Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$

Grade:

C+

Gangster rappers should be the centerpieces for a sequel to "The Sixth Sense," because no matter how old they get they still don't realize that the genre is dead and dilapidated. The house that N.W.A. built should have been condemned years ago, but deadbeat tenants continue to list it as their current residency.

Sound Sample

Snoop Dogg - From Tha Chuuuch To Da Palace

Official Site

http://www.snoopdogg.com/

Now Snoop D-O-Double-G, a once- pioneer in the gangster scene, releases a new disc that has to be listened to with greater leniency because the guy makes star-shaped glittered sunglasses look cool.

However, he must accept that his hard image is done like Thanksgiving dinner and the mystique is lost.

It's only when he strays from the robotic gangster charade and uses his soul-driven Î70s influences that his rhymes sound credible ÷ like on "Ballin," with The Dramatics. In addition, his starring role in the new MTV sketch comedy show "Doggy Fizzle Televizzle," in which he hosts and performs skits, is both self-parodying and funny. In these instances of brief expansion, Snoop demonstrates that he has more to offer entertainment than traditional g-rap.

On Paid, however, he delivers with unflinching confidence stuff that has been said better and fresher many, many times before. Yet again he proves that he'd rather dry-hump the leg of his glory days into unwanted submission on wax than find his real Doggy red rocket of inspiration.