Snoop Dogg

The Snoopster is the hip-hop equivalent of late-period Dean Martin. Having long ago established his commercial credentials, he no longer feels the need to break a creative sweat. Once he hires a gaggle of pros to do the heavy lifting, he can cruise through the recording process, leaving just enough...

By Michael Roberts

November 25, 2004

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The Snoopster is the hip-hop equivalent of late-period Dean Martin. Having long ago established his commercial credentials, he no longer feels the need to break a creative sweat. Once he hires a gaggle of pros to do the heavy lifting, he can cruise through the recording process, leaving just enough of his scent behind to satisfy faithful fans -- not to mention his accountants.

As a result, Masterpiece isn't one, but it's periodically enjoyable nonetheless. "Drop It Like It's Hot," the Neptunes-produced lead single, sets the pace for the disc via a spare soundscape (mouth pops provide the beats) and a tempo so relaxed that Our Hero sounds as if he's talking in his sleep. "Let's Get Blown" keeps the mellow vibe flowing, whereas "Oh No," featuring 50 Cent, finds Snoop effectively faking his old tough-guy rap à la the recent Vibe Awards. And if he treats the average woman like a Dogg in most tunes, he briefly moderates his position in "I'm Threw Witchu," in which he advocates leavin' that bitch instead of smacking her.

This alteration doesn't mean Snoop's a changed man. It's just that physical violence requires too much energy.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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