, probably since 'The Crown' in that there is a lot of singin'/rappin'. As I mentioned in my review of one of his recent albums, I'd prefer a 16 or two of rapid-fire rapping that Z-Ro does as good as anyone but by doing what he does, he creates nice gangster crooning. He sings on 'Lost My Mind' - "Sometimes I'm cool, sometimes I'm not. You might get a handshake or you might get shot." Or on 'Lit Up' - "Now, how can I ball? / How can I ball? / How can I catch my energy and murder them aaaallllll?" He sings these violent lines in such a relaxed and controlled manner. It's brilliant. The benefit of his singing talent also allows him to create some immediately engaging hooks that you'll be singing along with after one listen. "Here's an invitation from the other side / We're just trying to live a better life / I see the suffering in your eyes / I don't know about you but I gotta survive." - He sings on 'From the Other Side'. To compare it to his last few albums where R&B could be a genre, it's probably more consistent. 'Kiwi' is the only cut I'm not feeling a lot, partly because topically it's basically 'Porcupine' from the aforementioned album. However, there's nothing I like as much as 'Women Men' from 'Legendary' or 'Come With Me' from 'Drankin & Drivin'. Best Tracks: From the Other Side, Brang a Stacc, Devil in Me, Play Me, Lit Up, He's Not Done

An improvement on Snoop's previous two albums, and we finally see another great track to rank up with Snoop's best in 'Bitch Please', thanks to Dre who returns to produce with Snoop, and the other two Dre produced tracks ('Buck Em' & 'Just Dippin') are among the best also. While there still isn't a lot of great stuff here, the standard is higher than we've received with the last couple of albums, and it's well worth a listen for fans of Snoop Dogg. 3-3.5/5. Best Tracks: Buck 'Em, Snoopafella, G Bedtime Stories, Betta Days, Bitch Please, Gangsta Ride, Party With a D.P.G., Just Dippin', Don't Tell

I gave this a couple of spins and I just couldn't get into it. The beats are too similar, and it just feels like a really long album. Vocally, X hasn't changed since his previous album six years ago. He sounds as strong as ever and leaves an impression on the mic, but the production isn't varied or good enough. Best Tracks: Dos Equise, Forever A G, Stand Tall.

I'm not someone who finds Doggystyle to be an absolutely amazing record to be ranked with the absolute upper echelon hip hop albums, but this is still a huge step down. Soopafly and Daz, who I enjoy more often than not handle a handful of tracks, and DJ Pooh, who has created some hip hop classics like 'It Was a Good Day' handles half a dozen, but I can't find anything great on the boards here. And the production difference is as big as you are going to get from a debut to a second album in terms of quality and originality. And while I like Snoop, I think he is a rapper, due to his lazy type of flow at times, who needs a dope beat, or at least something as close as possible to one. In saying all this, there are still some good songs here, but overall it's fairly forgettable, and I don't know if many will have me going back to them. Best Tracks: Doggfather, Snoop's Upside Ya Head, 2001, Vapors

This isn't bad from Snoop and again it is a fairly different album than its predecessor as Snoop has changed it up for the last few albums. I enjoy the first half a fair bit, as Snoop proves he can spit fast on 'Think About It' which he rarely does anymore, and if you rate this album for what's good on it, it should get a fairly good rating. However, there are a handful of songs, largely in the second half of the album, that I will skip past on future listens. 'Psst!' and 'Beat Up on Yo Pads' are weak and I don't love 'Don't Stop' either. The ship steadies though with the more consciously minded final two songs. In saying that, that is still a good ratio for an album with 21 tracks. So like pretty much every Snoop album that has come before, it could have used some more quality control. Still though, this is one of the better albums Snoop has produced with a number of quality tracks to play over and over. 'Get a Light' is hard as nails! Best Tracks: Think About It, Vato, That's That S***, Candy (Drippin' Like Water), Get a Light, Gangbangin' 101, LAX, Round Here, I Wanna F*** You, Imagine