Perhaps radio killed Snoop Dogg’s gangsta. Lately, the once-edgy Doggfather has been favoring the Neptunes’ soft core over Dr. Dre’s Cali funk. True, Pharrell and Chad aren’t solely to blame. But, honestly, would Murder Was the Case–era Snoop ever have made an album as watered-down as 2004’s R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece? The Long Beach, Calif., native’s name is now identifiable everywhere, from Mary Jane ciphers to soccer mom gatherings. Not that such accessibility is negative. It’s just that Snoop’s recent albums have largely forgotten his original bread and butter—unadulterated G-funk. When you’re a “dogg,” however, you’re a dogg for ...