Tha Blue Carpet Treatment

Infobox Album
Name = Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Artist = Snoop Dogg
Type = Album


Released = November 20, 2006 (U.K.) November 21, 2006 (U.S.)
Recorded = 2006
Genre = Rap/Hip hop Gangsta rap West Coast Rap Dirty Rap
Length = 77:50
Label = Doggystyle/Geffen (U.S.) 000802301 (LP) 0008023 (CD)
Producer = Snoop Dogg (Executive), Dr. Dre, Pharrell, Ray J, Timbaland, Rhythum D, Niggaracci, Nottz, Rick Rock, DJ Pooh, Battlecat, Soopafly, Mr. Porter, Akon, L. T. Hutton, Frequency, 1500, THX, DJ DDT-Da Busta, N8 & Brainz, Mark Batson, Chris Goodman
Reviews = * About.com rating|4|5 [http://rap.about.com/od/reviews/fr/SnoopBlueCarpet.htm link]
* AllHipHop.com rating|4|5 [http://www.allhiphop.com/reviews/index.asp?ID=1041 link]
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:9r5j8qfcbtn4 link]
* RapReviews.com Rating|8|10 [http://rapreviews.com/archive/2006_11_bluecarpet.html link]
* Mictap.com Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.mictap.com/public.php?page_id=6040 link]
*Pitchfork rating|7.5|10 [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/39753/Snoop_Dogg_Tha_Blue_Carpet_Treatment link]
* HipHopDX.com rating|3.5|5 [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.721/title.snoop-dogg-blue-carpet-treatment link]
* Robert Christgau rating-Christgau|cut [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3759 link]
* Rolling Stone rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/snoopdogg/albums/album/12392153/review/12665512/tha_blue_carpet_treatment link]
* XXL rating|4|5 (XL) [http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=5921 link]
Last album = "" (2004)
This album = "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment" (2006)
Next album = "Getcha Girl Dogg" (2008)
Misc = Extra album cover
Upper caption = Previous album cover
Background = lightsteelblue

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singles
Name = Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Type = studio
Single 1 = Vato
Single 1 date = August 15, 2006
Single 2 = I Wanna Love You
Single 2 date = September 14, 2006 (Not officially released from the album)
Single 3 = That's That
Single 3 date = October 10, 2006
Single 4 = Candy (Drippin' like Water)
Single 4 date = December 12, 2006
Single 5 = Boss' Life
Single 5 date = April 10, 2007

"Tha Blue Carpet Treatment" is the eighth solo album released by rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 21, 2006 on Geffen Records.

Album information

The title of the album is related to his Crip club affiliation, as blue is the color associated with the Crips. The album cover has undergone several revisions. The first concept, revealed in August 2006 on SnoopDogg.com, featured a cartoon dog (representing Snoop Dogg) standing on a blue carpet that looks like a big blue bandana. Had this design been used, it would have been the third of Snoop Dogg's album covers to use the cartoon likeness of the rapper that was designed by his cousin Darryl Daniel. An updated version was shown on the "Late Show with David Letterman" 13th Anniversary Special on August 30, 2006 that featured a parody of the famous Hollywood Sign which instead read "LONG BEACH". It was then changed to its current version. Geffen posted this as the final cover for the album on their website. [ [http://www.geffen.com/artist/releases/default.aspx/pid/2253/aid/401 Snoop Dogg : Releases : Tha Blue Carpet Treatment ] ]

Snoop Dogg told Billboard that he was working on this album, "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment", for nine months. He has collaborated with the likes of R. Kelly, Ice Cube, Pharrell, D'Angelo, Akon, B-Real of Cypress Hill, and even Stevie Wonder. The second single, "Candy (Drippin Like Water)" uses a sample of Ladybug Mecca's lyrics from Digable Planets' "Blackitolism" off of their critically acclaimed Blowout Comb album. She also appears in the video at the request of Snoop Dog and E-40. He also confirmed that Dr. Dre had a big input on this album, producing several tracks and even rapping a verse on the track, "Imagine". He also did I Wanna Fuck You with Akon but had to release a cleaned up version for radio play called I Wanna Love You. Snoop Dogg's new album takes the Long Beach, California native back to his gangsta roots. The rapper told MTV.com the album has allowed him to embrace his true nature. "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". Pharrell said the rapper's music video, "Vato" will not only show his gangsta side, but will also tackle the issue of violence between African Americans and Hispanics in Los Angeles and call for racial unity.

Snoop Dogg, teamed up with known DJs from the West, East, and the South and released "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment Mixtape", which was hosted by DJ Skee, DJ Whoo Kid, and DJ Drama. It contained all the rumoured tracks that had been cut from the final track listing of his studio album. It was released a few weeks before the official album came out. [http://mixunit.com/bluecarpetmix.html]

The track "Think About It" was composed by Frequency in his dorm room one and a half year prior to this album while he was a student in Virginia. The material was passed to Mike Chavez of Geffen Records who gave it to Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg used the track to show his older son - who had not chosen him as the favorite hip-hop artist when being asked - that he can still be an old school gangster rapper regarding his style if he wants to. [ [http://www.dubcnn.com/interviews/frequency/ dubcnn.com // Frequency Interview (February 2007) // West Coast News Network // ] ] [http://www.allhiphop.com/features/index.asp?ID=1567]

Originally, the track "Imagine" was slated to be on Busta Rhymes' The Big Bang album. Busta Rhymes stated in several interviews, shortly before The Big Bang's release, that the sample for "Imagine" was still trying to be cleared. Busta Rhymes stated that he was not sure that the sample would be cleared in time for his album's release, meaning that the song would not be included on his album. The sample was not cleared in time, and it is presumable that the song was handed off to Snoop Dogg for his album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment soon after. It was then recorded with verses by Kam and Snoop Dogg (different from the current version) that was played on the TBCT Listening party [ [http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vaqegfjyevc&mode=related&search= YouTube - Snoop Dogg: "Imagine" (feat Dr. Dre) ] ] . Although Busta Rhymes later released a "remix" to the song "Imagine", it is presumable that his "remix" is actually the intended original song that did not make the release of his album, The Big Bang. Moreover artists like Nas, Ja Rule and Black Ty also did their freestyle to the song. [http://www.dubcnn.com/interviews/snoopdogg07/part3/ dubcnn.com // Snoop Dogg Interview Part 3 (January 2007) // West Coast News Network // ] ]

"Which One of You" was recorded prior to this album by and for a group called N.V. that is run by producing team 1500 Or Nothin'.

The song "'Round Here" samples the same sample from the song "Thank You" performed by Dido that Eminem used for Stan. Snoop Dogg wasn't aware of this fact when making the record.

"L.A.X." contains a sample of "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp, which Snoop Dogg already used once in one of his earlier album cut, in "Snoop Bounce" from "Tha Doggfather".

On the Dr. Dre-produced track "Boss' Life", Snoop Dogg makes reference to the upcoming "Detox" album of Dr. Dre with the line "If my nigga's "Detoxin"' there's more for me". In the physical single release of the song the verses by Akon was replaced by Nate Dogg.

"Don't Stop" is produced by Los Angeles based producer Chris "THX" Goodman

As of November 11, 2006 the album had leaked to the internet and file sharing networks in full. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard charts, [ [http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003465594 Jay-Z Reclaims His 'Kingdom' With No. 1 Debut ] ] . after selling 264,000 copies.

Reception

On the Nielsen SoundScan annual Best Sellers Top 100 rankings it was listed 97th with the 2006 year-end catalog closing sales number of 637,000 copies despite having been released in mid-November and its sales data is accumulated for only one and a half months. Althogh recently it has been certified platinum selling over 1 million units in the U.S.

The album maintained generally positive reviews with IGN calling it "one of Snoop's strongest efforts in a long time, with the beats, rhymes, and guests all complimenting the Doggfather with grand immediacy."

It received a 4 out of 5 from Allhiphop.com as well as About.com & Allmusic.

Entertainment Weekly (p.109) - "Blue Carpet finds him refocused and reunited with Dr. Dre on three tracks. The two get nostalgic on standout 'Imagine'." - Grade: B+

Vibe (p.170) - "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment stands as a strong statement from a veteran still pushing his artistic boundaries."

XXL (p.164) - "Snoop's lyrical fire seems resurrected, as he delivers arguably his most consistently scorching work post-Doggystyle."

Target exclusive

There is a special edition CD/DVD version of this album available only at Target, which includes a bonus DVD with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage,etc.

Track listing

Album sales

* Note that the 15th week sales and its related Billboard position could be different. The 70th place of that week is whether 69, 68, or 67 since Diddy's "Press Play" (No. 68) sold only 7 copies more than this album, which is within the margin of error. Moreover, Diddy tied with the "Wow Gospel 2007" album (No. 68) reaching exactly the same sales. Jay-Z's "Kingdom Come" (No. 67) sold only one copy more than Snoop Dogg's album.
* That week Snoop Dogg and The Game's "Doctor's Advocate" tied for the 200th position. [ [http://www.urbanconnects.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=380 UC - Top Album Sales ANALYSIS 04/11/2007 ] ]
* Since "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment" tied with "Doctor's Advocate" last week, the last spot was announced vacant thus Snoop Dogg wasn't listed officially. From that occasion, the climb-up to 199 is considered a re-entry. [ [http://ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44587&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=50 UKMIX - Forums - View topic - US Billboard Charts (05/05/2007) ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.snoopdogg.com/player/default.aspx?mid=2538&bhcp=1 Official track previews]
* [http://www.snoopdogg.com/news/default.aspx/pg/2 SnoopDogg.com album information]
*http://www.myspace.com/thxbeats