Snoop Dogg
“Ego Trippin”
2 1/2 stars
Snoop Dogg has cultivated two distinct personalities for years now. There’s playful Snoop, the one with the izzle-speak. And then there’s gangsta Snoop, the brooding one.
For the most part, Snoop has kept those personalities separate, releasing albums that featured one side or the other. And given the lighthearted single “Sexual Eruption,” it seemed like “Ego Trippin'” would be more pop-oriented, like 2004’s “R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece.” Instead, it turned out to be far darker, like 2006’s “The Blue Carpet Treatment,” though less imaginative.
The bulk of the first four songs is pretty bleak, filled with stark beats and gangsta rhymes. Things lighten up in the middle with the throwback ’70s funk of “Sexual Eruption” and the upbeat “Life of Da Party” with Too Short. The party vibe continues with “Cool,” which sounds like the ’80s funk of The Time in their heyday, and the spacey-pop of “Been Around tha World.”
“Ego Trippin’ ” isn’t bad, but it is disjointed and a bit jarring for the normally savvy Snoop to trot out so haphazardly. Maybe pushing up the release date to accommodate the success of the single wasn’t the best idea.
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DVD
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DVD, $29.99; Blu-Ray, $34.99
For anyone who can’t get enough of the newly crowned best picture Oscar winner, here it is. Joel and Ethan Coen blended unconventional genre motifs and mordant humor in their adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel. And, of course, Javier Bardem took home best supporting actor for his turn as a coiffure-challenged killer who has quickly joined the ranks of memorable cinema heavies. Tommy Lee Jones as an aging lawman and Josh Brolin as an opportunistic welder also are dead-on brilliant. Bonus features include three short behind-the-scenes docs. – Kevin Crust, L.A. Times
TV
John Adams
7 p.m. Sunday, HBO
If you slept through American history, here’s your chance to learn about the founding of our country. Don’t worry, the terrific cast led by Paul Giamatti as John Adams and Laura Linney as his wife, Abigail, make this seven-hour lesson anything but slumber-inducing. You won’t find the corset-ripping sexiness of costume dramas such as HBO’s “Rome” or Showtime’s “The Tudors,” but it’s just as enthralling to hear Adams shout “Libertywill reign in America!” – CURT WAGNER, REDEYE
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TV
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7 p.m. Sunday, TBS
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SONG
Gnarls Barkley
“Run”
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TV
Wisegal
8 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime
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– Curt Wagner
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VIDEO GAME
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$59.99 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $29.99 for Windows PC
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