By Trenton Shaw
The Blue Carpet Treatment is exactly what Snoop fans expect to hear–a statement that should be taken as both scathing and complimentary. There are no surprises, but there are 21 tracks of crip-walkin’, street-hustlin’, booty-shakin’ G-Funk to remind you that Snoop Dogg is still pimpin’ it in grand fashion.
The Blue Carpet Treatment could be criticized for its familiar formula, but at this point in his career, Snoop’s distinctive style is innovation enough–and give a G a break, he already practically invented his own language (ya dizzle?). Backed by the usual suspects (Nate Dogg, Daz, Kurupt, Goldie Loc) and a few new guests (Akon, Stevie Wonder, E-40), Snoop flows satin smooth on just about every verse.
On the Neptunes-produced “Loco,” Snoop’s epic storytelling comes to life, while “A B**** I Knew” journeys through the promiscuous adventures of a young pimp. Lyrically, Snoop is on point, dishing out metaphors and analogies: “Nah, we ain’t like Kobe and Shaq / It’s Magic and Kareem, showtime is back.” Some of the tracks will remind listeners of other Snoop songs (many of them done better), but there’s more than enough new Snoop swagger here to warrant a spin.