Tha Blue Carpet Treatment [PA]

Performer: Snoop Dogg
Artist: Dr. Dre; R. Kelly; Akon; Young Jeezy; Ice Cube; The Game
Producer: Dr. Dre; Timbaland; Pharrell Williams
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: There's no question that Snoop Dogg is one of hip-hop's most beloved artists; Snoop has not only ridden with hip-hop from the margins to the mainstream, he helped get the big rig there. All reverence aside, though, the quality of Snoop's output has frequently come into question since the release of his undisputed classic, 1993's DOGGYSTYLE. While all his albums have had their share of hits, they've often lacked cohesion as Snoop aimed for broader appeal, catered to big-name pop guests, and alienated hardcore fans in the process. But on his eighth effort, it seems Snoop finally has the formula locked down, seamlessly blending smoothed-out 1970s funk ("Think About It," "Boss Life") and catchy R&B ("That's That," "Round Here") with new millennium G-Funk ("Crazy," "Don't Stop") and more than a few hardcore street anthems ("Vato," "Gangbangin' 101"). Every track is a triumph as Timbaland, Nottz, the Neptunes, DJ Pooh, Rick Rock, and Dr. Dre, among others, bless Calvin Broadus with some of the most fitting soundscapes his laidback gangsta drawl has ever touched. THE BLUE CARPET TREATMENT is another crowning achievement for the D-O-double-G, perhaps even eclipsing the pure gangsta charisma of his classic 1993 debut. You can look at the hard-hitting Tha Blue Carpet Treatment as a reaction to the crossover-minded R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, an album that featured Justin Timberlake and the mega-single "Drop It Like It's Hot." Since that polished -- some would say "watered-down" -- effort put him over the top (again), Snoop was seen shilling for Chrysler and Orbit gum when he used to rep Girls Gone Wild: Doggy Style videos and that green sticky-icky you can only get on the West Coast. The time to buy street cred would be now, right? Well, Snoop's been doing some amazing things under most folks' radar, and this album is the natural outcome. While the title is a little poke at the Crip/Blood, blue/red dichotomy, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment feels like the G-funk soundtrack to Snoop's 2005 West Coast peace summit and all the positive hood moves he's made since then, like squashing all West Coast beefs and throwing some love to Cali's often-ignored Latin hip-hop community with his intentionally leaked "My Peoples" freestyle. It's the latter relationship that's responsible for the excellent "Vato," and while special guest B Real might be way bigger than 2Mex or most of the other names mentioned in "My Peoples," the Cypress Hill sideman needs Snoop in 2006 much more than vice versa. Polished efforts like the pimping "That's That S***" with R. Kelly and the strip club anthem "I Wanna F*** You" with Akon fall between Doggystyle-d gangsta throwbacks like the slinky "Crazy" with Nate Dogg and "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)," which features E-40 and Tha Dogg Pound next to lesser-known vets Goldie Loc and MC Eiht. Juggling "Candy"'s guests would be hard enough for lesser Gs, but it's a testament to Snoop that he can, and more so that he manages a full album that touches upon just about every ghetto flavor. Banger after banger, produced by everyone from Timbaland to the Neptunes, leads to a couple numbers that almost throw the album off-track: "Psst!," where Jamie Foxx woefully pretends he's Prince, and the pee-wee football anthem "Beat Up on Yo Pads," which is just out of place. Then there's the dream number "Imagine," a duet between Dr. Dre and Snoop that ponders a hood life not blessed with hip-hop, a life where the two would have never gotten "out from under." As the album exits on the positive "Conversations" with Stevie Wonder, memories of Rhythm & Gangsta's grandest moments return, and it becomes obvious Tha Blue Carpet Treatment isn't so much a reaction to that album as it is a house party celebrating Snoop's whole career. With heaping helpings of G-funk and Left Coast attitude, there's no reason any West Coast-loving hip-hopper should miss this party. ~ David Jeffries

Entertainment Weekly (p.109) - "BLUE CARPET finds him refocused and reunited with Dr. Dre on three tracks. The two get nostalgic on standout 'Imagine'..." -- Grade: B+ Vibe (p.170) - "THA BLUE CARPET TREATMENT stands as a strong statement from a veteran still pushing his artistic boundaries." XXL (Magazine) (p.164) - "Snoop's lyrical fire seems resurrected, as he delivers arguably his most consistently scorching work post-DOGGYSTYLE."

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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