2024’s calendar year for music can’t come to an end without a new project fromSnoop Dogg. In a year when he starred ina new movie calledThe Underdoggs, dropped a Still G.I.N. alcohol brand,and joinedThe Voice, Snoop has crowned everything by contributing to the medium that made him a superstar: rap music.
Snoop Dogg teams up with frequent collaborator, producer Dr. Dre, to release his landmark 20th album:Missionary. Just over 30 years after his electricDoggystyledebut, the Doggfather celebrates with his most ambitious project yet. His tracklist features notable guest spots from the likes of Eminem, Sting, 50 Cent, and Tom Petty, among others. These are unique songs filled with unique names all produced by Dre, but which songs rank among the best? Here’s how every track on Snoop Dogg’sMissionaryranks.
16"Another Part of Me"
Feat. Sting
Like how an earlier track offers a modern update of a Tom Petty classic, this is a modern update of “Message in a Bottle” from Sting’s band, The Police, which, quite frankly, is a better record. This isthe only song on the album that feels like a straight disappointment,which is unfortunate to say. It’s hard not to see Sting’s name on the record and not get excited. It’sSting, for starters, and unless he’s being sampled, his rap collaborations are few and far between. It’s hard not to get excited to know he’s shared the stage with two rap icons, but this track does not live up to expectations.
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Maybe it’s a lack of chemistry, or maybe it’s a matter of expectations being too high, but this doesn’t connect with its potential. Snoop tries to match the Police-esque production, but comes off as low energy compared to his usual bombastic tone. Snoop almost feels like he’s trying to croon more than anything, while Sting, in the end, feels like he’s trying to rap. Frankly, Sting trying to rap was never going to connect.
15"Gangsta Pose"
Feat. Dem Jointz, Stalone, and Fat Money
This is a track that is held back by the use of autotone, which honestly feels a little grating to the ears. It’s sad, actually, because Snoop Dogg’s verses are solid and while there isn’t a whole lot to write home about with this one,it would at least be an inoffensive record without some of the production choices with the voices.
Production-wise, the beat is a head-knocker on its own merits. If it was just the beat itself, this would be a much better song. Some of Dre’s more questionable creative choices on the production make this nearly skippable. As the second to last track on the album, it’s not enough to hurt the album or make someone want to stop listening to the whole thing, but the album definitely would have been enhanced if this was left on the cutting room floor.
14"The Negotiator"
The Final Track
Speaking of inoffensive songs, the finale toMissionaryis just okay. It’s not bad and it’s not a song that anyone will be going back to a lot, but it’s alright. Wish there could be more to say about it, but besides once again chronicling how far he’s come in his career, Snoop mostly just uses this track to serve as a means to sign off on the album.
“The Negotiator,” while again, not a terrible record, it deprives the album of ending on the bang that it deserves to, given the greatness that came in tracks before it. To say that it ends in a whimper seems harsh, butit does end in an anti-climactic fashion when Missionary is deserving of more of a big finish.
13"Foreplay"
Feat. BJ the Chicago Kid
Thefirst track on the album is short, but perfectly sets the tone for the project, which feels equal parts modern and throwback. In terms of modern, BJ the Chicago Kid showcases the best of what the R&B genre has to offer, opening the portal to listeners, introducing them to how “Snoop Dogg makes the world go ‘round.” In terms of throwback, Dre’s production feels like a bombastic invitation into the album that wouldn’t feel out of place in one of his ’90s productions. Plus, any old school Dre fan is never going to get tired of hearing the classic, “You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.”
Again, it’s very short, not even 90 seconds, but it leaves an impression, rolling out a red carpet for Snoop Dogg’s latest audible experience. “Foreplay” smoothly transitions into the next track, “Shangri-La,” masterfully.
12"Shangri-La"
Snoop Dogg’s First Verse
Picking up where “Fore Play” leaves off, “Shangri-La” showcases Snoop Dogg’s first verse on the album. The verse is almost disarmingly good. When audiences are so used to seeing Snoop Dogg as a public figure, flexing his comedic chops or acting chops as an entertainer, it’s easy to forget that he came into this game as a rapper. More importantly, it’s easy to forget that a skill like that never truly goes away, so when Snoop Dogg shows he’s still got it on the mic, it’s almost surprising.Not just that he’s still capable of producing a good verse, but just how good he is as a lyricist and how smooth his flow is.
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Like “Fore Play,” it’s incredibly short, at just over 90 seconds, but like “Fore Play,” this serves as more of an introduction or even a teaser for what’s to come later in the album.
11"Pressure"
Feat. K.A.A.N.
“Pressure” has the tough task of following up “Thank You,” one of the best songs on the album (more on that later), and that makes it harder for the song to leave an impression. However, that’s nothing against the song itself. It’s certainly still a shoulder bopper, thanks to another snappy production beat from Dr. Dre. Meanwhile, Snoop remains lyrically consistent, andit’s hard not to tip the hat to clever wordplay like “She said she wanna eat a hot dog, imma relish it.”
K.A.A.N. on the chorus is somewhat distracting - not in a bad way, as they make for a solid hook, performance-wise. But for anyone who has never heard his voice before, it’s easy to mistake it for Pharrell Williams. Again, not a bad performance, it’s just that the voice can throw a listener off for a second.
10"Gorgeous"
Feat. Jhene Aiko
While so much of the album is evocative of a ’90s G-Funk era throwback,this production feels like one literally pulled straight out of the ’90s, as if Dr. Dre used one of his beats left on the cutting room floor from an old 1990s production. Such a song certainly has its novelty. It’s a head-bopper and a finger-snapper for sure. Snoop has a solid verse as well.
A sound like this always has its novelty, but the song is truly bolstered by Jhene Aiko. Aiko is always a treat on any record, but she embodies the spirit of the 90s, evoking the likes of Mary J. Blige and other R&B staples of that era.
9"Hard Knocks"
Two Songs in One
“Hard Knocks” is an interesting song, because it feels like two songs in one. The first half echoes Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” which is likely intentional considering the name of the song. Both this and the Jay-Z record are highlighted best by a children’s chorus. Then, the beat slows down a bit and the second-half is dominated entirely by Snoop Dogg’s voice.
Lyrically, both parts see Snoop reflecting a bit on his journey so far, recalling how he “made it out the mud”(going back to the chorus) and even evoking the spirit of “Murder Was the Case.” It’s a masterful song that, if anything, leaves the listener wanting more of each side of track. Rather than about 90 seconds of each part of the song, both parts are great enough to leave the listener wishing both halves had their own, longer separate songs to shine on.
8"Sticcy Situation"
Feat. K.A.A.N. and Coco Sarai
This track features a similar beat switch-up, but while “Hard Knocks” feels like two songs melded into one,with"Sticcy Situation", it feels like a song that truly feels like the beat-switch is essential to the record. One half of the song doesn’t work without the other, and more importantly, both sides of the record complement each other.
Coco Sarai shines again, just as she did in “Fire,” if not more so here, as in addition to doing the halfway hook, she has a verse which she sings through to end the song on. K.A.A.N. makes for a good acquisition as well, although, oddly enough, whereas the previous record made him sound like Pharrell, this one has him sound like the late Nate Dogg, which almost feels more purposeful on producer Dre’s part.
7"Skyscrapers"
Feat. Method Man and Smitty
While theprevious track with Sting was disappointing, this one brings the album back to its proper energy.There’s no chorus in sight, just three master wordsmiths taking turns delivering a verse. One can argue that each member of this trio is trying to outshine each other. Obviously not in a malicious sense, as anyone who understands rap and what it means to be an MC understands that friendly competition drives the best rap performances. This is no different.
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This features three men trying to showcase the best of their abilities. If anything, listeners may come out of this wishing Smitty’s verse was longer. It’s clearly the shortest, but had it lasted a bit longer, he could have been viewed as having been just as on par with Method Man and Snoop. It’s easy to overlook Smitty for being the shortest, but the ghost writer proves a solid addition.
