Dr. Dre is stirring up excitement for his upcoming album ‘Missionary’ with Snoop Dogg, calling it “some of the best music” he’s ever made.
In a recent chat with Entertainment Tonight, following his Olympics performance, the legendary producer opened up about the highly anticipated project. Dre confidently stated that ‘Missionary’ would be another gem in his renowned music collection.
When asked about working on ‘Missionary’ compared to Snoop’s 1993 debut ‘Doggystyle,’ Dre shared, “It was much more fun, to be honest, because we were kids at that time. Snoop may have been 18 or 19 years old, and I think I’m six years older than him, so we were kids.”
Dre highlighted the maturity in both their music and lyrics this time around. “This one’s 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 […] I’m not playing,” he emphasized.
Dre also expressed excitement about the team of musicians and writers involved in the project. “The musicians I’m working with right now and some of the writers in the studio that are helping us… Snoop is really excited about this and so am I. I think people are gonna really enjoy this,” he said.
The album is close to completion and is eyeing a November release, which would align with the 31st anniversary of ‘Doggystyle.’ Dre mentioned, “As soon as we finish this, I have to go downstairs and start mixing. I wanted 14 songs, Snoop wants 16, so we have that thing happening [bumps his fists together].” Currently, Dre is on song number 11 in terms of mixes and aims to complete the project by September 1 for a November release.
Dre also teased a high-profile guest appearance on the album. “I actually did a couple of songs, I’m not sure if one of them’s gonna make it or not. I produced the entire album but vocally, I think, only one of them is gonna make it,” he revealed. “There’s a song, we have Sting on the song. Man, it’s an amazing roster of artists that’s on this album. I shouldn’t have revealed that, to be honest.”
Snoop Dogg first announced ‘Missionary’ during an appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s ‘Know Mercy’ podcast in 2022. “You’re the first one to hear this: me and Dr. Dre have been working on an album for the past two months,” Snoop disclosed. “It’s produced by Dr. Dre, it’s our 30th anniversary to ‘Doggystyle.’ And the name of the album is ‘Missionary.'”
When asked about the name, Snoop explained, “The first album was ‘Doggystyle,” prompting a laugh from the host. Snoop later detailed how Dre approached him with the idea. “[Dr. Dre] called me one day about two years ago. He was like, ‘N-gga, come over, let me do a couple of songs with you.’ I go over there and he’s like, ‘N-gga, let me do your album.’ And I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s go!’” The pair recorded several tracks, and Dre kept calling him back for more sessions.
Snoop echoed Dre’s comments on the maturity of the album, calling their work “masterful.” He added, “When you hear what we have and how he got me rapping, it’s like a grown Snoop Dogg. There’s some growth to him. It’s the way he selects his bars, it’s the way he uses his voice. [Dr. Dre] uses me like a fucking robot and I love it because I love to be produced. I love to be challenged.”
With lofty claims and a star-studded lineup, ‘Missionary’ promises to be an exciting new chapter for both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Fans can eagerly look forward to its anticipated November release.
