Aftermath Entertainment

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Lore & Background

Aftermath Entertainment's connection to Snoop Dogg runs through Dr. Dre, who produced Snoop's debut album *Doggystyle* in 1993 and returned to produce most of *Missionary* three decades later. The album marked a return to the sound of Snoop's early-mid 1990s albums. Snoop described Dre's production approach by saying, "He uses my voice like an instrument" and praised Dre for getting him "rapping—like a grown Snoop Dogg." The album's guest roster included Eminem, 50 Cent, Jelly Roll, BJ the Chicago Kid, Jhené Aiko, Alus, and K.A.A.N., with a posthumous vocal sample from Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance."

In Their Own Story

In early 2024, Snoop Dogg called the upcoming *Missionary* album "masterful" and credited Dr. Dre with pushing him creatively. During an *Entertainment Tonight* interview on August 13, 2024, Dr. Dre revealed he was working on track 11 out of a total of 14 or 16, with a September 1 deadline for final delivery to ensure a November release. He confirmed he would appear vocally on one track and that Sting would be featured. The album debuted at number twenty on the Billboard 200, moving 38,000 album-equivalent units including 20,500 in pure sales—Snoop's first top-twenty album since *Bush* in 2015. A short film of the same name, directed by Dave Meyers and narrated by Method Man, accompanied the release on December 13, 2024, starring Snoop and Dre with cameos from 50 Cent and Jhené Aiko.

Reader's Guide

Aftermath Entertainment operates as the production and distribution engine for *Missionary*, Snoop Dogg's twentieth studio album released December 13, 2024. Dr. Dre produced every track and served as mixing engineer alongside Bernard "Bundini" Edwards. The album's creation involved a two-month studio collaboration between Snoop and Dre, confirmed during Snoop's appearance on Stephen A. Smith's *Know Mercy* podcast. The project was described as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of *Doggystyle*. Key personnel on *Missionary* included recording engineer Quentin "Q" Gilkey, mastering engineer Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, and a roster of musicians including Cocoa Sarai on vocals across multiple tracks, Fredwreck on keyboards and percussion, and Focus... on drums and keyboards. The album's 16 tracks feature samples from artists including Tom Petty, Sly and the Family Stone, the Police, and the Notorious B.I.G.

Did You Know?

• Dr. Dre produced Snoop Dogg's debut album *Doggystyle* in 1993 and returned 31 years later to produce most of *Missionary*.
• The album's short film, directed by Dave Meyers and narrated by Method Man, was released on December 13, 2024, and starred Snoop and Dre with cameos from 50 Cent and Jhené Aiko.
• Tom Petty appears posthumously on *Missionary* through a vocal sample from his song "Mary Jane's Last Dance."
• The album debuted at number twenty on the Billboard 200—Snoop's first top-twenty album since *BODR* in 2022, which peaked at number 14.
• Sting contributed guitar and bass to the track "Skyscrapers" on the album.