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Album Review
by Doc Func Roksteiner
9-12-2002
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| Snoop Dogg is tha bo$$ on the 'game' |
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Snoop Dogg: 'Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$'
(Priority)
Snoop Dogg masters creativity without stimulants
Now, ‘The Cost To Be Da Bo$$’ is the first album Snoop Dogg has made cleaned up, as he’s so eager to tell everyone. Whether that’s the sole reason to make the difference or there have been some additional motives but this is a mellower, mature and back-to-good Snoop. It could be that his guests, his age, desire to be less controversial and more respected or just general whatever have influenced him, things are not the same. No mention of the weed, which certainly makes it unique in his opus.
Ever since partying with Tha Row (then Death Row) in 1998, Dogg has appeared in several Hollywood movies, set up a clothing line, designed a Cadillac and has had a couple of action figures marketed, alongside selling a very respectable amount of discs. He’s the man who was considered worthy to be the fourth member (replacing the Rapped In Peace, Eazy-E) in NWA when they were talking reformation a few years back. Now, Dogg is keen to shed off the heavy gangsta rap cred for a more street-current image of ‘pimp’ who is ‘dressing good’ and sporting ‘alligator shoes’, all the way “Thinking how to make the dead presidents” (‘Paper’d Up’).
To that end he’s invited a bevy of guests to enhance his sixth studio album: Jay-Z and Nate Dogg on ‘Lollipop’, with the latter reappearing on ‘From Long Beach 2 Brick City’ where he is joined by Redman and Warren G; Pharrell (of N*E*R*D) graces two tracks, ‘From Tha Chuuuch To Da Palace’ and ‘Beautiful’ (also produced by The Neptunes), Ludicris appears on ‘You Got What I Want’, to name but several…
Beautiful cuts like ‘Beautiful’, or a love-song to his ‘kitchen-knife’, ‘I Believe In You’, feel a tad like unbalancing the usual street-scenes he depicts in his ‘gangsta-mode’ and are really something he might rethink of continuing to do. Otherwise, displaying fair share of self-aggrandising, a casual misogyny and few wordy concepts that require the ubiquitous ‘Explicit Content’ sticker, the man is on a mission and he’s re-found the ‘game’ that appeared to have been misplaced for the previous five years, or so.
Is Snoop still dangerous? A little bit less but still a major playa.
8-/10
Doc Func Roksteiner
9-12-2002
Snoop Dogg’s album ‘Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$’ is released 09 Dec. 2002 on Doggy Style/Priority/Capital
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