It was April of ‘92, I was in college at my favorite bar The Lions Den listening to DJ Darryl G spinning on the 1s and 2s when he said you got to hear this new Dr. Dre song “Deep Cover.”  I was a huge Dre and NWA fan and was excited to hear his first solo single.  And Darryl G said you got to hear this guy with him, I think he’s got some talent (little did we know what Snoop would become), Snoop Doggy Dogg. This song was so good, and Snoop had this super unique sound, but not a gimmick, a unique sound with dope lyrics and flow.  Who was this guy? Later that year we got to hear Snoop on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and then in November of ’93 Snoop released his debut album and hit album Doggystyle.  Little did we know at that point that we would get 19 more albums (including a Reggae and Gospel album) from him, that he would become an international star; movies and TV appearances (including a show with Martha Stewart), start a production company, Wrestle at WrestleMania, be involved in political activism, charity work, commentator for the ’24 Paris Olympics for NBC, and so much more; you name it and Snoop has probably dabbled in it. There are not too many people in this word that are relevant to pretty much every age group from 5 to 100 like Snoop is.

This is supposed to be a follow-up to Doggystyle, a part 2, but for those expecting Missionary to pick right up where Doggystyle left off, you will be disappointed. These are not 22 and 28 year old's putting out a debut album, these two have lived a full life, grown in so many ways and are in their 50’s (like me) where life is a lot different.  If you go into this with an open mind and are hopeful that two amazingly talented individuals can put out a good Hip-Hop album, you will not be disappointed.  Dr. Dre starts us off with “Fore Play” featuring BJ the Chicago Kid, it’s really an intro, but it perfectly sets the tone for this project….”Snoop Dogg makes the world go round, you are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.” Love the music and sample of the Stylistics “People Make The World Go Round,” but I really wish this was made into a full-length song, it’s that good. Dre’s boombastic beats transitions smoothly right into “Shangri-La.”  A great production by Dre, this snaps hard and these are some of Snoops best lyrics and flow we have heard in quite some time.  He brings it, we almost forget that he is a really good rapper, but this track reminds us of that right from his first verse. “Outta Da Blue” is a classic throwback 80’s-style beat, and the way Snoop Dogg and Dre go back and forth on this is absolutely awesome.  More solid lyrics and flow from both of them and you get that old NWA Dre flow with his lyrics. Next up is almost a two-for-one for the listener, “Hard Knocks.” The first half of the song is reminiscent of Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” with the children’s chorus and flow of the song, but then it slows down a little and we get Snoop just flowing easily through the second half of the song. This song works well but could have also worked as two separate songs.

Another song that Dre takes us back with those 90’s beats is “Gorgeous” featuring Jhené Aiko. Rugged keys flow over that beat for an undiluted West Coast funk sound. Snoops lyrics are solid on this, but honestly what makes this song is Jhené, she sound great on this track. When I saw the next song, “Last Dance With Mary Jane” and who it was featuring, Tom Petty and Jelly Roll, I was intrigued but also thought how is this going to work.  Well, Dre made this work and pulled off what I think is one of the better songs on the album bringing us a modern update to ‘93’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”  His production is fantastic, and Snoop does a nice job with his flow. I love the Tom Petty chorus and harmonica and while I’m not a Jelly Roll fan (can’t actually tell you any song of his), his style works really well in this song. The catchiest and most fun song is next up with “Thank You.” It's a great West Coast-flavored jam with an awesome sample of Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)." I love Snoop's lyrics and he takes us back a few times with some his old school rhymes. “Pressure” comes in next and while it isn’t a bad song, after following “Thank You” it does fall slightly flat.  This features K.A.A.N. but even his flow on the chorus is a little flat. Not a bad beat by Dre but it could have been a little more “electrifying.”

One of my favorite tracks, possibly my favorite, is featuring Sting, “Another Part of Me.” Great production from Dre and a really nice flow from Snoop. I love Sting in this, he brings it and I love this Dre, Snoop, Sting combination. Bringing us a silky vocalization, Snoop pours out that laid-back Westside flow over Dre’s production with a variety of strings reminiscent of those 80’s grooves from The Police. Method Man and Smitty join Snoop on “Skyscrappers” and Dre brings us back to that older Hip-Hop flow and another top production, but what this song is all about is three rappers on top of their craft and almost competing against each other on this track.  Some great lyrics by all three and that straightforward old school wordplay make this an instant classic. Snoop gave us his alter-Rasta-ego Snoop Lion back in 2013, and while I really didn’t care for that album, maybe because I am a huge Reggae fan, I really only liked “Lighters Up” and “Smoke the Weed” and that was probably because of Mavado, Poopcaan, and Collie Buddz. So, when “Fire” came on I thought, not another Reggae-esque Snoop Lion song. But I love this jam, it’s a nice smooth laid-back groove with some sweet melodic island lyrics from Snoop. Cocoa Sarai gives us a sweet vibe with an irie Rastafarian flow. She is that essential element to complete the song. “Gunz N Smoke” reunites 50 Cent and Eminem with Dre and Snoop, and while not quite as dope as the old days of 2001 or Get Rich or Die Tryin, this is a strong song. While the production is not one of the strongest ones on the album, much like “Skyscrappers” this is about three legends, Snoop, 50 and Eminem, bringing us stout lyrics and vocals. They each take their turn and bring us memorable verses.

“Sticcy Situation” brings us the same idea as “Hard Knocks” with a nice switch-up, but this one feels right as one song. I love the samples of “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistc” (Isaac Hayes), “Tom’s Diner” (Suzanne Vega), and “Raptivity” (Ronnie Gee) by Dre, this song is a masterpiece the way he put it all together. Cocoa Sarai shines again on this track, in fact she absolutely kills it, not only with the hook but also on her verse to end the song. K.A.A.N. brings us a real nice Nate Dogg flow that just takes me back to those early 90’s G Funk era times. BJ the Chicago Kid is perfect on another great track, “Now or Never.” Dre hits us with another nice sample, this time Mobb Deep’s “Survival of the Fittest,” and another solid production. Snoop hits us with some great lyrics, some of the best we’ve heard from Snoop, and then we get Dre on the mic once again, showing us that he’s not only the best Hip-Hop producer but a great MC as well. “Gangsta Pose” featuring Dem Jointz, Stalone & Fat Money is one of those Dre beats that you can’t help but bob the head up and down to. It oozes with that dope, cruising down the street, don’t mess with my energy flow.  Good roll from Snoop, changing it up a little throughout the song, and Dem Jointz, Stalone and Fat Money bring this song to the next level, while not huge parts, Dre brings them in just enough.  The album is finished off with “The Negotiator” with a great sample of Soul Dog’s “Can’t Stop Loving You.” Not one of the best songs on the album and while I understand why this was chosen as the last song, I actually think “Now or Never” would have been the better choice to finish this off. Snoop hits us one last time with some solid lyrics and a nice flow and Dre finishes off with a solid production.

Hip-Hop has been lacking something for years; meaning, great lyrics, boomin’ beats, dope rhymes, sweet production and intuitive ideas, in my opinion.  But over the past few months we have had three (four if you count Dre’s producing) icons stepping back into the ring with some really dope albums; The Force (LL Cool J), Man Down (Ice Cube), and now Missionary. Are these albums as great as my favorites from each of them; Bigger and Deffer, Lethal Injection, Doggystyle and The Chronic, better, no and probably not close, but are they all solid albums, YES! Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre brought us an album, that as my friend Bill just said to me, “it’s growing on me more and more.” Dre has done a fantastic job with the production, including some dope samples along with some great rap flows and Snoop has hit us with some of the best lyrics and vocals since back in the days before he went to No Limit Records. While Snoop has hit international fame and notoriety for so many things other than his music, this album brings Snoop full circle back to the Hip-Hop world and showing the world that he stills got it.

One Love – Todd Judd