Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s much-anticipated album Missionary is set to debut on next week’s Billboard 200, but its performance may fall short of the high expectations fans had for the legendary duo. According to HITSDailyDouble, the album is projected to earn just 36,000 equivalent units in its first week, which would likely place it at number 20 on the Billboard 200. This debut would position Missionary behind previously-released rap albums like Tyler, The Creator’s Chromakopia and Kendrick Lamar’s GNX.
If these projections hold true, Missionary would mark one of Snoop Dogg’s least commercially successful albums and, by far, Dr. Dre’s worst-performing release. In recent years, Snoop has dropped several low-selling projects, including Bible of Love, Algorithm, and Bacc on Death Row, all of which failed to break into the top 100 of the Billboard 200. Dre, who produced Missionary but isn’t billed as the lead artist, has never debuted outside of the top 10 or sold fewer than 200,000 units in his first week.
Despite the underwhelming projections, Dre has expressed high praise for the album’s quality. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this year, he described Missionary as showcasing a different level of maturity in both Snoop’s lyrics and his own music production. “This one’s gonna show a different level of maturity,” Dre said. “I feel like this is some of the best music I’ve done in my career […] I’m not playing.”
Missionary features 16 tracks and includes appearances from major Hip Hop figures such as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Method Man, along with Sting, Jelly Roll, Jhené Aiko, BJ The Chicago Kid, and the late Tom Petty. One standout track, “Gunz N Smoke,” marks the first-ever collaboration between Snoop, Dre, Eminem, and 50 Cent, blending their distinct styles and paying tribute to the legendary Notorious B.I.G.
In addition to its star-studded guest list, the album is supported by a cinematic short film directed by Grammy-winning director Dave Meyers, further elevating the project’s artistic vision.
Although Missionary may not be setting the charts on fire as expected, the album still holds significant cultural weight, with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s impact on hip-hop undeniable. The full potential of this release will be revealed in the coming weeks as listeners dive into the collaboration’s creative depth.
