Snoop Dogg

After reading its title, you'd be forgiven for thinking Snoop Dogg's latest, Malice N Wonderland, is a whimsical concept album. Instead, the self-proclaimed Doggfather's tenth studio record is more a random assortment of the rapper's old school G-funk tendencies (think: languid, easy melodies accompanying Snoop's unctuous rhymes) meshed with more contemporary digitized beats and R&B collaborations. Lewis Carroll can't even get a shout out! Still, Malice will please those Snoop fans that want to hear the pioneering MC's more current flavour of dramatic, snare-heavy beats and catchy hooks. "Pronto," featuring Soulja Boy, and "Gangsta Luv," with the Dream, are destined to be radio anthems, as well as the Brandy and Pharrell accompanied "Special." It's a cameo-laden record with top-notch beatsmiths, from Dr. Dre to the Neptunes, showing up for production duty, and everyone from Lil Jon to R. Kelly riding vocal shotgun. Obviously, none of this makes the record unlistenable ― it's fun and Snoop is always entertaining ― but when you've got nine other albums to choose from, Malice seems more rote than rare.