Steve 'Flash' JuonThis newest venture from Snoop Dogg was a bit unexpected. After riding out with his best album since moving to N’Awleans with “No Limit Top Dogg” and blessing the superbly produced “Chronic 2001” with several guest appearances.. he shows up with Tha Eastsidaz? It’s a bit hard to identify who in fact Tha Eastsidaz are, since this album features a revolving cast of guests such as Rappin’ 4-Tay, Xzibit, Kurupt, et cetera on every track. One is lead to believe from the liner notes that they are Snoop (as the “presenter”), Tray Deee (who has mobbed with Snoop’s Dogg Pound for a while now), Goldie Loc, and Butch Cassidy?
Confusion about their articles of incorporation aside, this is a mostly quality release from this newly organized family – at least on a musical basis. I really can’t say anything distinctive about the rhymers but the beats on tracks like “Tha Eastidaz”, “Got Beef”, “G’d Up”, “Ghetto”, and “Big Bang Theory” are designed to give your car more bounce than sixteen switches. In fact, this album should really be enjoyed on the cruise level. Topically it’s pretty typically slang and bang, and would definitely merit a 5 mic rating in Murder Dog Magazine.
The only break in this topic matter throughout is “Be Thankful” which is a rather suprising ode to the blessings in life set off nicely with an opening verse by Snoop. For those who are minors and have watching parents, it would be wise to switch to track 15 when they walk in the room (unless you’re rocking the headphones). This is not to down the rest of the album though – whatever you can say about it, it’s not the kind of wack rhyming and flow one would expect from Silkk the Shocker.
Really, more than anything, this reviewer would like to “Be Thankful” that Snoop didn’t put his name on a wack project. Being he’s on rather shaky ground (a mediocre album before and after leaving Death Row) he needs more solid releases to keep his fan base from disintegrating. This is one of them. The way he spits on “How You Livin'” you get the feeling he’s back in it for the long haul, and whatever you say of his crew Tha Eastsidaz, it comes across more as a triumph for his fledgling Dogghouse Records.