Snoop Dogg has remained a household name in the world of hip-hop for more than a decade, ever since his debut in 1993 with Doggystyle. After years spent straying from his roots and too much time dedicated to his “-izzle” linguistics, Snoop has finally reverted back to his original recipe for success with Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, his eighth solo record.

With the disappointing Rhythm & Gangsta: A Masterpiece in 2004, Snoop drifted from his Dr. Dre-influenced Cali roots and instead pursued assistance from the watered-down, electronic sounds of The Neptunes for many of the tracks. And those expecting a subpar performance from Snoop with this album may again shake their heads in dismay – but only initially.

The album kicks off with “Intrology,” a two-minute hodgepodge of seemingly slapdash sound bytes followed by a tedious verse from Snoop adhering to the color-coded theme of the album. But the raps leave much to be desired: “Blue hat, blue socks, blue shoes, too cool/ Blue car, blue house, blue pin, blue pool.” Somehow, Snoop has managed to reach a new low and get out a universal “ugh” of disgust from his fans – and we’re only at Tha Blue Carpet Treatment’s introduction.

“Think About It” gives listeners somewhat of a pleasant surprise with a placid instrumentation and catchy rhyme by Snoop that ruins itself by droning on and on. He claims at the start of the song he is going to reach out to his fans, explaining “I need to let my peoples know how deep [this album] is to me.” Unfortunately, he ends up falling victim to the most common fallacy of any rapper: shameless inflation of ego. Snoop boasts his hip-hop supremacy in a verse that lasts nearly three minutes long, creating a song that has a captivating hook but seems never-ending.

“Crazy” follows in the footsteps of “Think About It” musically, only it is far more advanced lyrically. Nate Dogg pitches in with a riveting chorus, sung eloquently as a balance to Snoop’s account of life on the streets. The song’s mellow feel, accompanied with Nate Dogg’s distinctive voice, proves to be one of the more memorable songs on the record.

After a soothing start, Snoop breaks out with “Vato.” Doubters may argue Snoop is merely regressing to his R&G style, especially by using The Neptunes yet again. Nevertheless, the energetic keyboards and chorus aggressively spat out by B Real make this song an obvious choice for the first single – it truly is irresistible.

With the other songs, Snoop reassures fans he is still the same artist who released such classics as “Gin & Juice” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name?)” more than 10 years ago, only more mature and experienced. He asserts his status as a true O.G. by explicitly bragging about his exceptional skills with the opposite sex (“That’s That Shit,” “Bitch I Knew”), depicting the dog-eat-dog world of gang rivalries (“Gangbangin’ 101,” “10 Lil’ Crips”) and in an almost obligatory fashion, expressing his zealous affection for marijuana (“Get a Light”).

Despite Snoop’s legacy, no rapper can do it by himself. With this in mind, Snoop has collected an expansive line-up of contributing artists, such as R. Kelly, Jamie Foxx, The Game and Dr. Dre. Snoop branches out even further for Tha Blue Carpet in particular, collaborating with Damian Marley for one song and Stevie Wonder for another.

Snoop’s ascension to mega-stardom has left many of his fans wondering how strongly his money, cars and bling have affected the heart and soul of his music. For a while, Snoop seemed to drift from his usual style to soften his image a bit. However, Snoop has returned with an edgier collection of songs sure to appeal to his fans of old and new – the red carpet indeed has been rolled out for Tha Blue Carpet Treatment.

Contact reporter Ben Worsley at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.