R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece＜Black Vinyl＞

スヌープ・ドッグの2004年7thアルバム『R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece』が180g重量盤ブラック・ヴァイナル2枚組で発売!

スヌープ・ドッグが2004年11月16日にDoggystyle Recordsからリリースした7thアルバム。ネプチューンズ、アルケミスト、リル・ジョン、ハイ・テック、ウォーリン・キャンベル、L.T.ハットン他の製作陣が結集。ネプチューンズのプロデュースでファレル・ウィリアムスがゲスト参加した「Drop It Like It's Hot」はスヌープ初の全米NO.1シングルとなり、2005年グラミー賞でBest Rap Song and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group賞を獲得した。
■180g重量盤ブラック・ヴァイナル2枚組

Internet leakers caused the release of R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece to be pushed up a week, but that just means the world got to bask in the excitement of Snoop's great return for seven extra days. Upon its release, the ultrahot production team the Neptunes' contribution to the killer lead single "Drop It Like It's Hot" had been duly noted, but lost in all the chatter was how inspired and on-fire Snoop sounds. Any fan keeping up with his street-level mixtape series Welcome to the Chuuch could tell you something new and fresh was brewing, and 2002's Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ was excellent, but Snoop's let his fans down before and two years off could mean trouble. Not to be, since Rhythm & Gangsta is right up there with his best while being riskier than anything before it. New sounds like tongue clicks, smooth jazz guitars, and a bit of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" give Snoop a brand-new sonic palette to work with, and he's more than ready for it. The up-tempo "Signs" with Justin Timberlake is glittery disco fun, but it ain't gonna keep Snoop from being himself. He's hardcore throughout the album, an album that's got plenty of street and commercial appeal and all the difficulties that comes with it. The numerous youngsters who can't stop singing "Drop It Like It's Hot" are going to freak their parents out with this one. "Can You Control Yo Hoe" is a tough stunner with an inescapable, loopy hook, but Snoop's challenge to the homies is rather disturbing. "If she won't do what you say, why aren't you slapping her?" is the song's direct message that can't be easily brushed off as metaphor, and it's the one that's gonna send mom and dad back to the record store, fuming! Recommending such an album that gets viciously misogynistic -- elsewhere too -- is difficult, but Snoop is fierce throughout Rhythm & Gangsta and putting "Masterpiece" in the title isn't hyperbole. ~ David Jeffries

噂どおりスター・トラックとジョイントして制作された御大スヌープのニュー・アルバム。ここまでスカスカでいいのか?と戸惑うほどの過激な引き算トラックがクソ格好いい“Drop It Like It's Hot”を筆頭にネプチューンズが久々に新しいことをやっているし、落ち着き払ったボスらしいラップもいい。ソウル趣味も引き続き追求されていて、チャーリー・ウィルソンの歌も効果的だ。このユル～い心地良さは過去最高に中毒性高めかも。
bounce (C)狛犬