R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece [PA] - Dogg, Snoop (CD 2004)

When Snoop Dogg came out with the enjoyable summer jam "Beautiful" a couple years ago, many of his fans thought he was selling himself out to make some money. In actuality, he was realizing that he was getting old. He couldn't be the gangsta who threatened undercover cops in his younger years nor he could continue in the same mindset without seeming uncredible and generic. While he still continues dabbling in the gangsta lifestyle, his image has mostly changed into the smooth-as-whipped-cream, constantly-preening pimp. Instead of hanging out with degenerate-looking gangstas, he now hangs with the impeccably-dressed-yet-disturbingly-flashy Don "Magic" Juan. His newest album R&G(Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece continues to mark this change from a sly gangsta rapper to a smoothed-out rhyme-spitter - while also trying to prove that the Doggfather can still be relevant in these times.

Opening with a beautiful sample of Andrae Crouch's "I Come That You Might Have Life" accompanied by sensational and soulful choir vocals, gospel piano chords, and plentiful handclaps on the album intro "I Love to Give You Light", Snoop Dogg attempts to set the scene for a melodic masterwork. While his claim to have reached the status"of a modern-day John the Baptist" may ring of blasphemy, the impact of this intro cannot be denied. Setting the scene for an album that has redemption on its mind, it's an effective album opener. In conjunction with the slithering single "Drop It Like It's Hot" marked by percussionistic tongue-clicks, smooth bass breaks, and Snoop's silky delivery, The Masterpiece attempts to prove that the Doggfather still has the magic.

However, the rest of the album proves that the instrumentals themselves hold most of the magic. While Snoop harkens back to the olden days of Doggystyle on the freestyle-influenced and funky "The Bidness", it's the melodic productions on most of the CD that grab seductively onto the listener's ears and refuses to let go. On songs like the mellowed-out "Let's Get Blown" and the love-influenced "Promise I", - the former an obligatory yet incredibly-smooth ode to getting high, the latter a funky dedication to girls who love Snoop for the "pimpin...' [and] smokin' that he do" - it's obvious that Snoop hasn't advanced far past his usual subject matter on his previous albums. When he takes it to a unforgettably-corny level with the fawning yet still smooth-sounding "Fresh Pair of Panties On" filled with pathetic lines such as "lemme guess...you prefer to wear cotton/I can tell, 'cuz you like squattin" and the disgraceful-yet-admittedly-sincere "baby girl, I can read ya mind/But what I'm really trying to do is read between your panty line", it's noticeable that Snoop's aging has done nothing to dampen his libido.

The generally enjoyable productions cannot salvage all of the album, though. On the songs where the full-on pimp side of the Doggfather decides to come out, it's when the albums becomes generic and hugely misogynistic. Although the golden-soul influenced "I'm Threw Witchu" is interesting to listen to once for its descriptions of a cheating love from the mindset of a pimp, it's the blatant misogyny of tracks such as "Can You Control Your H*e", - which preaches domestic violence with the line "you got to put that b*tch in her place/even if it's slappin' her in her face" - that destroy the fun-loving, genial ambiance of the whole record. Even with the repeated collaborations between Pharrell and Charlie Wilson (of the Gap Band) that make for great music once again on the cheerful ode to love "Perfect" and the disco-esque "Signs", - with an falsetto'ed Justin Timberlake guest appearance - the ultimate message emanating from this album is that Snoop may be taking his pimp posturing to an unenjoyable extreme.

While the gangsta part of Snoop Dogg may be slowly dying out (there are only a couple gangsta-influenced tracks on here), the pimpish side of the Doggfather may lead him to make more unejoyable songs such as the aformentioned "Can You Control Your H*e". It's a shame since that one track diverts attention from the general fun of the album. With guest apperances ranging from new-schoolers to the older funk balladeers - such as Bootsy Collins who helps turn the introspective closer "No Thang On Me" into something wonderful - and great-sounding melodic productions, this should have been a great album. Unfortunately, the pimp posturings stopped that from being a reality. Still, this is a decent album from Snoop Dogg - it could've been much better, though.


2.75 stars