The pimp of Hip-Hop is back, revitalised and ready to rock crowds with his release of “The Blue Carpet Treatment”. Many have criticised Snoop Dogg over the years, for his “downfall” after the “Doggstyle” album during the peak of his career. His decisions to work with R'n'B and pop stars have not been well received by a lot of old fans, and generally he has been labelled a “sell out.”

“The Blue Carpet Treatment” is Snoop's eighth solo release, and is titled accordingly to his “crip” affiliation. The album boasts an impresive lineup, including Akon, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, The Game and plenty more. Dr. Dre features heavily on the production, along with The Neptunes, who always seem to bring a fantastic sound when working together. The ingredients suggest a fantastic album, but has Snoop Dogg maintained that laid back, almost lackstructure style that disappoints many Hip-Hop fans around the globe?

“Intrology” opens the album, followed by “Think About It” and “Crazy”. The vibe from the first three tracks sets the entire sound for the rest of the album. As Snoop himself said "I went right back to the 'hood'", he said of his album's production. "I took it back to the basics. I've been making a lot of pop songs, lot of R&B songs. Songs that may have made my fans feel like I wavered from what I was naturally accustomed to doing. But I'm an entertainer and I entertain people and that's what I was feeling at the time. But right now, I'm feeling like going right back to the 'hood."

Lead single “Vato” which features Cypress Hill star “B-Real” is currently on heavy rotation on radio waves, and is setting the standard for the rest of the album. “Gangbanging 101” featuring “The Game” and “LAX” which features “Ice Cube” are other examples of Snoop refering back to his roots, and re-creating the sound that so many Snoop Dogg fans love.

The album isn't perfect, and it's easy to highlight the negative points of the album. “10 Lil Crips” and “Candy” which features the usual Snoop Dogg-affiliated crew are poor attempts of tracks. Simplistic beats with effortless rapping make these two tracks surplus to the album, and really shouldn't have made the final tracklisting.

Snoop Dogg's everlasting fans will be pleased with the album, however the attempt to take his music back to his roots didn't pull off as well as many would have liked. Another solid album from Snoop Dogg, with almost faultless production and a range of guest appearances will be one of the best selling albums of the year.

Hip-Hop Kings Rating – 4 out of 5 Crowns

Written By Ryan Maxwell