Tha Blue Carpet Treatment - Dark Publications

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Product Description
Snoop Dogg: Tha Blue Carpet Treatment

Amazon.com
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment finds Snoop employing his usual impressive lineup of collaborators and strutting his way through a by-now standard litany of libidinous, gang-bangin' boasts. But when your record is packed with this much veteran savvy and smooth flavor, the pride comes naturally. Snoop has been g-funky as hell for a long while, but "Crazy," with its hypnotic keyboard loop and silky flow, is impressive even for him. It's a trickle of light to counter the equally accomplished but darker "Vato," a fever-dream street duet with Cypress Hill's B Real. Traces of Doggystyle-era gangsta show up as well; the laconic flow of "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)" for instance, featuring E-40 and MC Eiht, is as instantly appealing as anything on that seminal debut. It must be said that whatever Snoop Dogg releases at this point in his career competes with his overwhelming celebrity and cartoonish, pimp-maestro image, and that makes it hard to take him seriously. But here, even a too-obvious, potentially disastrous song like "I Wanna F*** You" manages not to be ridiculous. If that's not the mark of a true star, I don't know what is. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews: Read 52 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

The Dogg just put all the Vets to Sleep November 21, 2006
13 out of 17 found this review helpful

In a lot of ways anticipating a Snoop album is like anticipating a KRS-One album. I mean, lyrically we have nothing to worry about. Both artists are absolutely brilliant with how they work the words. But for both artists I get a little anxious to see if the production will do even a hint of justice to their flow. I've never doubted Snoop's lyrical hustle. But the beats behind his rhymes are often an insult to his wordplay.

And it kind of happens again with the Blue Carpet Treatment -- but not until a little after the mid-point of this album. At the jump, the Album is charged with smooth fire that is complimentary of Snoop's voice and flow. The moment "Think About it" rolls in my hopes went up and I thought this album was going to put all the others before it to sleep! "Crazy" has a crazy smooth beat. "Vato" has one of the most unique exotic electric sounds I've ever heard in a hip-hop song. And it seems like this energy keeps pushing onward and upward... until Tracks 14 thru 19, all of which --on a sliding scale of quality -- seemed to be below par. Well...actually, track 18 "Pump up your Pads" is an endearing track. I don't care for the beat, but lyrically -- as always -- Snoop can take any topic and make it sound good. Even if it's about young ball players.

And then comes the save: "Imagine." This is by far the most memorable track on the whole album. Unlike most hip-hop songs where it takes a few listens before the meaning behind the lyrics step forward, Imagine manages to resonate from the very beginning. It's one of those songs where you don't just hear it, you feel it.

I have to say also that Snoop's new mission of peace makes for much more compelling material than some of his other work. His more soulful songs bring me back to "Lil' Ghetto Boy" from the Chronic. A lot of hip-hop artists have tried to inject positivity into their rhymes and failed, mostly because they couldn't make hope and optimism as addictive as their gangster tales. Snoop on the other makes you feel like you can still have a cool swagger and still get warm booty without all the mean-mugging and gangster thuggin'. Even his more relaxed visage on the cover works much better than the wrenched up face I've seen on his other album covers. His image and his lyrics seem to project a more natural Snoop -- a perfect image since being laid back comes natural to him.

As far as the five iffy tracks on this album -- whatever. You still have 16 really solid tracks remaining. I hope this isn't our last Snoop album. If anything I think this is proof that Snoop and Doc in the studio one more time will give us another good hit of the Chronic before the Detox.

2 out of 5 stars

Same old sex, drugs and violence. Boring. February 7, 2007
7 out of 12 found this review helpful

Here's a line from the song Vato on this album: "I wouldn't be the n_____ that I am if I didn't pop n____z in the mouth."

Isn't that poetic? Snoop Dogg manages to pull off an amazing feat. He makes sex, drugs and violence seem so ... boring. I feel like I am supposed to be offended. But it's too boring to be offensive. We have songs about every kind of gang violence, every kind of drug, and every kind of cheap sex. And what are we left with?

He gets two stars because his approach to the city of Los Angeles is fresh and loving. Hip Hop should be local, and he does a good job with that. Otherwise it'd be a one-star.

5 out of 5 stars

Best album since Doggystyle November 22, 2006
6 out of 9 found this review helpful

Snoop really took me by surprise with this one. I was more excited about Jigga's cd but after hearing the two, I think Snoop's is definately better. Not better lyrically or even better personally, just better musically. In the end, isn't that what the point of making music is all about? The best songs are Get A Light, Lil Crips, Round Here, I Wanna L*** You (ha), and Imagine ft. Dre. Some lowlights are Beat Up On Your Pads (a homage to his kid football team), and LAX ft. Ice Cube. The CD has something for everyone. Dre's beats are better on this cd than they are on Hov's. Way to go Snoop! Keep up the good work

4 out of 5 stars

Everybody loves Snoop and Snoop loves everybody January 3, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I can't decide whether Snoop keeps getting better with age or whether my expectations for a Snoop release have gradually decreased over the last 13 years. Whatever it is I still enjoyed Tha Blue Caret Treatment

As with Nas critics and fans alike can't seem to get over his debut album and the fact that there will never be another Doggystyle. In '05 however, it seemed Snoop finally exorcised the Doggystyle demons with the release of his hit "Drop It Like Its Hot." Although the song had some gangsta elements it featured Pharrell and had a beat that is closer Snap music than anything else. Finally, everyone could groove with Snoop on a track wasn't gangsta.

He took full advantage of his now accepted `laid back gangsta status' with the release of The Masterpiece. However after a positive response initially the critics began to question the `Pop Gangsta' image and The Masterpiece proved to have very little staying power even though it had a few successful commercial singles.

Fast forward to '06 and Snoop has an answer for those critics. If anything, with this album Snoop proves that he can make Doggystyle II if he wanted to, but he chooses not to. On the opener "Think About It" shows that the butter smooth flow he became renowned for in '92 - '94 is still alive. On the 1st single "Vato" he shows that he can still get his gangsta on over one of Pharrell's hardest beat outside Hell Hath No Fury. What makes "Vato" interesting is the fact that he uses it to spread a positive message about unifying the west coast (a la the gangsta rap of old). "A B**** I Knew" resurrects the freaky tales error of Luke and Too Short. "Gangbangin 101" with blood brother The Game and "10 Lil' Crips" add to the gangster feel of the album.

Snoop balances the hard with the laid back cuts that you know he really enjoys. From the soul sampling "Think About It", to the classic west coast cut "Crazy" complete with a Nate Dogg hook, to the showstopper "Imagine" a dream collaboration between Dr. Dre, Snoop and D'Angelo (which caps Dre's most active year in a minute).

However with 20 songs, 21 if you include the intro Snoop leaves enough room for haters to take shots. The easiest targets being the Little league football dedication "Beat Up On Yo Pads" and the Biggie sampling Ice Cube collaboration "LAX". The former will leave you scratching your head (its scary that it could become an anthem)and the latter will remind you why you never missed Battlecat.

Overall the album's definitely dope (for a Snoop album and for a hip-hop album in general), a little too long but on the other hand it definitely has something for everyone. Snoop has finally carved out the niche in rap that he has struggled to his whole career. He did this by finally giving the people what they want without compromising his own artistic ambitions, so now the comparisons to Doggystyle can be finally laid to rest.

4 out of 5 stars

Finest in years. November 21, 2006
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I know a lot of people are going to exaggerate how good this album was; I can't blame them. After the last few years of straight garbage from Snoop Dogg, it's amazing to here such a solid effort from the Doggfather, and fans are going to have a tendency to state this album is hotter than it is. No disrespect, but this album is not a five; I've only given out fives to albums that are consistently dope from start to finish, and while this album has some dope joints spread throughout, there are a couple missteps. That's more than a bit expected with 21 tracks; if Snoop had cut off a few of the weaker tracks, then yes, I'd reward this album with a five. As it stands, this is a very, very solid four stars.

Snoop has honestly been the posterboy for emcees who left money overwhelm them, and their artistic freedom. The last album I truly enjoyed from Snoop was released when he was still a puppy; Tha Doggfather was, while dissapointing, the last album that displayed any of Snoop's often self-obscured talent. Everything that he put out on No Limit dissapointed me(including the Last Supper), and he wasn't exactly making any strides with Star Trak either. Just when it appears that even some of his most devoted fans have given up on Snoop, he comes back with such a well-rounded album.

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, first and foremost, has some of the sweetest beats you'll find on any hip-hop album this year. The first nine tracks, all produced by a wide range of emcees, including Timbaland, Dr. Dre, Fredwreck, and Battlecat, among others, are all sincerely engaging pieces of music that'd keep your attention no matter who's spitting over them. LAX is, unfortunately, a very dissapointing track from Battlecat, and neither Snoop Dogg or Ice Cube can carry the track above average. 10 Lil' Crips is insanely hard for a Neptunes joint, and Snoop continues to flow breezily over the track with his refocused sound. Round Here samples the same Dido song that was used for Eminem's Stan, but this somber track still succeeds with its melancholy backdrop, and Snoop's introspective rhymes. The next few tracks are all 'take your pick' types of cuts, in that they may appeal to some heads more than others. However, I think we can all agree that the standout cut, "Imagine," featuring Dr. Dre and D'Angelo is nearly enough reason to warrant a purchase of this album.

While Snoop is admittedly still overrated, one can't deny the dopeness that this album excretes. If you've been waiting on an album from Snoop that you can nearly bump from start to finish in the new millenium, this is the closest thing to it. Sadly, however, at Snoop's age, there is no room for improvement, so this will most likely be his last great album. If Snoop were to retire after this album, he'd go out on a relative high-note; and if he happens to stay in the game for a few more years, than I'll be checking out his next release. Either, with Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, everyone's a winner. Pick it up.

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