In a week that has brought yet more drama to the rap game, New Music Friday shifts the attention back to the music thanks to some legends, past and present.
Further solidifying themselves as arguably Hip Hop’s greatest rapper-producer duo, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre reunite on Missionary, the long-awaited successor to 1993’s Doggystyle. The album boasts an eclectic supporting cast that includes Eminem, 50 Cent, Method Man, Sting and Tom Petty, but a rejuvenated Doggfather steals the show as he sounds back to his best over thumping, expectedly polished beats from his mentor.
From Death Row to Def Jam, the estate of the late DMX release his second posthumous project following his tragic death in 2021. Let Us Pray: Chapter X is really more of a four-song EP than a full-length effort, but with gospel producer Warryn Campbell behind the boards, it taps into X’s more spiritual side.
Fellow New York rap legend Fat Joe also returns with his first solo album in over a decade with The World Changed On Me, while Florida’s BossMan Dlow caps off a banner year with Dlow Curry, named after the NBA sharpshooter.
Elsewhere, Roc Marciano and The Alchemist follow up 2022’s The Elephant Man’s Bones with another bony, bars-heavy offering called The Skeleton Key, while Sleepy Hallow, RJMrLA and Paul Wall ensure fans out in the East, West and down South have something new to bump heading into the weekend.
Check out this week’s new albums below.
Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre — Missionary
Features: Eminem, 50 Cent, Method Man, Sting, Tom Petty, Jhené Aiko, Jelly Roll, BJ The Chicago Kid, Fat Money, K.A.A.N., Alus, Cocoa Sarai
Production: Dr. Dre, Dem Jointz, Sam Sneed, BoogzDaBeast, Focus…
Label: Death Row / Aftermath / Interscope Records
DMX — Let Us Pray: Chapter X
Features: Snoop Dogg, Killer Mike, MC Lyte, Lecrae, Terrace Martin, Mary Mary, Lena Byrd-Miles, RoyzNoyz Orchestra
Production: Warryn Campbell
Label: Def Jam
Fat Joe — The World Changed On Me
Features: Remy Ma, Ty Dolla $ign, DJ Khaled, Babyface, Anitta, Cool & Dre, Tony Sunshine, Chris Rock, Tuggawar, Karma Nova
Production: Cool & Dre, Don Cannon, DJ Khaled, Smash David, 808 Ray
Label: RNG / EMPIRE
BossMan Dlow — Dlow Curry
Features: Lil Baby, GloRilla, Ice Spice, French Montana, Babyface Ray, NoCap
Production: D.A. Got That Dope, ChaseTheMoney, LuhRonMadeDis, King Nathan, Gentle Beatz
Label: Alamo Records
Roc Marciano & The Alchemist — The Skeleton Key
Features: N/A
Production: The Alchemist
Label: Pimpire Records / Marci Enterprises
Sleepy Hallow — Read This When You Wake Up
Features: Sheff G, Babyface Ray, Dracodontjam, Jay Bezzy, Gray Hawken, B.B. Sophia
Production: Great John, Nephxw, Jrdyn, MD$, Ruuben
Label: Winners Circle Entertainment / RCA Records
Paul Wall — Once Upon a Grind
Features: Big K.R.I.T., Slim Thug, Freeway, Lil Keke, Z-Ro, Berner, Termanology, Eddie Coke
Production: Credits unavailable
Label: Paul Wall
RJMrLA — Cuffing Season
Features: Kalan.FrFr, Siete7x, Lambo4oe, Big Eph, Lilcadipge
Production: Credits unavailable
Label: OMMIO / EMPIRE
Kota The Friend & Statik Selektah — Once In a Blue Moon
Features: Logic, Phearnone
Production: Statik Selektah
Label: Fltbys
Valee & SURF GANG — Grey Sky London
Features: N/A
Production: evilgiane, Niketech, Harrison, Eera, Ccured
Label: Surf Gang Records / Decent Distribution
Dizee Rascal — I Invented Grime
Features: N/A
Production: Dizee Rascal
Label: Big Dirtee Records
I’d rather hear a Snoop Dogg and Battle Cat joint album than him and Dre. That shit ain’t it. Like what the fuck is that?
That DMX album is such a cash grab. They took 4 of his prayers from old albums, added features, and made beats around them. Snoop and Dre put together a dope album for their age and status in the game.
“For their age and status in the game”. Aka, you know it isn’t very good but use age as a defense. Lame
Thanks for thinking and speaking for me you fucking crabby ass weirdo 🤣. I like the album and its something different for Dre and Snoop, so its not gonna be for everyone. The production and mixing is crisp, the track frequency is on point, and Snoop’s energy is right. I havent liked a Snoop album since Blue Carpet.
Snoop should’ve forgot about Dre. This album is just skippable. How come they have Tom Petty and Sting, but no RBX, DPG, Rage, DOC, Warren G, just to name a few from the heydays of g-funk. The album is not totally trash, but not good at all.
Snoops album sounds like Compton. Should’ve named it Long Beach.
Dre needs to get back w Mike Elizondo and Scott Storch.
These ICU guys ain’t it.
Snoops album is mediocre. My biggest disappointment is Dres production. Trash! The album is a 3.5/10……that DMX album is laughable and doesn’t even need attention. Fat Joe is holding on to something he hasn’t had since 98. The album with the guy giving backs shots to a lady with a chain is disgusting and we shroud be ashamed we allow that to be accepted.
FLEE LORD x RICHARD MILLI Euro Money
THE MUSALINI Tru Player In The Game
M.A.V. x K SLUGGAH Nothing Goes Wasted In The Wild
MIGHTY THEODORE The Old Rap Language
FASHAWN x LITTLE VIC Carte Blanche
peace out
Snoop‘s growing on me. Needs 2-3 real listens. It’s actually a mature album yet lacks bangers
You can tell the big amount of labor put into Snoop’s album production. I’ve mostly quit listening to new hip hop, since most of shit is either wack or boring – mainstream or undergound. I don’t remember when I had an album on repeat for a whole day like this. I feel many people complaining about the album, already decided their opinion after seeing the tracklist and hearing one single. WTF expects they will make Doggystyle again in 2024? If they made the same shit again, people would complain it’s the same shit again. The new sound is updated formula and this is what I expect. It mostly still bangs and execution wise it blows out the water 90% shit you’ll hear today.
Whoa.. my man NO! Forst if your convinced doggystle is a thing of the past(you’re right) leave the poor attempt at an album tittle to revive an album that’s 33 years old. Second, it doesn’t bang and how can you say better than 90 %? New spesh and Benny, New Rome streets, New Lloyd banks, New Dave east, New J Cole. Come on man. This albums production is weak and proves dres best days are long behind hom. Snoops being mediocre is no surprise, so no realetdown there.
I think snoop was rapping his butt off. The beats weren’t bad, although I do agree this is about 20 years late.
Lol Dre and Snoop album even wacker than Compton. I never thought that was posible.
I gave the snoop album a listen.. one listen and although it’s only one there wasn’t a track that really stood out.. seemed boring.. what happend to the days where u hear an album once and it’s a straight slapper.. why albums nowadays u gotta listen 4-5 times so it can “grow” on you.. 90s albums had that feeling.. this one not so much.. oh an by the way yall forgot the new Z-Ro album