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Snoop Dogg can’t really be fronted on, because of the undeniable influence he’s had on commercial rap. However, his newest release, with Nate Dogg and Warren G,. is as stale as Huggy Bear’s musty platforms. The Hard Way is weighed down by its glaring hypocrisies. For instance, on “Run On Up,” Snoop and his crew claim to be “strictly street wit’ it” — you know, gangstas from the hood — but you just know they’re chillin’ in lounge chairs by the pool in Beverly Hills. Meanwhile, “bitches” and “hood rats” apparently don’t mean shit, yet they’re good enough to serve as subject matter in songs like “Groupie Luv” and “Lil’ Girl.” And this is only the tip of the double-talking iceberg. Ultimately, The Hard Way is a good album for the capitalistic purposes it serves — i.e., this shit will sell. But it’s also horrible in the sense of musicality, lyricism and realism. So can Snoop Dogg be fronted on after all? Yes and no.