As he'd done with
2Pac's leftovers,
Suge Knight dug up some of
Snoop Doggy Dogg's (remember he was still a "Doggy Dog" back then). He then dressed them up with ample production and released them on Death Row Records under the guise of newness, perhaps not coincidently just as No Limit Records was marketing its final, much-awaited
Snoop release,
Tha Last Meal. And again like he'd done with
2Pac's leftovers,
Suge repackages
Snoop's in a half-hearted manner, presenting you with a mishmash to sift through. If you're a
Snoop fan, or a Death Row fan for that matter, it may indeed be a worthwhile venture, since there are some gems here worth digging for. Some, like the
Daz-produced "Tommy Boy," sound like outtakes from
Snoop's final album for Death Row,
Tha Doggfather, while others, like "Change Gone Come" and "May I," sound like a cappella vocal tracks dressed up by Death Row's in-house staff. This two-sidedness makes for a somewhat uneven listening experience, but it's not the production that's particularly interesting here anyhow. Rather, it's
Snoop himself, who rattles off some top-notch rhymes -- in addition to a fair share of throwaways, of course. So, you're left feeling a little conflicted by the end, wishing that
Suge had put a little more care into this compilation, but you're at least thankful to have these leftovers served in the first place.
–
Jason Birchmeier, Rovi