But you can’t deny he made a bit of a musical comeback last year with his Neptunes-produced hit, “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and the accompanying Universal album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, which was released in November and has already gone platinum.

The Doggfather was also a force on the touring circuit last year, when he played dozens of cities on Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution tour in addition to a solo tour and dates with his original group, 213, featuring Nate Dogg and Warren G.

He’s starting 2005 off right with a round of U.S. dates beginning January 21 in Reno, Nev. He’ll swing through the Southwest and do a week of Florida shows, then head to Europe, where dates in five countries have been announced. The current itinerary runs through February 22.