10 Best Hip-Hop Albums Of 2017 (So Far)

Snoop Dogg has experienced a number of phases that changed the way he made music.

From his short run as the sensual seducer, or in his almost equally brief stint as reborn reggae artist Snoop Lion, it seems like there is no end to the boundaries of the D-O-Double G’s repertoire, which made it all the more interesting with the surprise release of this call back to his retro years - aptly named Neva Left.

Going back to a simpler style of production and leading the executive producing team himself, Snoop was able to bring back a retro sound to underline the newly found appreciation for the vintage style of west coast gangsta-rap, seemingly following Dr. Dre’s similarly old-school themed Compton.

It is still too early to tell if the album will gain traction, the music is definitely a plus, with the titular song featuring a sample from Wu-Tang Clan’s 1990s anthem “C.R.E.A.M.”, along with appearances from fellow hip-hop legends B-Real, Method Man, and Redman, who all appear on the weed-themed single “Mount Kushmore.”

While this may be one of the more offbeat albums on this list because of Snoop's retro style, it still fits as a solid entry from one of hip-hop's most revered voices, serving the loyal Dogg fans with a crispy throwback treat, peppered with samples from other legendary acts like A Tribe Called Quest while providing that easy-listening gangster-rap, consciously relishing in the imagery of west coast suburban mischief.