Snoop Dogg - The Best Of Snoop Dogg (2005)

One of the most iconic figures to emerge from the early-90's G-funk
era, Snoop Dogg evolved beyond his hardcore gangsta rap beginnings,
becoming a lovable pop-culture fixture with forays into television,
football coaching, and reggae and gospel music. Introduced to the
world through Dr. Dre's "The Chronic", Snoop quickly became one of
the most famous stars in rap, partially due to his drawled, laconic
rhyming, as well as the realistic violence implied in his lyrics.

His 1993 effort "Doggystyle" become the first debut album to enter
the charts at number one. After the popularity of gangsta rap waned
in the late 90's, he proved himself to be a masterful chameleon in
the hip-hop world, riding his pot-loving image in various directions
that helped buoy his career into the 21st century.

The tracks on this compilation cover 1998 through 2002, a period
filled with plenty of artistic, commercial, and personal ups and
downs for Snoop Dogg. It's simply a selection of highlights from "Da
Game Is To Be Sold Not To Be Told", "No Limit Top Dogg", "Tha Last
Meal", and "Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$". Priority thankfully
resisted the temptation to throw in a couple exclusives, so it cuts
right to the chase, offering a pretty even spread between the four
albums, rendering them all but obsolete for casual fans.

The only missing chart entries from this phase: two tracks from tha
Eastsidaz's self-titled album, along with a track each from the Dr.
Dolittle 2 and Baby Boy soundtracks. Though Snoop was responsible
for plenty of filler on each of the albums, few MCs have pulled off
such a range of work with such a high level of finesse, from the
Premier-produced "The One and Only" (raw, in your face) to the
Neptunes-produced "Beautiful" (smooth, laid-back). A lot of people
fans and haters alike - declared Snoop's career dead once the
disastrous first No Limit album came out, so the MC himself must
feel at least a little vindicated that this set exists.