In recent years, we’ve seen Universal carrying the torch of music history with their ‘Respect The Classics’ campaign. This initiative has been reviving classic releases, including those from the legendary N.W.A posse, in the form of special edition vinyl reissues and limited edition red cassettes. As timeless as these releases are, it’s been a nostalgic journey for many fans of N.W.A, including the likes of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella, whose music has left a powerful imprint on the industry. In the following post, we’ll take a deep dive into these releases and the impact they’ve had on the music world.
Universal’s ‘Respect The Classics’ Campaign
In 2015, Universal Music Enterprises’ (UMe) ‘Respect The Classics’ vinyl reissues campaign continued with pinnacle releases from the N.W.A posse including a special edition picture disc of their debut album Straight Outta Compton, which was also issued as a limited edition red cassette. Other key releases included the 20th Anniversary Edition of
Friday – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack featuring a 3D “smoking gun” cover.
N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A’s highly anticipated and critically acclaimed full-length debut, Straight Outta Compton, took the music and cultural world by storm. The album is also ranked No. 144 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and features the classic N.W.A tracks “Gangsta Gangsta,” “Express Yourself,” “I Ain’t Tha 1” and the controversial “_ _ _ _ Tha Police.”
Friday – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Marking the 20th anniversary of the double-platinum selling soundtrack to the hit movie Friday, co-written and starring Ice Cube, the soundtrack to the film went straight to No. 1 on both The Billboard 200 and R&B Albums chart concurrently. This 20th Anniversary Edition features a special, 3D “smoking gun” lenticular album cover.
N.W.A – N.W.A And The Posse
N.W.A And The Posse not only introduced N.W.A to the world, putting the West Coast on the map while solidifying a whole new genre of rap, it also featured up and coming break-out artists The D.O.C. and The Arabian Prince.
Ice Cube – Lethal Injection
This vinyl reissue of Lethal Injection features an “animated syringe” 3D lenticular cover. The album reached No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart and No. 5 on The Billboard 200.
To wrap up, the ‘Respect The Classics’ campaign has breathed new life into these iconic albums, continuing to solidify their place in music history. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to this genre-defining music, these reissues offer a fresh way to experience these timeless classics.
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