Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$

1	Don Doggy 0:43
2	Da Bo$$ Would Like to See You 1:59
3	Stoplight 4:26
4	From Tha Chuuuch to da Palace 4:40
5	I Believe in You / LaToiya Williams 4:34
6	Lollipop / Soopafly 3:48
7	Ballin' 5:19
8	Beautiful 4:58
9	Paper'd Up / Traci Nelson 3:50
10	Wasn't Your Fault 4:30
11	Bo$$ Playa 5:53
12	Hourglass / Goldie Loc 4:20
13	The One and Only 3:49
14	I Miss That Bitch / E-White 3:12
15	From Long Beach 2 Brick City / Nate Dogg 3:43
16	Suited N Booted 3:16
17	You Got What I Want / Goldie Loc 3:36
18	Batman & Robin / RBX 5:03
19	A Message 2 Fat Cuzz 1:40
20	Pimp Slapp'd 5:42

Barnes & Noble

With his latest disc, hip-hop's most lovable gangsta, Snoop Dogg, proclaims that he's Paid Tha Cost to Be Da Boss. He beat a murder rap, escaped the clutches of friend-turned-foe Suge Knight's Death Row Records, and had a brief stint on Master P's No Limit label, but now Snoop is steering his own ship. The canine rapper celebrates his new artistic freedom with perhaps his most ambitious album to date. Surprisingly, the disc (which was executive-produced by Snoop) doesn't include any tracks by his mentor Dr. Dre. Dre's shoes are ably filled by the Neptunes, DJ Premier, Hi-Tek, and others, who weave a masterful mix of G-funk and old-school soul and hard-hittin', East Coast–flavored tracks. Highlights include the playa's ballad "Ballin'," which features the legendary R&B group the Dramatics, and "Beautiful," on which a refreshed, freestyle-sounding Snoop rhymes over the Neptunes' sunny synth chords and a cameo from Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson bumps up the chorus. The disc is a little long at 20 songs, but Snoop sounds like he was having too much fun making the record -- which includes guest shots from Jay-Z, Ludacris, Redman, and his Long Beach brethren Nate Dogg and Warren G. -- to think about editing. While he is obviously large and in charge, Snoop should have used some self-restraint on the funky "Pimp Slapp'd," on which he disses Suge Knight and his former homie Kurupt. But for the sake of rap fans, who have lost far too many of their heroes to senseless violence, let's hope this is one battle that stays on wax. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

Though Snoop Dogg never slipped from the charts, Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ smacks of a comeback, and it's a great one. After finally being released from No Limit (he's still distributed by Priority), Snoop Dogg drafted a set of great producers for his sixth album, as well as a varied cast of featured guests capable of drawing in just about every segment of the hip-hop audience. Still one of the smoothest rappers around and the bemused observer of all around him, he slips on the tried and true pimp and godfather personas, but also has the nerve to feature an X-rated sex romp ("Lollipop," with Jay-Z and Nate Dogg) directly after a tender anthem to love and marriage ("I Believe in You") -- and sound extremely convincing with both. The pair of tracks produced by the Neptunes ("From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful") are the highlights, two of the best they've done since their commercial breakout. Hardcore fans of rap, though, will want to skip ahead to "The One and Only" for a perfect meld of West Coast and East Coast -- the first meeting of Snoop and DJ Premier on wax. (Premier also turns in a hilariously cartoonish production for "Batman & Robin.") Yes, there are a few missteps: The G-funk roll on a few tracks sounds a little dated, and Bootsy Collins impersonator Mr. Kane makes a few embarrassing appearances ("Stoplight" is a bland, unnecessary update of Parliament's "Flashlight"). And two other remakes sound OK, but won't have a long shelf life. The first is virtually a cover of Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full" called "Paper'd Up," and it's immediately followed by a redo of Robert Palmer's Jam & Lewis anthem "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" ("Wasn't Your Fault"). You've got to be a strong figure to keep together an album this long and this rangy, but Snoop Dogg is up to the task. John Bush

Rolling Stone

At once fly, fierce and skilled, he's a purebred off the leash. Anthony Bozza

Vibe

1/2 His wordplay is still as nimble and quick as ever, giving the beats a beat down with newfound urgency. Matt Diehl