R & G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece

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Though hip-hop devotees celebrated Snoop Dogg’s escape from the often creatively stultifying fold of No Limit records, Snoop’s first Master P free release, the sprawling and unfocussed <i>Paid da Cost to be da Bo$$</i> was hardly the bracing comeback that Snoop fans were looking for. Though Snoop would not succeed in fully rediscovering his drum-tight cadences and effortless drawl until 2006’s <i>The Blue Carpet Treatment</i>, 2005’s <i>Rhythm & Gangsta</i> was a big step in the right direction. The best tracks handily beat anything that Snoop had put out since <i>Tha Doggfather</i>. As the title indicates, <i>Rhythm & Gangsta</i> is built around the shaky conceit that, having proven his mastery of the rap game, Snoop has set out to reinvent himself as a soulful crooner. When listening to <i>Rhythm & Gangsta</i> its best to ignore this notion entirely and skip past the snooze inducing R&B workouts that clutter the record to the surefire bangers. The skeletal clicks and whistles of the phenomenal “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and the vintage G-Funk of “Da Bidness” sport exceptionally tight rhymes from Snoop and production that hearkens back to Snoop’s glory days while remaining compellingly progressive.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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