Snoop LionвЂ™s sage choice of collaborators saves Reincarnated from his limited vision of reggae songwriting and Rasta culture, and the album gets its biggest payoff from its most unlikely contributor. Things get hairy with вЂњGet AwayвЂќ, which rehashes elements of вЂњPon de FloorвЂќ in spots, and вЂњThe Good GoodвЂќ, a drab acoustic jingle better suited to pad out the back end of a Matisyahu album, but missteps on the production front are mercifully scant. And then it makes stops at roots reggae for вЂњSo LongвЂќ and spectral dub on вЂњ No Guns AllowedвЂќ, which cleverly lays a mellotron line reminiscent of GorillazвЂ™ вЂњClint EastwoodвЂќ over a loop of BeirutвЂ™s вЂњNantesвЂќ. Reincarnated flits from the rock-reggae fusion of вЂњRebel WayвЂќ to the old school dancehall of вЂњHere Comes the KingвЂќ to the lumbering boom bap of вЂњLighters UpвЂќ early on. The albumвЂ™s sonic architects ease off their trademark futuristic dance floor bedlam here, opting instead for what sounds like a lovingly cultivated genre-bending mixtape. ReincarnatedвЂ™s strong suit is its production, which was handled in large part by DiploвЂ™s Major Lazer braintrust with help from Vybz Kartel collaborator Dre Skull and producer/songwriter Ariel Rechtshaid. Vegas canвЂ™t save вЂњFruit JuiceвЂќ from its clunky concept, and the Akon cover вЂњTired of RunningвЂќ aims for profundity but lands on karaoke, even with vocals from the man himself to guide the way. But the guests canвЂ™t always carry the weight: dancehall stalwart Mr. Singer-songwriter Angela HunteвЂ™s extensive co-writing and backing vocals provide the understated beating heart of the record, and guests like Mavado and Popcaan shine for knowing their way around a reggae fusion record.

The result is something akin to his short-lived career hosting and directing adult film: you sense Snoop milling around in the background while professionals do the heavy lifting.

He wisely buttresses himself with a coalition of singers and actual reggae artists tasked with lending this project the hooks and credibility that he canвЂ™t muster. SnoopвЂ™s hardly a natural as a reggae singer, and his performances here are riddled with leaden vocalizing, fortune cookie-grade lyrical mundanities (вЂњTake care of Mother Earth cause-ah she be the planetвЂќ) and dreadful fake patois. Many of the complaints about the film could be made against the album: Reincarnated is constantly on the hunt for a sense of communion with a world just out of its reach. Upon release, though, the film immediately infuriated Bunny, who issued a withering polemic castigating Snoop for what he felt was a cavalier and opportunistic misappropriation of Rastafarian culture. All of which was ultimately documented in the film Reincarnated and consummated in the album of the same name. But Snoop really seemed invested in this Lion thing: his plan to hang out in Jamaica to record a reggae album quickly became a full-fledged Rastafarian spirit journey with guidance from Marley bandmate and roots reggae legend Bunny Wailer and the Rastafari Millennium Council. The transformation seemed likely to blow over the same way SnoopвЂ™s stints as talk show host, sketch comedy actor and porn director did- another half-remembered bit of listless bond diversification from a rap luminary grown bored of rapping. So when he announced his metamorphosis into the reggae singer Snoop Lion last year while casually referred to himself as the reincarnation of Bob Marley, it was hard not to have a chuckle. Snoop Dogg has spent the last decade of his career building a persona based on intrinsic and intentional humor.

Snoop lion reggae album