UMe Spotlights Seminal Hip-Hop Albums with “Respect The Classics” Campaign, Launching September 3

Cross-Label Initiative Kicks Off with Remastered Special Edition Reissues of Priority Albums by Eazy-E, EPMD, Ice Cube, and N.W.A, with Others to Follow

LOS ANGELES--()--This fall, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will salute many of hip-hop’s finest with a “Respect The Classics” campaign spotlighting iconic, genre-defining albums from the Def Jam, Interscope, Priority, and Virgin Records vaults.

The campaign launches September 3rd with five Priority Records classics, including expanded CD and digital 25th Anniversary Editions of Eazy-E’s triple platinum solo debut, Eazy-Duz-It and EPMD’s chart-topping album, Strictly Business. Remastered 180-gram vinyl LP reissues of Eazy-Duz-It, Ice Cube’s solo debut, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, and N.W.A’s iconic, triple-platinum Straight Outta Compton will also be released in faithfully replicated original album packaging, as well as a remastered CD and digital reissue of N.W.A’s debut, N.W.A & The Posse.

UMe’s “Respect The Classics” campaign will continue through the fall with several hip-hop classics from Def Jam, Interscope and Virgin Records’ vaults. Upcoming releases include special edition 15th Anniversary vinyl LPs for DMX’s first two albums, both multi-platinum essentials originally released in 1998 and long out-of-print on vinyl. It’s Dark & Hell Is Hot and Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Heart, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart within seven months of each other, will be released on gold vinyl and blood-splattered clear vinyl, respectively.

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Rock the Bells kicks off in Los Angeles on September 7, which would have been Eazy-E’s 50th birthday, featuring a hologram performance by the late hip-hop great. The traveling festival continues to San Francisco (September 14/15), Washington D.C. (September 28/29), and New York (October 4/5).

“Respect The Classics” release details will be announced soon for groundbreaking albums by Gang Starr, Onyx, Public Enemy, and Slick Rick.

Eazy-E: Eazy-Duz-It (25th Anniversary Edition) [CD, digital]

1. Prelude / Still Talkin'
2. Nobody Move
3. Ruthless Villain
4. 2 Hard Mutha's
5. Boyz-N-the-Hood - (remix)
6. Eazy-Duz-It
7. We Want Eazy
8. Eazy-er Said Than Dunn
9. Radio
10. No More ?'s
11. I'mma Break It Down
12. Eazy- Chapter 8 Verse 10
Bonus Tracks
13. We Want Eazy (12” Remix)
14. Still Talkin’ (12” Remix)

Eazy-E: Eazy-Duz-It [vinyl LP]

SIDE 1

       

SIDE 2

1. Prelude 1. We Want Eazy
2. Still Talkin' 2. Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn
3. Nobody Move 3. Radio
4. 2 Hard Mutha's 4. No More?'s
5. Boyz-N-The Hood (Remix) 5. I'mma Break It Down
6. Eazy-Duz-It 6. Eazy Chapter 8 Verse 10
 

EPMD: Strictly Business (25th Anniversary Edition) [CD, digital]

1. Strictly Business
2. I'm Housin'
3. Let the Funk Flow
4. You Gots to Chill
5. It's My Thing
6. You're a Customer
7. The Steve Martin
8. Get Off the Bandwagon
9. D.J. K La Boss
10. Jane
Bonus Tracks
11. I’m Housin’ (U.K. Mix)
12. You Gots To Chill (Dub Version)
13. You Gots To Chill (Percapella)
14. You’re A Customer (Dub Version)
15. It's My Thing (Dub Version)

Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted [vinyl LP]

SIDE 1

       

SIDE 2

1. Better Off Dead 1. A Gangsta's Fairytale
2. The N***a Ya Love To Hate 2. I'm Only Out For One Thang
3. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted 3. Get Off My D**k And Tell Yo B***h To Come Here
4. What They Hittin' Foe? 4. The Drive-By
5. You Can't Fade Me 5. Rollin' Wit The Lench Mob
5 ½. JD's Gaffilin' 6. Who's The Mack?
6. Once Upon A Time In The Projects 7. It's A Man's World
7. Turn Off The Radio 8. The Bomb
8. Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside)
 

N.W.A: Straight Outta Compton [vinyl LP]

SIDE 1

       

SIDE 2

1. Straight Outta Compton 1. Express Yourself
2. F**k Tha Police 2. Compton's N The House / Remix
3. Gangsta Gangsta 3. I Ain't Tha 1
4. If It Ain't Ruff 4. Dopeman / Remix
5. Parental Discretion Iz Advised 5. Quiet On Tha Set
 

N.W.A: N.W.A & The Posse [CD, digital]

1. Boyz-N-the Hood
2. 8 Ball
3. Dunk The Funk
4. A B***h Iz A B***h
5. Drink It Up
6. Panic Zone
7. L.A. Is The Place
8. Dopeman
9. Tuffest Man Alive
10. Fat Girl
11. 3 The Hard Way

Contacts

Universal Music Enterprises
Jennifer Ballantyne, (310) 865-2350
jennifer.ballantyne@umusic.com
or
Universal Music Enterprises
Keren Poznansky, (310) 865-7797
keren.poznansky@umusic.com

Release Summary

Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) salutes hip-hop’s finest with its “Respect The Classics” campaign, spotlighting iconic albums from the Def Jam, Interscope, Priority, and Virgin vaults.

Contacts

Universal Music Enterprises
Jennifer Ballantyne, (310) 865-2350
jennifer.ballantyne@umusic.com
or
Universal Music Enterprises
Keren Poznansky, (310) 865-7797
keren.poznansky@umusic.com