R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta) The Masterpiece

R&G: The Masterpiece is the seventh 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 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

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 Star Trak

Star Trak Entertainment

Star Trak Entertainment is a record label, founded by record producers Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams in 2001. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Interscope Records.-Beginnings:...

/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 16, 2004. The album features production by The Neptunes

The Neptunes

The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...

. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

Reception

The album was positively received by critics, based on an average score of 63 on the review website Metacritic

Metacritic

Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

, which indicates "generally favorable reviews." It was a moderate commercial success, selling around 225,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number six on Billboard 200

Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

chart. It has sold over 1,724,000 copies in the U.S. to date according to SoundScan.

Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

- 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]he top-shelf producers provide the Dogg with some of the most radio-ready backing of his career."

Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...

- 3 stars out of 5 - "Snoop still manages some earthy funk, assisted by a gargantuan guest list."

Track listing

#	Title	Producer(s)	Featured guest(s)	Time
1	"Intro: I Love to Give You Light"	The Alchemist The Alchemist (producer) Alan Daniel Maman , better known as The Alchemist, is an American hip hop producer, DJ and rapper. He hails from Beverly Hills, California...		2:38
2	"Bang Out Ups & Downs "Ups & Downs"/"Bang Out" is the fourth single of Snoop Dogg's album R&G The Masterpiece. It is the first one that wasn't produced by The Neptunes... "	J.R. Rotem		3:05
3	"Drop It Like It's Hot Drop It Like It's Hot "Drop It Like It's Hot" is a 2004 rap number-one hit single by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell. Snoop performs the chorus and the second and third verses , while Pharrell performs the first verse.... "	The Neptunes The Neptunes The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...	Pharrell	4:26
4	"Can I Get a Flicc Witchu"	Josef Leimberg	Bootsy Collins Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...	5:24
5	"Ups & Downs Ups & Downs "Ups & Downs"/"Bang Out" is the fourth single of Snoop Dogg's album R&G The Masterpiece. It is the first one that wasn't produced by The Neptunes... "	Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell	The Bee Gees	4:04
6	"The Bidness"	Soopafly Soopafly Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.- Early life:The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach...		3:28
7	"Snoop D.O. Double G"	Black Jeruz & Sha Money XL Sha Money XL -Dream Big Ventures:With Distribution from The Orchard, Sha Money founded a new record label, Dream Big Ventures. Quickly upon its creation, Sha Money signed close Shady/Aftermath/G-Unit affiliates DJ Whoo Kid and Stat Quo, as well as former Young Money artist, Kidd Kidd. Sha is currently trying to...		4:01
8	"Let's Get Blown Let's Get Blown "Let's Get Blown" is the second single release from Snoop Dogg's album R&G The Masterpiece, produced by The Neptunes and featuring Pharrell. It did not repeat the success of "Drop It Like It's Hot", but it filled the gap between the aforementioned song and the club hit "Signs"... "	The Neptunes The Neptunes The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...	Pharrell and Keyshia Cole Keyshia Cole Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...	4:41
9	"Step Yo Game Up"	Lil' Jon	Lil' Jon & Trina Trina Katrina Laverne Taylor , better known by her stage name Trina, is an American rapper, songwriter and model from Miami, Florida. Trina first gained notoriety in 1998 with her appearance on Trick Daddy's second studio album www.thug.com to the single "Nann Nigga"...	4:24
10	"Perfect"	The Neptunes The Neptunes The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...	Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005...	5:51
11	"WBALLZ (Interlude)"			0:21
12	"Fresh Pair of Panties On"	Ole Folks		2:38
13	"Promise I"	Mr. Porter		3:17
14	"Oh No"	Ron Browz Ron Browz Rondell Turner, better known by his stage name Ron Browz, is an American record producer and rapper. He has his own record label called Ether Boy Records.-Biography/career:... (Co-produced by Sha Money XL)	50 Cent 50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...	4:03
15	"Can U Control Yo Hoe"	L.T. Hutton	Soopafly Soopafly Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.- Early life:The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach...	3:08
16	"Signs"	The Neptunes The Neptunes The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...	Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson (musician) Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005... & Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...	3:56
17	"I'm Threw Witchu"	Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell	Soopafly Soopafly Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.- Early life:The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach...	4:21
18	"Pass It Pass It"	The Neptunes		4:23
19	"Girl Like U"	L.T. Hutton	Nelly Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...	4:36
20	"No Thang on Me"	Hi-Tek Hi-Tek Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...	Bootsy Collins Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...	4:41

Credits

DJ Pooh - Vocals
J. Peter Robinson - Art Direction, Design
Phil Tan - Mixing
Treasure - Vocals
J.A. Black - Vocals
Ricky Harris - Vocals
Steve Baughman - Engineer
Craig Love - Guitar
Jonathon "Lil' Jon" Smith - Producer
L.T. Hutton - Producer
Deborah Mannis- Gardner - Sample Clearance
Pharrell Williams - Vocals
Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...

- Vocals
Soopafly - Vocals, Producer, Horn Arrangements
Daz Dillinger
Daz Dillinger
Delmar Drew Arnaud , better known by his stage name Daz Dillinger is an American hip hop producer and rapper mostly known for his membership in the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound, with Kurupt, and his work with Death Row Records.-The Chronic, Tha Dogg Pound and Dogg Food:Daz began his career on Death Row...

- Vocals
The Alchemist - Producer
April Roomet - Stylist
Sean Cooper - Sound Design
Patrick Viala - Mixing
J- Bone - Promoter

Anthony Donelson - Guitar
Sandra Campbell - Project Coordinator
Anthony Mandler - Art Direction, Design, Video directing
Ron Browz - Keyboards, Producer
Shon Don - Vocals, Engineer
Bruce Buechner - Engineer
Ted Chung - A&R
Kamasi Washington - Horn Section
Quaze - Percussion, Vocals (Background), Conga
Nate Oberman - Engineer, Mixing, Studio Manager
Nykauni "Nkki" Tademy - A&R
Darrin "Nomad" Jackson - Personal Assistant, Engineer, Mixing
Mr. Porter - Producer
Mike Chav - Guitar, Engineer
Snoop Dogg - Vocal Arrangement
Dave Aron - Mixing
John Frye - Mixing
Mr. Cartoon - Cover artwork design
Gizelle - Vocals

Producer

The Alchemist (Track: 01)
Jonathan "J.R." Rotem (Track: 02)
The Neptunes (Tracks: 03, 08, 10, 16 and 18)
Josef Leimberg (Track: 04)
Warryn Campbell (Tracks: 05 and 17)
Soopafly (Track: 06)
Black Jeruz & Sha Money XL (Track: 07)
Lil Jon (Track: 09)
Ole Folks (Track: 12)
Mr. Porter (Track: 13)
Ron Browz (Co: Sha Money XL) (Track: 14)
L.T. Hutton (Tracks: 15 and 19)
Hi-Tek (Track: 20)

Singles

Name	Release Date	Charts/Sales/Certifications
"Drop It Like It's Hot Drop It Like It's Hot "Drop It Like It's Hot" is a 2004 rap number-one hit single by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell. Snoop performs the chorus and the second and third verses , while Pharrell performs the first verse.... "	October 2004	US Double Platinum (2 million) US ringtones Gold (500.000) UK 41000 (2004) UK 27200 (2005) AUS Gold (35,000) US, NZ #1
"Let's Get Blown Let's Get Blown "Let's Get Blown" is the second single release from Snoop Dogg's album R&G The Masterpiece, produced by The Neptunes and featuring Pharrell. It did not repeat the success of "Drop It Like It's Hot", but it filled the gap between the aforementioned song and the club hit "Signs"... "	December 2004	UK 25000 (2005) RSA Airplay #1
"Signs"	March 2005	US Gold (500.000) UK 25000 (2005) AUS Gold (35,000) AUS #1 EU #1
"Ups & Downs Ups & Downs "Ups & Downs"/"Bang Out" is the fourth single of Snoop Dogg's album R&G The Masterpiece. It is the first one that wasn't produced by The Neptunes... "	August 2005
"Step Yo Game Up"	April 1, 2006 Australia only	AUS # 5 (2006)

Charts

Chart	Position
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Billboard 200	6
United States Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	4
United States Billboard 2005 Year End Charts	28
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... Top 75 Albums	12
Canadian Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... Top 50 Albums	8
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... Top 150 Albums	14
Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... Top 60 Albums	47
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... Top 50 Albums	47
Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... Top 100 Albums	13
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... Top 50 Albums	11
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Top 100 Albums	14
Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... Top 75 Albums	26
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... Top 100 Albums	38

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Sales
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Platinum	2,000,000
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	Platinum	300,000
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...	Platinum	100,000
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	Gold	118,200
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	Gold	35,000
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	Platinum	15,000
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	Gold	100,000
Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...	Gold	20,000
Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....	Gold	20,000
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	Gold	40,000