Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is the eighth studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 rapper

Rapping

Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

 Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...

; released by Geffen Records

Geffen Records

Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...

 on November 21, 2006. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard charts.

Album information

The phrase "Blue Carpet" in the album's title references the red carpet

Red carpet

A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...

 used at formal events. The blue color refers to Snoop Dogg's affiliation with the Crips

Crips

The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...

 street gang who often wear blue and shun the red of their rival gang, the Bloods

Bloods

The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs...

. The album cover has undergone several revisions. The first concept, revealed in August 2006 on SnoopDogg.com, featured a cartoon dog (representing Snoop Dogg) displaying Crip gang signal

Gang signal

A gang signal is a visual or verbal way gang members identify their affiliation. This can take many forms including slogans, tattoos or hand signs...

s while standing on a blue carpet patterned like a bandana

Kerchief

A kerchief is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head or around the neck for protective or decorative purposes...

. 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

Late Show with David Letterman

Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...

13th Anniversary Special on August 30, 2006 that featured a parody of the famous Hollywood Sign

Hollywood Sign

The Hollywood Sign is a landmark and American cultural icon in the Hollywood Hills area of Mount Lee, Santa Monica Mountains, in Los Angeles, California. The sign spells out the name of the area in and white letters. It was created as an advertisement in 1923, but garnered increasing recognition...

 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.

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

R. Kelly

Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...

, Ice Cube

Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...

, Pharrell, D'Angelo

D'Angelo

Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...

, Akon

Akon

Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...

, Nate Dogg

Nate Dogg

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale , better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician. He is noted for his membership of rap trio 213 and his solo career in which he collaborated with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac and Snoop Dogg on many hit releases. Nate Dogg released three solo albums, G-Funk...

, B-Real

B-Real

Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...

 of Cypress Hill

Cypress Hill

Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...

, and even Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder

Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

. 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 Dogg and E-40. He also confirmed that Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre

Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...

 had a big input on this album, producing several tracks and even rapping a verse on the track, "Imagine". Dr. Dre hadn't produced any Snoop Dogg tracks since 2000. 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. The album takes the Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

 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

Vato (song)

"Vato" is the first single by Snoop Dogg from his album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. The song features B-Real and was produced by The Neptunes. The word "Vato" is Chicano slang for "homie".The music video for Vato premiered on BET on August 30, 2006...

" will not only show his gangsta side, but will also tackle the issue of violence between African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

s and Hispanic

Hispanic

Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...

s in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 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

DJ Whoo Kid

DJ Whoo Kid is a hip hop DJ and of Haitian descent raised in Queens Village, New York but with strong roots to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. He is currently signed to G-Unit Records and its subsidiary label, Shady Ville Entertainment...

, and DJ Drama

DJ Drama

Tyree Cinque Simmons better known as DJ Drama is an American hip hop artist and the official DJ for Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I.....

. 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.

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.

Originally, the track "Imagine" was slated to be on Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...

' The Big Bang

The Big Bang (album)

The Big Bang is the seventh studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes.- Background :It was released on June 13, 2006. It is his only release under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label. Full production of the album came from Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, Will.I.Am, Mr. Porter, Erick Sermon,...

 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, so it had to be excluded from his album. The sample was not cleared in time, and it is presumable that the song was given to Snoop Dogg for his album soon after. It was then recorded with verses by Kam and Snoop Dogg (different from the album version) that was played on the TBCT Listening party. Although Busta Rhymes later released a remix to the song, it is presumable that his "remix" is actually the intended original version that did not make the release of The Big Bang. Moreover artists like Nas

Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

, Adil Omar

Adil Omar

Adil Omar is a rapper and singer-songwriter from Islamabad, Pakistan. He is one of the few hip-hop artists from Pakistan and musicians from the region to write and perform in English. He has also collaborated with mainstream artists such as Cypress Hill, Xzibit, Everlast, Kool G Rap, DJ Lethal of...

, Ja Rule

Ja Rule

Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...

 and Black-Ty also did freestyles to the song.

"Which One of You" was recorded prior to the album by and for a group called N.V. that is run by producing team 1500 Or Nothin'. The song "'Round Here" also samples the same sample from the song "Thank You

Thank You (Dido song)

"Thank You" is a song by Dido. The song made its first appearance in 1998, on the soundtrack of Sliding Doors, although it was not released as a single until late 2000. It later featured on Dido's debut album, No Angel, becoming the album's biggest hit...

" performed by Dido that Eminem

Eminem

Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

 used for Stan

Stan (song)

"Stan" is the third single from The Marshall Mathers LP, by rapper Eminem featuring Dido. It peaked at number one in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is also included on Curtain Call: The Hits, performed with Eminem and Dido as well track 17 on Curtain Call: The Hits as a live Performance from...

. 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

Tha Doggfather

Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row/Interscope Records on November 12, 1996. The album was re-released July 11, 2005. Snoop spent much of 1995 preparing for the case, which finally went to trial in late 1995. In February 1996, he was...

. "That's That Shit", "Boss' Life" and "Imagine" had lyrics ghostwritten by former Aftermath Entertainment

Aftermath Entertainment

Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...

 artist Stat Quo

Stat Quo

Stanley Benton, better known as Stat Quo, is an American rapper. Benton worked his way to college and attended University of Florida, where he majored in economics and international business in 2000. Benton was contemplating law school, until veteran Southern rapper Scarface encouraged him to rap...

 (Benton, S.) and The D.O.C.

The D.O.C.

Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...

 (Curry, T.).

Reception

On the Nielsen SoundScan

Nielsen SoundScan

Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...

 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. The album was also certified Gold by the RIAA.

The album maintained generally positive reviews with IGN

IGN

IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 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, About.com

About.com

About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

 and Allmusic.

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

(p. 109) - "Blue Carpet finds him refocused and reunited with Dr. Dre on four 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

XXL (magazine)

XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...

 (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

Samples

Intrology

• "Dirt Off Your Shoulder
  Dirt off Your Shoulder
  "Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.In 2004, the song was combined with the Linkin Park single "Lying from You" and released as a single for the mash-up album Collision Course....
  
  " by Jay-Z
  Jay-Z
  Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
  
  

Think About It

• "I Need You" by The Impressions

Crazy

• "She's Strange" by Cameo
  Cameo (band)
  Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
  
   (interpolation)

That's That Shit

• "The Bath
  Coming to America
  Coming to America is a 1988 comedy film directed by John Landis. The screenplay was written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, from a story by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the film. Murphy plays an African prince, who heads to the United States in hopes of finding a woman he can marry...
  
  " by Nile Rodgers
  Nile Rodgers
  Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
  
  

Candy (Drippin' Like Water)

• "9th Wonder (Blackploitism)" by Digable Planets
  Digable Planets
  Digable Planets is an American alternative hip hop trio based in New York City, composed of Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler , Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving . They released their debut album Reachin' in 1993, and their follow-up album Blowout Comb in 1994...
  
  
• "Candy
  Candy (Cameo song)
  "Candy" is a song by funk group Cameo, released as the second single from their 1986 album Word Up!. It reached number twenty-one on the Hot 100 and number one on the R&B charts in 1987...
  
  " by Cameo
  Cameo (band)
  Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
  
  

Boss' Life

• "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by The Controllers
• "Everybody Rise" by Busta Rhymes
  Busta Rhymes
  Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
  
  

L.A.X.

• "Going Back to Cali" by The Notorious B.I.G.
  The Notorious B.I.G.
  Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
  
  
• "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp
  Zapp (band)
  Zapp is a soul and funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, Terry Troutman, Bobby Glover and Gregory Jackson [Cincinnati Ohio Funk Keyboardist]...
  
  

'Round Here

• "Thank You
  Thank You (Dido song)
  "Thank You" is a song by Dido. The song made its first appearance in 1998, on the soundtrack of Sliding Doors, although it was not released as a single until late 2000. It later featured on Dido's debut album, No Angel, becoming the album's biggest hit...
  
  " by Dido
  Dido (singer)
  Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
  
  

Like This

• "Coffy Sauna" by Roy Ayers
  Roy Ayers
  Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
  
  

Conversations

• "Have a Talk with God" by Stevie Wonder
  Stevie Wonder
  Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
  
  

Left Over Tracks

• Some of these songs ended up on Snoop Dogg's Blue Carpet Treatment (Tha Mixtape) and Snoop Dogg Presents: Unreleased Heatrocks
  Snoop Dogg Presents: Unreleased Heatrocks
  Unreleased Heatrocks is the official MySpace compilation album by Snoop Dogg, available for online order and put together of material recorded for Tha Blue Carpet Treatment and some promotional songs for upcoming projects by Doggystyle Records....
  
  .

Credits

• Mark Batson - Keyboards, Producer
• Mike Bozzi - Assistant
• Leslie Brathwaite - Mixing
• Paul Bruski - Engineer
• Chris Jackson - Engineer
• Mike Chav - Engineer
• Ted Chung - Engineer
• Erik "Baby Jesus" Coomes - Bongos
• Sean Cruse - Bass
• Rick DeVarona Assistant
• DJ Pooh - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Nate Dogg - Guest Appearance
• Shon Don - Engineer
• Lamar Edwards - Guitar (Bass)
• Anand Pandit - Engineer
• Jamie Foxx - Producer
• Julio G - Guest Appearance, Interlude
• Abel Garibaldi - Engineer
• Josh Houghkirk - Assistant
• Richard Huredia - Mixing
• Anthony Mandler - Art Direction, Design, Photography

• Deborah Mannis-Gardner - Sample Clearance
• Jeff Meeks - Assistant
• Ian Mereness - Engineer
• Raul Midón - Guitar, Mouth Trumpet
• Dawaun Parker
  Dawaun Parker
  Dawaun Parker is a Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum musician, record producer and rap artist.Dawaun Parker is a staff songwriter and producer for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label...
  
   - Keyboards, Writer
• Orlando Rashid - Engineer
• Robert "Roomio" Reyes - Assistant
• J. Peter Robinson - Art Direction, Design
• April Roomet - Stylist
• Alexis Seton - Mixing
• Soopafly - Vocals, Producer
• Chris Soper - Engineer
• Chris Starr - Vocals (bckgr)
• Phil Tan - Mixing
• Aliaune "Akon" Thiam - Producer
• Timbaland - Producer
• Marlon Williams - Guitar
• Barbara Wilson - Vocals
• Stevie Wonder - Producer
• Chris "THX" Goodman - Producer