14. Snoop Dogg feat. Charlie Wilson & Justin Timberlake - Signs (2005)

The hip-hop takeover of the beginning of the decade was responsible for getting all sorts of ghetto culture behaviors incorporated into the dominant culture, opening new avenues for ghetto kids. Driving and supervising the process were the gangsta-rappers, considered public enemies number one in the nineties, but now accepted by the entertainment industry and finding more positive ways to get their message across. Dr. Dre and Jay-Z shaped the musical sound of the period, Ice T and Ice Cube played in movie and TV dramas that dealt with street culture and discussed its problems seriously, and Coolio hosted a TV show that turned clunkers into pimpmobiles. But above all it was Snoop Dogg, who became one of the most beloved figures in showbiz, and made everyone feel good in a variety of ways.

This is the last great record of G-funk. Justin Timberlake has a crush on a chick, and Snoop tries to talk him out of it, explaining to him that he doesn't stand a chance, because she only goes for gangster types. Still, he also tries to help him and show him how you should approach such women, until Charlie Wilson intervenes, and tells Justin that he is wasting his time, because he will never be Snoop. You can hear it as an allegory for the black artists' reaction to the whites who suddenly entered their world and tried to succeed in their game, or you can just enjoy the contrast between Justin's funky singing and Snoop's laid-back rap, Snoop's attempt at singing a little bit himself, the soulful dose that the veteran Wilson suddenly injects into the record, and another ace production by the Neptunes.

Looking back, though, this record marks the end of that period. This was the last Neptunes production that was a masterpiece, the last time the pimp style seemed cheeky and not offensive, the last time we were surprised to hear voices from different genres coming together in harmony, the last time Timberlake was truly fun. Mainstream hip-hop, after 2004, became bloated, decadent and boring. Only Snoop remained Snoop.