Snoop Dogg - Rhythm & Gangsta: The Masterpiece

Well, I promised Veillotron his review of the Snoop Dogg album, and as ridiculous as this seems to me, here it is. But before I get on with it, let me state for the record that I tried to listen to the album as objectively as I could, even though it's well known that I am no fan of rap music.

Snoop Dogg - Rhythm & Gangsta: The Masterpiece

When I first saw the name of this album, I wasn't too impressed. "The Masterpiece"? Ok, we know that rappers, like pop and rock stars (and actors for that matter) tend to believe their own hype. But even The Beatles never had the audacity of naming one of their albums "The Masterpiece". But that being said, while "masterpiece" might be pushing it, the simple fact that I was able to listen to it from start to finish without cringing too much speaks volume about Snoop Dogg's work here.

Like any rap album that hopes to have any "street cred", this one is filled with sexual and "gangsta" references and non-stop dropping of the standards of rap vocabulary, more precisely the usual "shit", "ho", "bitch", "ass" and the unforgettable "nigga". But lame lyrical content aside (is it even called lyrics in the rap world?), there are some pretty good collaborations to be found here and some excellent beats too. 'Bang out', although it doesn't feature much Snoop Dogg, gives a rather weak beginning to the album a foundation to stand on. 'Promise I' shows some originality, showcasing a nice R&B groove that borders on jazz. The collaboration with 50 Cent, 'Oh no', possesses the characteristic that most good rap songs have: a great sample. 'Signs', a song that features Justin Timberlake, almost sounds like a Bran Van 3000 song with Snoop making an appearance. It has a pretty nice disco vibe. The album closer, 'No thang on me', is one of the strongest cuts here, and like 'Promise I', has a style that clearly shows some jazz influences.

But for all its strong moments, this album also features some ridiculous, pointless cuts. 'Drop it like it's hot' has to be one of the most annoying songs ever, no matter how popular it is. 'Step your game up' and 'Can you control your hoe' sound like their words were lifted right out of an Eminem album, but the music lacks the urgency of Eminem's. All in all, Snoop has managed to come up with a few good cuts here, but he has failed to support with quality "filler" material. Still, the record has enough to stand on its own.

3/10 (my taste); 7/10 (if I take an objective look at it)

By the way, as an add-on, let me here intrduce my good friend Huy with a contribution of his own for this review of Snoop Dogg's album:

"Snoop D. O. G. last joint was bangin yo......that shit be bringing down the crunk back to tha south side homies.......word. All my nizzles will be hearin that shit"


Alright... I feel like I just had an out-of-body experience. I never thought I would one day review a Snoop album. What wouldn't I do for my peeps? My ever loyal peeps... Anywhoo, check back tomorrow for my thoughts on Game 3 of the Oilers-Ducks series, as well as what I think we can expect from one of the biggest questions marks in the upcoming NFL season: the Philadelphia Eagles. Will the the departure of Terrell Owens hurt their offense, or will they be able to bounce back? I say they'll bounce back in the biggest way... See you Tuesday.