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

So I was gonna review Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, but I really don't like that one and don't wanna give it another listen. So I figured, why not take you way back -- OK, a coupla years back, to the album Snoop dropped before that?

In retrospect it's kinda sad that Snoop apparently decided to try and appease his fanbase after R&G, givin' Blue Carpet a more "street" sound that really doesn't work all that well. As "pop" as R&G can be, the fact of the matter is that the best Snoop/Neptunes collabos on this one are good enough to rival Snoop/Dre in the duo's prime -- and let's not even talk 'bout Skateboard P's subsequent attempts to thug out his beats on Blue Carpet. In any case, what's surprisin' is that The Neps' beats here really ain't all that Neps-sounding. It's more like a cross between Kanye and the Neps' usual sound, if you can imagine. As in, more soulful stuff, less of the usual "damn this sounds like everything else they've done but it's still damn catchy" keyboard plinkin'. Albeit without the sped-up vocal loops, in case that kinda-forced explanation confused ya.

Of course, you wouldn't know that based on the lead single "Drop It Like It's Hot." To me, this song is like a more radio-friendly version of the Clipse's "Grindin'," which was also produced by the 'Tunes. The beat's Neptunes on some minimalist, real infectious sh*t, with a nice futuristic, bass-heavy pop to it. It also marks the first prominent rappin' debut of Skateboard P, half-'Tune Pharrell Williams's not-so-clever nickname for himself. I gotta say I prefer Pharrell doin' his usual adlibs and hilariously strained singing, but his rappin' doesn't really detract here, monotone-as-hell though it may be. Snoop's sorta on auto-pilot here too, doin' his usual pimp/thug thing, but this is really one of those track's where it's all 'bout the beat.

Three of the other 'Tunes-helmed tracks here are a big 180 from what "Drop It Like It's Hot" sounds like. "Let's Get Blown," "Perfect," and "Signs" are fairly similar in vibe, goin' for a real bright, upbeat feel. "Perfect" finds Snoop on some loverman raps, with help from singer Charlie Wilson, and "Signs" is pretty similar in lyrical scope, featurin' not only Wilson but...Justin Timberlake!?!? Sorry Snoop, you've revoked your gangsta status. Well, Timberlake does go "don't f*ck with me" in the chorus, so that's gotta count for somethin' no?

In all seriousness, all these songs are pretty great, and are easily the most melodic cuts on the album. "Signs" in particular works well thanks to some real live-wire horns included in the beat. Actually, R&G in general works better when Snoop goes for a more upliftin' tone rather than tryin' to be street. The Alchemist opens up the album with a great soul sample on "(Intro) I Love to Give You Light," which features one of Snoop's more inspired verses on the album. "Ups & Downs" is another standout early on, with a similarly soulful beat which seems to bring out another one of Snoop's more inspired, introspective raps.

The more street joints...I don't wanna say they're outright bad, but a good amount are just pretty forgettable. You'll forget about "Bang Out" as soon as "Drop It Like It's Hot" comes on after, and both "The Bidness" and "Snoop D.O. Double G" (you knew there was gonna be a title like that here) just fall relatively flat, both in terms of beats and Snoop's rhymes. They're listenable, but they still kinda come off as album filler. There are a coupla exceptions though -- "Oh No," despite containin' an amusingly lazy guest spot from 50 Cent (how many times're ya gonna say you're "loco" Curtis?,) fares better in comparison to the other songs mentioned, and "Step Yo Game Up" may be the most hilariously explicit song Snoop's done. Lil' Jon's verse here has to be heard to be believed, though I don't recommend it to impressionable younguns out there. Actually, now that I think about it, this isn't really a street cut so much as it's just a so-nasty-it's-ridiculous sex rap.

Snoop also tries to get, errr, "creative" on this album on occasion, to mixed results. "Can I Get a Flicc Witchu" finds Snoop usin' a more sarcastic tone than usual to mock his diehard fans, but the beat here's a mess and pretty much kills the song. "Can U Control Yo Hoe" and "I'm Threw Witchu" work a lot better, and both represent the type of rap misogyny I can let slide based on how ridiculous it sounds. Both songs find Snoop _singin'_, so ya know you can't take 'em all that seriously.

While it's true that this album is kinda anchored by the Snoop/'Tunes collabos -- aside from the half-*ssed "Drop It Like It's Hot" retread named "Pass It Pass It" toward the end -- the rest of the album is generally solid, if a bit too long. Snoop's rappin' is sometimes inconsistent -- one second he'll sound relatively into it, the next he'll sound sorta lazy -- but the production here goes a long way in makin' up for his weaker moments. Like I said though, he does generally do better here on the more upbeat joints. While it definitely coulda used some editting, as it is R&G is a pretty solid album from late in Snoop's career -- just make sure ya got your skip button ready every now and again.