Tha Last Meal [PA]

Performer: Snoop Dogg
Artist: Sylk E Fyne; Butch Cassidy; Xzibit; Master P; Mc Ren; Ice Cube; Nate Dogg; Eve; Kokane; Lil HD; Bad Azz; The Lady Of Rage; Tha Eastsidaz; Suga Free; Mac Minister; Mister Magic
Engineer: Jimmy Douglass; Fredwreck
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Snoop Dogg, Bad Azz, Kokane, Eve, Lil HD, Tha Eastsidaz, Suga Free, Butch Cassidy, Master P, Mr. Magic, Mac Minista, Nate Dogg, MC Ren, The Lady Of Rage, Ice Cube (vocals); Clarence Jimmy Roach (guitar, bass); La Tonya Holmes, Mica Fisher, Traci Nelson (background vocals). Producers include: Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, Battlecat, Meech Wells, Timbaland. Personnel: Snoop Dogg (vocals); Jimmy Roach (guitar, bass guitar); LaTonya Holmes, Nate Dogg, The Lady of Rage, Traci Nelson (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Dave Aron; Dr. Dre; Jimmy Douglass; Timbaland. Recording information: DOGGHOUSE Recording Studios; HIt Factory; Manhattan Center Studios, New York, NY. Snoop Dogg leaves much of his gang-banging past behind him in favor of preened pimp posturing on his final album for No Limit Records, The Last Meal. Snoop's increasingly old-school pose suits his gracefully aging self well. Despite his former affiliation with Death Row Records and his much-publicized murder trial, Snoop never seemed like much of a thug, which is partly why hostile albums like Tha Doggfather (1996) and Da Game Is to Be Sold Not to Be Told (1998) seemed a bit forced. Contrarily, it seems more natural for him to rap about the pampered pimp life, as he does here on The Last Meal -- tall glasses of Hennesey, glistening pairs of Stacey Adams, overcast clouds of chronic smoke, hungry hordes of so-called bitches -- over truck-rattling G-funk basslines that lope along at a languid tempo. These impressive beats come courtesy of a similarly impressive roster of producers: second-wave G-funksters Meech Wells, Battlecat, Jelly Roll, and Soopafly, and brand-name hitmakers Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, and Timbaland. Among this roster, Timbaland certainly stands out, as do his contributions, "Snoop Dogg (What's My Name, Pt. 2)" and "Set It Off," which place Snoop in an uncharacteristically energetic context. He handles himself well on these bouncy songs regardless, yet seems more at home on Dre's smoother contributions, "Hennesey n Buddah" and "Lay Low." Beyond these four tracks, the remaining 15 are a mixed bag, most of them Crip-walking along at a stoned tempo, featuring soulful P-Funk hooks by Kokane and offering laid-back respite while this lengthy album moves leisurely toward its throwback album-capper, "Y'all Gone Miss Me." Following this misty-eyed finale, you're left with the thankful sense that Snoop has finally taken control of his career after succumbing to the oppressive fancy of Suge Knight and Master P ever since parting ways with Dr. Dre following Doggystyle (1993). ~ Jason Birchmeier Though Ice-T is credited with creating gangsta rap, and the original N.W.A. brought it to the forefront of the pop culture, it was Snoop Dogg that took the genre to the next level with his debut album DOGGYSTYLE. Snoop's decision to transfer from the Suge Knight-owned Death Row Records to the Master P-owned No Limit had a significant effect on the sound of his music. However, his fifth album, THA LAST MEAL, returns Snoop to the funk-inspired sound that made his debut a classic. "Snoop Dogg (What's My Name Part. 2)," with its Timbaland-produced background, re-establishes Snoop as the G-funk king. The posse cut "Set it Off," which features Ice Cube, MC Ren, Nate Dogg, and the Lady of Rage, highlights Snoop's laid-back flow and skilled lyrical style. Check out "True Lies" for that bouncy old Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre feel.

Rolling Stone (1/18/01, p.56) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...[His] strongest album since DOGGYSTYLE....Snoop's chronic-marinated flow, all menthol-cool and deadpan droop, sounds as smooth as ever..." Spin (3/01, p.145) - 6 out of 10 - "...This MEAL finds him riding the Dre cache, trying to convince us he's still 'G'ed-up from the feet up'....Timbaland stuttering out the obvious singles...but Dre's laconic thumps-by-the-pound anchor most of the album..." Vibe (2/01, pp.133-4) - 3.5 discs out of 5 - "...Deeply steeped in P-funkology....these days, Snoop's songs are simply fun to listen to....nothing groundbreaking, just good solid Snoop-rap..."

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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