SNOOP DOGG - MISSIONARY (Official Discussion)

[heyyou]

Final thoughts:

Missionary - A collection of really clean sounding instrumentals and everyone going through the motions.  For me, Last Dance with Mary Jane is the best song on the album and it is the only one that has any kind of emotion behind it.  I could almost believe that Snoop was being sincere with what he was saying. 

Snoop - Sounded great, but it just seemed like he was reading lyrics off a sheet.  Some of his lyrics sounded like they could've been for Dre(you know the lyrics where he is bragging about what he's done or who he is).  It was like he was a guest on every single song. Just the other day, i listened to Buck Em from No Limit Top Dogg and that simple song that doesnt hit the three minute mark but is more complete sounding than anything on Missionary.

Dre - The music sounded clean, almost too clean, like that was his overall focus.  Albums like Chronic, Doggystyle, 2001, and even Relapse put you in a time and place.  Chronic was like that afternoon ride through the hood before the party.  Doggystyle was set at night during a house party.  2001 was leaving that house party early and just cruising through the streets.  Relapse was sitting in a dark twisted room listening to a psychopath have a conversation with himself.  He has produced three full albums since then that we know of and its just a collection of instrumentals for each one.  I'm not sure what happened to Dre after Relapse or even going back to his last big hit which was the Outta Control Remix, 20 years ago.  Maybe it was the money from Beats, or just doesnt care anymore? Trying to reinvent the wheel when he never had to?  The beat change ups really kill the vibe of each song and has been like that since Compton.  I was personally ok with building on the instrumentals with each verse in past songs he's produced, but completely changing beats in the middle of the song is just too much.  I'm sure he has the capability to release some of the greatest work we've ever heard, but it seems like he is past that point now in his career. 

Overall - I was expecting something better than Compton and I think Snoop was seriously down to do this when it was announced.  But as time drug on, Dre ended up having the last say in everything and it just took the life out of it.  It just seems like creating this album ended up not being enjoyable for Snoop.  As a fan of their work from the beginning, its just frustrating this is what we get.  I was a Snoop fan before Dre, then became a Dre fan over everyone else.  But, I cant wrap my head around the decision making of this album and that is on the producer.   I let myself believe that we would get either a grown up version of Doggystyle or even a "lite" version of Detox with this release.

This is a fair and well argued criticism.

I do think that Dre had too much control over the direction of this project and as i've said before has overthought things.
I also think that Snoop's biggest USP is his charisma and it felt that he was restrained. We saw parts of it on Pressure and Thank You where he felt his natural self.
I do think Dre needs to relax and just vibe in the studio, have fun and go with the flow. At the moment, everything seems a bit too calculated and mechanical.
Technically the mixing/engineering though, it's on another level. Other albums, the production sounds so flat.

I personally love the album and is still in heavy rotation

[TRAX (SFV)]

If you cut the album in a playlist for 30 minutes (like back in the days with tapes)

1. Foreplay
2. Shangri-la
3. Hardknocks
4. Gorgeous
5. Last dance
6. Skyscrapers
7. Fire
8. Another part
9. Sticky situations
10. Now or never
11. Negotiator

a little equalizing and you have a 10/10 album.

It sounds like a 70s blaxploitation with these live Horns. Which is great.
Big difference with just blaze is that his shit is just samples which makes it stiff.
Best 30 minutes of music i have heard in 20 years or so.

It's way easier to cut out wack songs digitally (download not stream) than with tape.  If I don't like a song, I delete it, simple as that.

[The Predator]

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[haliaeetus albicilla]

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Necro i respect much - head split is an insane banger. But he does not notice the quality and style of this album.
He mentions pop as a bad thing.
But pop can be ‘banging’ too - if it contains quality funk - like some of Michael Jackson, Prince, George Michael, Sting, Phil Collins songs.
This album is one of a kind in music. Because it bridges rap to pop to blaxploitation in a new classy way. Still the streams sound weird - too bright - and Jimmy should not have forced outta da blue and thank you to be on it, because those are misfits.

On the other hand Snoop’s Trump support kind of fucks up the album and his discography right now. Like is he really stupid or what?

[DSOD2476]

Necro i respect much - head split is an insane banger. But he does not notice the quality and style of this album.
He mentions pop as a bad thing.
But pop can be ‘banging’ too - if it contains quality funk - like some of Michael Jackson, Prince, George Michael, Sting, Phil Collins songs.
This album is one of a kind in music. Because it bridges rap to pop to blaxploitation in a new classy way. Still the streams sound weird - too bright - and Jimmy should not have forced outta da blue and thank you to be on it, because those are misfits.

On the other hand Snoop’s Trump support kind of fucks up the album and his discography right now. Like is he really stupid or what?

Only guys who sit down to pee would bring politics into a rap album discussion. 

[haliaeetus albicilla]

Only guys who sit down to pee would bring politics into a rap album discussion. 

Lol.
You mean smart people?

[sweetdudejim]

So not that anybody cares, but here's my take on the album, with focus on some of the songs.

I must be out of touch, but I think "Outta Da Blue" is an awesome 2020s version of the classic Dre/Snoop duet. I can't remember when I first heard it, but I'm pretty sure I was nonplussed with the super "modern" production, along with the interpolation of MIA's "Paper Planes." But to me now, it's a top cut on the album. Just a fun tune.

While I'm a huge fan of The Police, I can't say I expected the collaboration with Sting to be any good. Especially with Snoop singing a bit and Sting rapping a bit. It just sounded like a formula for failure. And the crazy thing is, it wasn't just surprisingly good, I think it's' one of Snoop's best songs in the last 20 years.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Other favorites....I like "Gorgeous" quite a bit, and I think it woulda been a hit single if it were released around 20 years ago.

Stuff I don't care for? There's quite a bit. First off, seeing a lot of you basically saying that "Last Dance with Mary Jane" and "Thank You" are great and that they should be singles and promoted heavily. First off, both interpolations are SOOOOO obvious. On Compton both the music and some of the lyrics were subtle. On "Mary Jane," both music and lyrics are anything but. It's a corny obvious idea, and one that seems beneath Dre. This song coulda been filler on any Snoop record.

Secondly, the excitement for "Thank You" is also just crazy. Once again, it's just such a well known, iconic song that Dre would've had to do something crazy for this to stand on its own. And despite some interesting touches, it comes off quite lame. And Snoop's lyric on this one is less ham handed that "Mary Jane," but that isn't saying much. I remember when this one got released and there was so much excitement on here. So when I finally heard it was quite a let down in my opinion. I love Sly & The Family Stone and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Eflt Agin)" is an absolute banger, But this, it sounds pretty nice, but nothing like a hit.

Altogether I don't think the album ties together very well at all. Despite Dre's production and mixing mastery, the styles on the this album are all over the place, but it just doesn't sound like a cohesive whole. And despite the mish-mash of styles, I don't think that's the reason for the lack of cohesion on the album, as Dre's Compton is very eclectic, but ultimately ties together well. Why is that? I have no idea.

[Sccit]

Altogether I don't think the album ties together very well at all. Despite Dre's production and mixing mastery, the styles on the this album are all over the place, but it just doesn't sound like a cohesive whole. And despite the mish-mash of styles, I don't think that's the reason for the lack of cohesion on the album, as Dre's Compton is very eclectic, but ultimately ties together well. Why is that? I have no idea.

because compton was made before dres "achilles tear" moment

say what u will about compton's musical direction, but like u said, it sounds like a real album

this sounds like a compilation that they did way too much on

i wonder what the cats who were gushing over the album a couple months ago think now that the initial excitement wore off

[astra4322]

I still think it's perfect! :-)

[heyyou]

I still love the album after a few months.
I just accept that it's not the classic sound I was hoping or expecting for a Snoop & Dre collab and enjoy it for what it is on it's own merit

[Rubenowski]

3 months later and I still fuck with the album. Not daily like when it first dropped but I still have it in rotation.

Really the only two songs I don’t care for are Another part of me cause it just sounds too gimmicky and corny. And also Gunz n smoke. The latter actually isn’t bad it’s just Eminem’s long ass verse with that stale boring flow that kills it for me.

[hitsaw]

The album is dope, but it don’t got that bangers like, cali love, in da club, still Dre, next episode, x, …

[.:Hercy Buggz:.]

Trashy album considering the potential it had to be a Masterpiece.

[WCThang]

It feels like they've stopped promo altogether. The Jelly Roll or Sting joints didn't even hit on radio with the Interscope machine behind it? I didn't agree with many of the criticisms, but it seems this came & went. No promo.

[lbc213]

Still play the album daily! Only 2-3 songs I (sometimes) skip. There are some songs I didn't dig at first but grew on me immensely.