It's almost hard to believe that the tall and lanky rapper first introduced on Deep Cover and Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang has been in our CD collections for almost 18 years. (Yes, it's been that long!) Thru years of fallen rappers, fallen careers and forced retirements, Snoop Dogg not only survived, but also thrived with his brand of funky rap tunes. Now, with his ninth solo album, Ego Trippin', Snoop picks up from where he left with his last album two years prior.

It quickly becomes evident that that album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, runs circles around Ego Trippin'. This isn't said in haste, but rather with a concern to pinpoint what his new album lacks compared to his previous effort.

If you've been under a rock the past few months you couldn't have missed Snoop's lead single Sexual Eruption where he channels T-Pain to a T -- it's a sexy groove and one of the strongest cuts on the album. Snoop has an ear for solid production which is on display almost immediately with Press Play and Those Gurlz later on in the album. Unfortunately, he seems to be hit or miss with his selections. No matter the intention behind the record, there's really no way to make My Medicine work. Maybe we'll get there one day, but the hip hop/country collaboration isn't quite there yet.

It's clear that this album is geared to the ladies, which is fine. But with the exception of a handful of songs, it seems to fall short for an artist with such an extensive catalogue. Not to mention lyrical content gets monotonous from a rapper nearing forty talking about the same things as his younger days. That's why Sexual Eruption was such a delight: Snoop was exploring something new and executed the song well. Does that mean he needs to sing more? No, but it does mean that after eighteen years there's still things that are to be desired from a Snoop record.

With all that said and done, it's obvious that Snoop will be back again a year or so from now with another album with at least five to seven bangers for our trucks. What more can you ask for?