R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece [PA]

Performer: Snoop Dogg
Artist: The Bee Gees; Nelly; 50 Cent; Charlie Wilson; Bootsy Collins; Pharrell Williams; Justin Timberlake; Lil Jon; Trina
Producer: Alchemist; The Neptunes; Warryn Campbell; Soopafly; L.T. Hutton
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Snoop Dogg (rap vocals); 50 Cent, Justin Timberlake, Lil Jon, Nelly, Pharrell Williams, Soopafly, Bee Gees, Trina, Bootsy Collins, Charlie Wilson. Internet leakers caused the release of R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece to be pushed up a week, but that just means the world got to bask in the excitement of Snoop's great return for seven extra days. Upon its release, the ultrahot production team the Neptunes' contribution to the killer lead single "Drop It Like It's Hot" had been duly noted, but lost in all the chatter was how inspired and on-fire Snoop sounds. Any fan keeping up with his street-level mixtape series Welcome to the Chuuch could tell you something new and fresh was brewing, and 2002's Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ was excellent, but Snoop's let his fans down before and two years off could mean trouble. Not to be, since Rhythm & Gangsta is right up there with his best while being riskier than anything before it. New sounds like tongue clicks, smooth jazz guitars, and a bit of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" give Snoop a brand-new sonic palette to work with, and he's more than ready for it. The up-tempo "Signs" with Justin Timberlake (!?!) is glittery disco fun, but it ain't gonna keep Snoop from being himself. He's hardcore throughout the album, an album that's got plenty of street and commercial appeal and all the difficulties that comes with it. The numerous youngsters who can't stop singing "Drop It Like It's Hot" are going to freak their parents out with this one. "Can You Control Yo Hoe" is a tough stunner with an inescapable, loopy hook, but Snoop's challenge to the homies is rather disturbing. "If she won't do what you say, why aren't you slapping her?" is the song's direct message that can't be easily brushed off as metaphor, and it's the one that's gonna send mom and dad back to the record store, fuming! Recommending such an album that gets viciously misogynistic -- elsewhere too -- is difficult, but Snoop is fierce throughout Rhythm & Gangsta and putting "Masterpiece" in the title isn't hyperbole. ~ David Jeffries Following up one of his strongest records to date, Snoop Dogg returned in 2004 with an album he audaciously labeled a "masterpiece." Indeed, the rapper's seventh record finds the Long Beach, California native firing on all cylinders, with his usual slow-and-steady delivery freely flowing over tracks of all varieties. Easily Snoop's most diverse album, R&G slips from solidly street-oriented tracks to purely fun tunes, with moments both sensual and silly that add up to what's almost a concept record. Snoop has always been a master of squaring a mellow melody with his hardcore edge, but he reaches new heights on R&G, particularly on the Neptunes-assisted single "Drop It Like It's Hot" and the incredible early-1980s disco-soul sound of "Let's Get Blown." Snoop also reminds listeners just how hard he can hit on tracks like the relentless, chaotic "The Bidness" and the sinister 50 Cent duet "Oh No." If there were ever any questions about Snoop's stature as a premier statesman of rap, R&G effortlessly lays them to rest.

Rolling Stone (p.158) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]he top-shelf producers provide the Dogg with some of the most radio-ready backing of his career." Uncut (p.79) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Snoop still manages some earthy funk, assisted by a gargantuan guest list."

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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