''Reincarnated'' is the twelfth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American recording artist

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

. It is his first and so far only release under his

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

persona Snoop Lion. The album was released on April 23, 2013, under Berhane Sound System and

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

. The album is his departure from hip hop and his debut in the

genre. The album's production was handled mainly by

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...

and his group

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...

. The album features

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

s from

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P) ...

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...

, Mavado,

Popcaan Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican singer. In 2008, Popcaan joined Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Clarks" with Kartel, an ode t ...

Mr. Vegas Clifford Smith (born December 29th, 1974), better known as Mr. Vegas, is a Jamaican dancehall musician. Biography Clifford Smith was born in Kingston in 1974.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.", Rough Gu ...

Collie Buddz Colin Patrick Harper (born August 21, 1981), better known by his stage name Collie Buddz, is a Bermudian reggae artist best known for his single "Come Around". Career Although Harper was born in New Dadyal Hospital, AJK. He studied audio enginee ...

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studi ...

, and

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

among others. The album's production was handled by

Ariel Rechtshaid Ariel Rechtshaid ( ;) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His accolades include three Grammy Awards for music production. Rechtshaid was the lead singer and guitarist of the ska ...

, 6Blocc,

Dre Skull Mixpak Records is a Brooklyn-based independent record label, founded in 2009 by record producer Dre Skull. The label operates across a range of genres, from dancehall to underground club music, experimental electronic, rap and leftfield pop. M ...

Supa Dups Dwayne Chin-Quee, better known as Supa Dups, is a Jamaican record producer, a drummer, and selector based in Miami, Florida. He is a member of the Black Chiney sound system. His father is a second generation Chinese Jamaican, and his mother ...

and

, who also served as

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

. It is a companion project to the documentary film '' Reincarnated''. In 2014, the album was nominated at the

56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid comp ...

for

Best Reggae Album The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1985 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works in the reggae music genre. Honors in sev ...

Background

Snoop Lion has traveled to

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and studied in the

Nyabinghi Nyabinghi or Nyabingi is a prominent figure in the history of Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, where religions or 'possession cults' formed around her. Probably via a 1930s article, the term "Nyabinghi" was introduced to Jamaica. There, it was adopted ...

branch of the

Rastafari movement Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control o ...

. He has cited reggae musicians such as

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963� ...

Bunny Wailer Neville O'Riley Livingston (10 April 1947 – 2 March 2021), known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. ...

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

and

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

as influences for the album. Snoop has said, in regards to his new musical direction, "I feel like I've always been Rastafari, I just didn't have my

third eye The third eye (also called the mind's eye or inner eye) is a mystical invisible eye, usually depicted as located on the forehead, which provides perception beyond ordinary sight. In Hinduism, the third eye refers to the ajna (or brow) chakra. In ...

open."

and Dre Skull are the album's main producers, with Diplo serving as executive producer as well. Other producers, including 6Blocc and

, among others.

Singles

The first promotional

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

was " La La La", a track produced by

, was released on July 20, 2012. The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

, directed by filmmaker

Eli Roth Eli Raphael Roth (born April 18, 1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. As a director and producer, he is most closely associated with the horror genre, having directed the films '' Cabin Fever'' (2003) and ''Hoste ...

, was released on October 31, 2012. The first single, "

Here Comes the King "Here Comes the King" is a well-known advertising jingle written for Budweiser, whose slogan is "The King of Beers." Budweiser is the flagship brand of the Anheuser-Busch brewery. Copyrighted in 1971, the music and lyrics are by Steve Karmen, who ...

", which is also a Major Lazer produced track with

and 6Blocc, features singer-songwriter Angela Hunte, who is best known for writing

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

and

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

successful 2009 hit "

Empire State of Mind "Empire State of Mind" is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Alicia Keys from the former's 11th studio album, '' The Blueprint 3'' (2009). It was released on October 20, 2009. Produced by Al Shux, the song featur ...

". It was released on December 3, 2012, with its music video, directed by Andy Capper, being released on February 7, 2013. The second single, "Lighters Up", produced by Dre Skull and Major Lazer, featuring

n musicians Mavado and

, with an uncredited Jahdan Blakkamoore on chorus. It was released to iTunes on December 18, 2012, and its music video directed by Andy Capper was released exclusively to

VEVO Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

on February 2, 2013. "Lighters Up" was official sent to Italian radio stations on February 8, 2013. The album's third single was "

No Guns Allowed "No Guns Allowed" is a song by American rapper Snoop Lion featuring Canadian rapper Drake and singer Cori B. Was released on April 4, 2013 as the third single of his twelfth studio album ''Reincarnated'', with the record labels Berhane Sound Sys ...

" which features Snoop Lion's daughter Cori B and

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

rapper

. It was premiered and performed live on '' Conan'' on March 12, 2013. The song was released for retail on April 2, 2013, along with the pre-order of the album. On April 2, 2013, the music video was released for "No Guns Allowed" featuring Cori B and Drake. "No Guns Allowed" was official serviced to Italian radio stations on April 5, 2013. On April 4, 2013, "

Ashtrays and Heartbreaks "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" is a song by American recording artist Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion featuring American recording artist Miley Cyrus. It was released on April 4, 2013 by Berhane Sound System, Vice Records, Mad Decent, and RCA Records as the f ...

" featuring

– produced by Major Lazer, Ariel Rechtshaid and Dre Skull – was made available for purchase via digital download as the lead single from the album. It officially impacted U.S.

Rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...

radio on April 29, 2013 and then U.S Top 40/Mainstream radio on May 28, 2013. On May 30, 2013, the music video was released for "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" featuring Miley Cyrus. On July 1, 2013, the music video was released for "Torn Apart" featuring

. On August 22, 2013, the music video was released for "The Good Good" featuring Iza. On November 22, 2013, the music video was released for "Tired of Running" featuring

. On December 23, 2013, the music video was released for "Smoke the Weed" featuring

. On January 3, 2014, the music video was released for "Get Away" featuring Angela Hunte.

Critical reception

''Reincarnated'' was met with generally mixed reviews from music critics. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a

weighted mean The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 53, based on 22 reviews. David Jeffries of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

gave the album two and a half stars out of five, saying "A little backstory goes a long way when it comes to this one, so fans who have seen the ''Reincarnated'' documentary and relate to the rapper's rebirth can go up one letter grade. Otherwise, ''Reincarnated'' the album is all heart and heart-in-the-right-place, threatening to mash up the system without ever even harshing the mellow." Simon Vozick-Levinson of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "''Reincarnated'' is Snoop's most consistently enjoyable record in years. A righteous new name wasn't all he brought home from his Jamaican pilgrimage. He also forged a creative partnership with executive producer Diplo, who serves up a tasty swirl of sticky-sweet bass lines and electro crunch. Snoop does the job with surprising grace, stretching his laid-back flow into a blissful croon. There's a winning sincerity to his sunny jams extolling peace, love and gun control; even the weed anthems feel less phoned-in than usual. It's hard not to give it up for such a big, goofy bear hug to the universe." Andy Gill of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' gave the album four out of five stars, saying "This debut offering as Snoop Lion has much to recommend it, not least the infectious grooves devised by Diplo's Major Lazer production team, an engaging blend of languid roots modes and propulsive electro methods." Alexis Petridis of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' gave the album two out of five stars, saying "As a pop-reggae album it's patchily OK; as an addition to the canon of righteous Rastafarian spiritual music, it's profoundly unconvincing and a bit insulting. If you were Bunny Wailer, you too might get a bit cross about the reductive, cartoonish depiction of your religious beliefs. Then again, Snoop might argue, that's par for the course: he's been in the business of perpetuating cartoonish stereotypes from the start. People love them, and him, maybe more than they love his music, which has been patchy for decades. Taking that into account, they might love this. And if they don't, he can always go back to the Nine Inch Dicks." Kevin Jones of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' gave the album a four out of ten, saying "While the humanity and personal growth shown in Snoop Lion's ''Reincarnated'' documentary granted the legendary rapper some sympathetic cover for his dubious rebirth as a reggae-singing Rasta, the eponymous album at the heart of that story affords him no such luxury. The Diplo-directed record is a somewhat sloppy mish-mash of reggae cuts that rarely attain an authentic air, a couple of Rita Ora- and Miley Cyrus-assisted pop write-offs, and one bit of Major Lazer-lite, in the oddly-placed "Get Away." Brent Faulkner of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

gave the album a six out of ten, saying "Uneven though sometimes enjoyable, ''Reincarnated'' is surprisingly better than expected. That said, the effort still stumbles into the pitfalls of a musician altering his direction and leaving his comfort zone. Snoop Lion pulls off this album off stronger than Lil Wayne did rock (Rebirth), but still, Snoop is best suited spitting over luxurious west-coast beats." Craig Jenkins of

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

gave the album a 5.0 out of ten, saying "Too much of it is an ill-advised cultural safari that's too weird to fly but too monied to fail. But where it succeeds, ''Reincarnated'' forces you to forget the principal ridiculousness of the enterprise, and that is no small feat." Keith Harris of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' gave the album a four out of ten, saying "''Reincarnateds highlight is "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks," with, yes, Miley Cyrus, still in her first flush of post-teen stonerdom, sounding every bit like the sort of suburban teen was led not-quite-astray by Snoop's previous incarnation. Yet, it may just make you feel sad for the minors of the future to whose delinquency Snoop will have nothing to contribute." Patricia Meschino of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' gave the album a 7.5 out of ten, saying "''Reincarnated'' stands as an enjoyable pop record laced with an assortment of roots and dancehall reggae references. Its sprinkling of Rasta ideology has, laudably, redirected Snoop's gangsta lyrical exploits towards enriching themes such as ending gang wars and curbing gun violence." Omar Burgess of HipHopDX gave the album three out of five stars, saying "The road to discounted and discarded albums is paved with good intentions. Listeners fortunate enough to get the complete ''Reincarnated'' experience saw both Snoop’s moving documentary and got a brief taste of the music as well. Sadly, the album in and of itself doesn’t offer that similar window into Snoop’s evolution. Snoop Lion has transcended Hip Hop and possibly music in general. He’s courting some listeners who had either yet to be born or were too young to remember exactly what he’s being reincarnated from."

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 16 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 21,000 copies in the United States. In its second week, the album sold 8,600 more copies. In its third week, the album sold 4,700 more copies. In its fourth week, the album sold 2,900 more copies. The album topped ''Billboard''

Top Reggae Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

for 34 non-consecutive weeks As of May 2015, the album has sold 104,000 copies in the United States.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits for ''Reincarnated'' adapted from

Musicians

Elan Atias Elan Atias (born September 21, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter, reggae singer.Brown, MarisaElan Biography, Allmusic, retrieved May 20, 2011 Atias performed with The Wailers, which had been the backing band for Bob Marley, on and off from ...

- vocals * Cori B. - vocals * Jahdan Blakkamoore - vocals, background vocals * Mike Bolger - hammond b3, piano, trombone * Shante Broadus - background vocals *

- vocals *

Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is a Scottish-American musician and composer. He is best known for his work as the drummer of the English rock band the Police from 1977 to 1986, and again from 2007 to 2008. Before playing with th ...

- percussion *

- vocals * Willy Dintenfass - guitar *

- vocals * Andrew Gouche - bass * Angela Hunte - vocals * IZA - vocals * Trevor Lawrence Jr. - percussion * Danny Levin - trumpet * Mavado - vocals *

- vocals * David Moyer - baritone, tenor, section leader *

- vocals * Javonte Pollard - background vocals * Popcann - vocals * Dan Ubick - guitar, bass, rhythm * Wendi Vaughn - background vocals * Wyann Vaughn - background vocals *

Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has received several awards including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ''Billboard'' Music Awards and an Honorary Academy Award. Wa ...

- guitar * Marlon Williams - guitar

Production

* 6Blocc - producer *

- vocals, producer * Leslie Brathwaite - mixing, producer * David Byrnes - music business affairs * Zach Condon - producer *

Rich Costey Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling ** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated commun ...

- mixing * Dre Skull - additional production, producer * Chris Gehringer - mastering * Serban Ghenea - mixing * Tasha Hayward - hair stylist * Bo Hill - assistant *

John Hill John Hill may refer to: Business * John Henry Hill (1791–1882), American businessman, educator and missionary * John Hill (planter) (1824–1910), Scottish-born American industrialist and planter * John Hill (businessman) (1847–1926), Austral ...

- producer * Chris "Bronski" Jablonski - engineer * Jus Bus - producer * Derrick K. Lee - music business affairs * Justin Li - A&R * Mario Luccy - engineer *

- executive producer, producer *

Terrace Martin Terrace Jamahl Martin (born December 28, 1978) is an American musician, rapper, singer, and record producer. He is perhaps best known for producing records for several prominent artists in the music industry, including Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dog ...

- arranger, producer, saxophone * Mr. Morgan - A&R * Neil Pogue - mixing *

Luca Pretolesi Luca Pretolesi is an Italian Grammy Award-nominated mixing engineer, music producer, musician, DJ, and educator. He has many records that made it to the top of the charts since 1990s when he started his techno project Digital Boy. Life At th ...

- mixing * Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin Quee - producer *

- engineer, producer, vocal producer * Nick Rowe - vocal editing * Phil Seaford - assistant engineer * Kevin Seaton - additional production *

Snoop Lion Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, ...

- executive producer, primary artist * Justin "Create" Toledo - design, packaging * Willie Toledo - photography *

Kyle Townsend Kyle Townsend (born September 21, 1978) is an American record producer, songwriter, and composer. He has produced songs for such acclaimed recording artists as 5-time GRAMMY Award winner Celine Dion, 10-time Academy Award-nominated songwriter Dia ...

- producer * Irina Volodarsky - music business affairs * James M. Wisner - engineer, mixing * Zion I Kings - producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

{{Authority control 2013 albums Snoop Dogg albums Reggae albums by American artists Albums produced by Akon Albums produced by Major Lazer Albums produced by Supa Dups Albums produced by Terrace Martin Albums produced by Ariel Rechtshaid