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Dead Man Walkin
01/10/2001 6:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Soren Baker
This collection of previously unreleased material recorded before Snoop Dogg left Death Row Records in 1998 features the Long Beach star hitting the mark somewhere between his best and worst work. For the most part, Snoop's raps sound closer to his spectacular work on 1992's The Chronic than his lackluster performance on 1996's Tha Doggfather, while the production from Soopafly, Big Hutch, DJ Pooh and others isn't as strong as Dr. Dre's output with Snoop.
That being said, Snoop traverses the same lyrical territory that made him an icon: tried-and-true hard-core gangster rap and radio-friendly narratives focusing on life in the streets. His lyrics are solid, but they are not as refined and nuanced as they are when he's at his best. Dead Man Walkin' is neither as exciting as Snoop's best work nor as boring as his weakest efforts, making for a middle-of-the-road album from an artist who has a history of being spectacular.
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