| Cali Iz Active | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 27, 2006 (2006-6-27) | |||
| Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 69:00 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Tha Dogg Pound chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Cali Iz Active | ||||
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Cali Iz Active is the fourthstudio album by rap groupTha Dogg Pound. It was released throughKoch andSnoop Dogg'sDoggystyle Records on June 27, 2006.
BesidesDaz andKurupt, the album also features Tha Dogg Pound family (Snoop Dogg,Soopafly,Nate Dogg,RBX, andLady of Rage). Also appearing areDavid Banner,Ice Cube,Paul Wall and producersBattlecat,Ryan Leslie,Swizz Beatz andJazze Pha.
Snoop Dogg has already used the Royal Cash sample in one of his earlier unreleased recordings with DJ Glaze of Foesum. It was titled "True To The Game" and DJ Glaze included it in his mixtapeThe Lost Tapez[2][3][4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| The A.V. Club | B−[6] |
| HipHopDX | [7] |
| Prefix |  [8] |
| RapReviews | [9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| USA Today | link |
| XXL | (L)[11] |
Pedro Hernandez ofRapReviews said that while the subject matter remains unchanged, he gave praise to the trio's camaraderie throughout the record, and the production and collaborations throughout the track listing from both West Coast and non-West Coast artists, saying that "Overall,Cali Iz Active is a dope West Coast album full of gangsta anthems that are funky enough to be enjoyed by all."[9]
AllMusic editor David Jeffries praised both the chemistry and reinvigorated lyricism of Daz and Kurupt, the production and varied guest list, concluding that "While it's a track or two too long,Cali Iz Active is arguably the strongest album from the crew and a West Coast fiend's dream come true."[5]
Christian Hoard fromRolling Stone said the record "sacrifices deep focus in favor of cameos from Diddy, Nate Dogg, Ice Cube and Paul Wall, but the party-hearty free-for-all feel is good enough, especially on "Keep It Gangsta" and the hooky, brawling Cube feature "It's All Hood.""[10]
The A.V. Club's Nathan Rabin said, "For the first 10 tracks or so,Cali Iz Active qualifies as a surprisingly solid comeback effort, but the disc starts to drag well before it reaches the end of its 68 minutes. Tha Dogg Pound throws a laid-back gangsta party here, but part of being a good host is knowing when to call it a night."[6]
XXL writer Damien Scott was mixed about the album, praising the duo for staying lyrically consistent but was put off by the guest contributions fromDavid Banner andBusta Rhymes and the "misogynistic tracks ("Drop Your Drawers" and "She Like Dat")" for lacking the "infectious flavor" that previous DPG efforts contained, concluding that "Aside from the failed reaches for broader acceptance, Daz and Kurupt still manage to corral enough gangsta shit to keep the Cali movement active."[11]
Andres Tardio fromHipHopDX heavily panned the record for having "tired subject matter delivered in a tired fashion", criticizing both Daz and Kurupt for writing lyrical content that's unoriginal nor memorable, concluding that "[T]his album, instead of solidifying the crew, is simply going to go down as one with filler after filler. So, to answer the question...No, the group didn’t live up to the hype."[7]
Cali Iz Active debuted at number 28 on the USBillboard 200 chart, selling over 30,000 copies in its first week.[12]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cali Iz Active" (featuringSnoop Dogg) | Battlecat | 4:44 |
| 2. | "Kushn' n' Pushn'" | L.T. Moe | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Sittin on 23z" | Swizz Beatz | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Stop Lyin'" | Battlecat | 4:19 |
| 5. | "It's Craccin' All Night" (featuring Snoop Dogg &Diddy) | Jeffrey "J-Dub" Walker | 5:28 |
| 6. | "Slow Your Roll" | Soopafly | 4:04 |
| 7. | "Heavyweights" (featuring Snoop Dogg) | Ryan Leslie | 3:57 |
| 8. | "Keep It Gangsta" (featuringThe Lady of Rage) | Soopafly | 5:02 |
| 9. | "Hard on a Hoe" (featuring Snoop Dogg,Nate Dogg &RBX) | Rick Rock | 4:00 |
| 10. | "It's All Hood" (featuring Snoop Dogg,Ice Cube & Traci Nelson) | Battlecat | 4:53 |
| 11. | "Faknass Hoes" (featuringDavid Banner) | David Banner | 4:14 |
| 12. | "Don't Sweat It" (featuring Snoop Dogg,Nate Dogg &RBX) |
| 3:53 |
| 13. | "Make Dat Pussy Pop" (featuringPaul Wall) | Bangladesh | 4:04 |
| 14. | "Thrown Up da C" | Soopafly | 4:11 |
| 15. | "Face 2 Face" (featuring Snoop Dogg & Oliver Brown) | Battlecat | 4:23 |
| 16. | "She Likes Dat" (featuring Snoop Dogg) | Jazze Pha | 3:48 |
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Do What You Wanna" | L.T. Hutton | 4:08 |
| 18. | "Take Your Drawers Off" (featuring Snoop Dogg) | Jazze Pha | 3:30 |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USIndependent Albums (Billboard)[13] | 1 |
| USBillboard 200[14] | 28 |
| USTop Rap Albums (Billboard)[15] | 4 |
| USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[16] | 5 |
