Snoop Dogg - Tha CDs • Vinyl Records • LPs • Music Albums

the shtick -- with his who's-the-mack presence and rusty funk moans, he sounds like he stepped directly off George Clinton's mothership and into the studio. And though Snoop is still technically a No Limit soldier, he avoids the label's Beats by the Pound production squad and leaves the behind-the-board duties to such hitmakers as Dre, Timbaland, Battlecat and Scott Storch, who strike neck-snap gold time and again.

Standout tracks include the Timbaland-crafted "Set It Off," a breathy, bouncing posse cut with jolting squeals and ready-for-lift-off energy. "Lay Low" is a classic Dre thumper that incorporates an answering-machine beep and Nate Dogg's bass bellow to maximum effect. Snoop's chronic-marinated flow, all menthol-cool and deadpan droop, sounds as smooth as ever.

Tha Last Meal isn't devoid of disappointments. There's a good fifteen minutes of unremarkable "Crip-hop" filler here, and "Back Up Off Me," the lone bow to No Limit's raucous Dirty South sound, is an awkward inclusion. The retro posturing wears thin at points, too. When referencing Blacula and toying with a Snoopy Collins alter ego, Snoop seems more like a pimpadelic caricature than the charismatic funk fanatic that he is. (RS 860)

KATHRYN FARR

Snoop's fifth record finds him rejuvenated, both on the mic and in the public eye. Bolstered by jumpy, club-ready production from Dre, Battlecat, and others, the LBC's golden boy comes back strong, drawing in a new generation of fans too young to remember Doggystyle. Also features Kokane, Suga Free, and surprise appearances from MC Ren and Lady of Rage.