Reincarnated
Like Willie Nelson before him, Snoop Dogg finally got so high he made a reggae album. Go ahead, laugh. It really is hilarious to hear him preaching Rastafarian gospel in a fake patois. But here's the thing: For all the easy jokes, Reincarnated is Snoop's most consistently enjoyable record in years. A righteous new name wasn't all he brought home from his Jamaican pilgrimage. He also forged a creative partnership with executive producer Diplo, who serves up a tasty swirl of sticky-sweet bass lines and electro crunch. Snoop does the job with surprising grace, stretching his laid-back flow into a blissful croon. There's a winning sincerity to his sunny jams extolling peace, love and gun control; even the weed anthems feel less phoned-in than usual. It's hard not to give it up for such a big, goofy bear hug to the universe.