No Limit Top Dogg [PA]

Performer: Snoop Dogg
Artist: Master P; Warren G; Dr. Dre; Mia X; Silkk The Shocker; Xzibit; Goldie Loc; C-Murder; Daz; Kurupt; Mauseberg; Mystikal; Nate Dogg; Magic; Sticky Fingers; Suga Free; Sylk E Fyne; Raphael Saadiq; Fiend; Jewell; Mauseburg
Engineer: Dwayne Cornelius
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Snoop Dogg, Sticky Fingers, Sylk E. Fine, Suga Free, Magic, Raphael Saadiq, Xzibit, Fiend, Mia X, Goldie Loc, Dr. Dre, Jewell, Mauseberg, Warren G, Silkk The Shocker, C-Murder, Daz, Kurupt, Mystikal, Nate Dogg (rap vocals); James Tre Rabb, Jimmy Roach (guitar); Shawn Dogg (background vocals). Producers include: Dr. Dre, Bud'da, Meech Wells, Ant Banks, KLC. Personnel: Stevie Blacke (strings). While Snoop's No Limit debut left many long-time fans cold, his sophomore effort at Master P's label sees the LBC representative returning to form with a gang of reliable West Coast beatmakers (Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, Jelly Roll) in tow. Released some two years after the East/West beef hit its apex, TOPP DOGG represents Snoop's induction as a mainstream hip-hop icon, as the Dre-produced "B Please" garnered heavy rotation in all areas, conquering New York radio-waves for the first time. Elsewhere, Snoop parlays his trademark laidback rhyme style between aggressive, gangstafied grandstanding ("Buck `Em," "My Heat Goes Boom," "Buss'n Rocks") and smoothed-out hood love songs ("In Love With a Thug," "Don't Tell), even turning sensitive with a closing cut dedicated to his mother ("I Love My Momma"). All in all, TOPP DOGG proves that, under the right conditions, the G-Funk and No Limit eras are far from incompatible. As time keeps on slipping into the future, it becomes apparent that Master P's greatest gift is marketing, particularly when his advertising masquerades as liner notes. Witness P's work for Snoop Dogg, once considered the brightest rapper of the '90s but now merely a general in the No Limit army. The Master began plugging Top Dogg, Snoop's second No Limit release, in the liners for his label debut, even mentioning a release date only months away. Clearly, Snoop had indeed been placed on the No Limit production line, and there was every indication that from now on, Snoop would churn out moderately enjoyable, Dirty South-lite records crammed with cameos and appropriated hooks. Turns out he had a trick up his sleeve, because Top Dogg is about as individualized an album as possible under the No Limit precepts. Since the outset of his career, Snoop has shown a fondness for early-'80s synth funk, and for the first time, he lets that form the basis of an album. And while there may be a bit too much recycling for some tastes, the end result isn't just the freshest-sounding Snoop album since his debut, it's easily the freshest-sounding No Limit album. Unfortunately, it's still a No Limit album, which means it runs way too long and is filled with superfluous, even irritating cameos, and also that Snoop is content to haul out low-rent gangsta clich�s. Since he's a gifted rapper, he makes the dope 'n' crimes, sex 'n' violence rhymes go down easily (compare his delivery to some of his guests if you have any doubts), but his lyrics just aren't as clever as they were five years earlier. But records don't have to be deep; they can be appreciated as a pure sonic experience, and taken on that level, Top Dogg satisfies. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (6/10/99, p.120) - out of 5 - Good - "...Snoop's finest work since his debut album...full of seductive party jams that will keep heads bobbing through the summer. Snoop has returned to West Coast G-funk with the help of some old friends...like Dr. Dre and DJ Quik..." The Source (2/00, p.95) - Included in The Source's "Top 10 Albums of the Year [1999]." NME (Magazine) (5/29/99, p.37) - 8 out of 10 - "...the silken, sumptuous flow of yore is back, threading deluxe soul and full-bodied grooves....the cool drawl of Snoop...captivates, unveiling tales of love, thuggery, surviving and succeeding in the wild west....a certifiable return to form..."

Snoop Doggy Dogg ensured his place in rap history by providing the perfect vocal complement to Dr. Dre's mellow, ominous, West Coast G-funk sound. His distinctively lazy singsong and soft-spoken drawl was first heard on Dre's title cut from the DEEP COVER soundtrack in 1991. Snoop's appearances on Dre's solo album THE CHRONIC shortly thereafter propelled him to almost overnight stardom, and his albums DOGGYSTYLE and the DOGGFATHER both hit the top of the charts. Despite a much-publicized murder trial, and a falling out with Death Row Record's CEO Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg ascended to the highest echelon of rap royalty, and through shrewd marketing, brilliant collaborations, and his smooth pimp persona, he has kept his crown well into the 21st century.

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