A reunion is set to land this Friday — 31 years since rapper Snoop Dogg and producer Dr. Dre worked together on Dogg’s debut album, Doggystyle.
Following its first mention in 2022, a teaser last March, and a postponed November release, Dogg and Dre’s joint album Missionary will finally be released on December 13 under Death Row Records, Aftermath, and Interscope. The highly-anticipated project will feature artists like Tom Petty, Jelly Roll, 50 Cent, Eminem, BJ the Chicago Kid, Sting, and more.
Its first single released on November 1, “Gorgeous,” features R&B singer-songwriter and rapper Jhené Aiko. It’s co-produced by Dr. Dre, Erik “Blu2th” Griggs, Fredwreck, and Preach Bal4.
On November 21, Dogg and Dre teased its second single, “Outta Da Blue,” in the Netflix trailer for Back in Action starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz. The track is co-produced by Dr. Dre, Dem Jointz, BoogzDaBeast, and FNZ, and includes samples of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes,” by Daylight Studio’s “Watermelon Fantasy”, Schoolly D’s “Saturday Night,” Magic Disco Machine’s “Scratchin,” and Lisa Stansfield’s “All Around the World.”
Missionary also includes a rock/hip-hop crossover in the track “Another Part Of Me,” released on November 29, featuring The Police frontman, Sting. The track was produced by Dr. Dre and The ICU, and features elements of The Police’s 1979 hit “Message in a Bottle.”
“This one is gonna show a different level of maturity with his lyrics and with my music. I feel like this is some of the best music I’ve done in my career,” Dre told Entertainment Tonight.
The Return of Death Row Records
Missionary is a follow-up to Dogg’s 2022 release BODR (Bacc On Death Row), which was not only Dogg’s first solo album; it also marks the revival of the legendary hip-hop imprint Death Row Records.
BODR marked Dogg’s third studio album under Death Row, and the 30th anniversary of the label’s very first release, The Chronic, by Dre. It was considered a defining album for the West Coast hip-hop genre — its key artists have included the likes of Tupac Shakur (2Pac) and Too Short of the Bay Area, and Comptom’s N.W.A., composed of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cub3, MC, Red, and DJ Yella.
In the 1990s, Death Row Records fell into a decline after a series of controversies, including the death of 2Pac, and the imprisonment of Suge Knight, Death Row’s label executive. In 2006, Death Row filed for bankruptcy and was later auctioned to WIDEawake Entertainment in 2009. Since then, it has moved through the hands of varying managements, including Entertainment One, Hasbro’s eOne Music, and The Blackstone Group.
Dogg announced during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show in 2022 that he would acquire the rights to Death Row Records.
