12. Malice N Wonderland (2009)
After listening to this one I wanted to never listen to Snoop Dogg again. It was painful. I hated the production, I hated almost all the songs, and I hated that Soulja Boy Tell Em was featured. After this album I couldn't bring myself to listen to Ego Tripping or Doggumentary.
Top cuts: "Secrets"
11. Da Game is to be Sold, Not to be Told (1998)
When I first started listening to this one I thought all the hate it gets might be unwarranted. That's just because the first track, "Snoop World" is actually alright. There's too much No Limit influence on the track though, and on the whole album, which keeps it down. Very far down.
Top cuts: "Snoop World"
10. R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): the Masterpiece (2004)
This album was another polarizing one for me (barely though). I absolutely loathed sections of it, with "Can U Control Yo Hoe" being an all-time low for Snoop Dogg. It wasn't just the blatant (and violent) misogyny on that one- it's also just a really bad song. That being said there were some cuts that I sort of enjoyed.
Top cuts: "Pass It Pass It," "Oh No, Perfect"
9. Paid Tha Cost to be Da Boss (2002)
All around it's quite decent, not fluctuating that much to either bad or good. At this point Snoop's albums are feeling a bit contrived and uninspired in places. There are some decent cuts here, but on the whole definitely a bit unmemorable. That being said it's not really all that bad. Deserving of a listen (at least one) if one is a Snoop fan.
Top cuts: "From Long Beach 2 Brick City," "Pimp Slapp'd," "Da Bo$$ Would Like to See You"
8. Dead Man Walkin (2000)
This album was released by Suge Knight at the same time as Snoop's Tha Last Meal. The purpose of this was to hamper sales and attack Snoop. Suge Knight claimed at the time that this was "Snoop at his best." This was a blatant lie, especially in terms of the production (which isn't terrible, but is hardly all that praise-worthy). Snoop's rapping here is very focused and the few guest appearances are all solid in their own right (Nate Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, etc.). This album is proof that Snoop has a decent back catalog of unreleased material.
Top cuts: "Head Doctor," "I Will Survive"
7. Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)
Good, not great, this release is one of the more consistent in Snoop's library. It does start to sag starting two thirds of the way through and before that there were a couple tracks I really didn't enjoy. On the whole this is a decent release for the dedicated Snoop fan to sink their teeth into, especially if they are modern production-inclined.
Top cuts: "I Wanna Fuck You," "Get a Light," "Imagine"
6. No Limit Top Dogg (1999)
I have to admit that I had significantly lower expectations for this album than I did for every other Snoop release I've listened to recently. It's not quite as memorable as Tha Doggfather and it doesn't have the heights of Tha Last Meal. It also still has a fair bit of No Limit influence (albeit significantly less than Da Game) and that is one of the reasons it doesn't stand quite as tall.
Top cuts: "Bitch Please," "Ghetto Symphony"
5. Death Row: the Lost Sessions Vol. 1 (2009)
This is a compilation album of outtakes and unreleased material from Snoop Dogg's "Doggy Dogg" era (as is prominently displayed on the cover). I still attest that what would have been the best choice for Snoop would have been to spend some time recording a lot of great material, throw out some of the bad cuts and make a solid double album. That being said this Death Row/WIDEawake cash grab is still a great way to fill Snoop's repertoire with more of his earlier work.
Top cuts: "Doggystyle," "Put it in Ya Mouth," "Life's Hard"
4. Tha Last Meal (2000)
I'm actually very conflicted about this album. It has jumped around as high as third on this list, and has dropped as low as seventh. One of the Snoop albums that has some genuine personality (especially in its production). While there are some genuine heights on this one there are also some disappointing lows. I am not a fan of the last third of the album at all- this one goes out with a whimper instead of a bang.
Top cuts: "Hennessy n Buddah," "Lay Low," "Issues"
3. The Hard Life (2004)
This is an album by a reformed 213, the Snoop Doggy Dogg/Nate Dogg/Warren G trio from before The Chronic was being recorded. Unlike The Chronic this album doesn't just feature Snoop. Snoop doesn't overpower Nate Dogg or Warren G either. This is one of the strongest albums in any of their respective catalogs, and hearing them in top form matching Snoop line for line is a real treat (especially considering that this is the same year we were dropped the highly disappointing R&G). Every track is at the very least good. It's a shame that not every Snoop album hits this hard. Bonus points for the European release with its one great bonus track "Whistle While you Hustle."
Top cuts: "Gotta Find a Way," "Absolutely," "So Fly"
2. Tha Doggfather (1996)
Snoop's last album as Snoop Doggy Dogg. The overall sound is very different from Doggystyle and may take a little while to warm up to (I initially hated it). However this is Snoop Dogg's most consistent album after Doggysytle. It doesn't sound as disorganized and filler filled as some of his later albums. The biggest faults with this album are the lack of 2Pac features and some of the production choices (the album should have been a bit more bass heavy, it's best played by maxing out the quality- iTunes, or turning up the bass- everything else).
Top cuts: "Gold Rush," "Doggfather," "Doggyland"
1. Doggystyle (1993)
Snoop's best album is also his first. This album is a great sequel to The Chronic, which is another place to hear early Snoop Doggy Dogg, especially since he appears on 11/16 tracks. This album is a certified hip hop classic (as is The Chronic). Every single track is a banger, and it is highly recommended for all hip hop fans who haven't yet listened to it (are you kidding me?). Like all of Snoop's material, there is an excess of violence and misogyny (although it's largely there for a laugh). Listener discretion is advised in regards to the content.
Top cuts: "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)," "Gz and Hustlaz," "Gin & Juice," ALL
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