UMe Celebrates the New Year with a Fresh Batch from the Highly Successfull ICON Series

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 10, 2012,  Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) celebrates the New Year with the latest set of releases in their highly successful ICON Series. Among the latest batch of ICON collections are Anthrax - ICON, Cinderella - ICON, Deep Purple - ICON, Uriah Heep - ICON, BLACKstreet – ICON, Dru Hill – ICON and both explicit and edited versions of Ja Rule - ICON.

ANTHRAX - ICON

Heavy metal pioneers Anthrax not only helped to create but they helped define thrash metal in the early '80s. With a career that spans over 30 years, the band pushed the rigid boundaries of underground metal, blending many different styles and influences—including punk and rap—with current affairs and pop culture. Anthrax - ICON collects a wide array of songs showing the many facets of the band including "I Am The Law" (their tribute to comic book hero Judge Dredd), MTV staples "Indians" and "Antisocial," the fast and heavy "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)" and their cover version of "Bring The Noise" featuring Public Enemy.

Anthrax continue to record and tour, and recently took their rightful place on the historic The Big 4 tour alongside Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth as one of most influential American metal bands whose unique blend of metal, punk and rap helped shape metal as we know it today.

CINDERELLA - ICON

Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Cinderella emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles. Their videos received heavy rotation on MTV and helped propel them to become one of the top bands of the era, making them a household name.

While Cinderella started with the glam metal movement, the band's hard rock/blues-rock core is where they continued to enjoy success into the new decade. This CD gives the perfect snapshot of the legacy of one of the biggest metal bands from that era and features some of the group's greatest hits, including "Shelter Me" which hit No. 5 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, and their top 10 single "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)." Other hits included are "Nobody's Fool" "Gypsy Road" and "The Last Mile."  

Cinderella recently finished their 25th Anniversary Tour and will take part in the Monsters Of Rock Cruise in 2012.

DEEP PURPLE - ICON

Considered one of the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple uniquely combined progressive rock, hard rock and classical elements, carving their niche in music with a sound all their own. Their 1969 debut album Shades Of Purple put them on the U.S. charts with the hit "Hush" and their 1971 release Fireball, along with their top 10 releases Machine Head (1972) and Burn (1974), helped cement their iconic status in the history of rock.

This compilation features many of Deep Purple's greatest hits including "Nobody's Home," "Knocking At Your Back Door" and "Call Of The Wild." Also included are live versions of classic Deep Purple tracks such as "Smoke On The Water," "Hush" and "Black Knight," highlighting the best of the Brit band's iconic sound. 

URIAH HEEP - ICON

Uriah Heep remains one of British rocks most consistent and long-standing acts with a career spanning over four decades. Their uncompromising blend of progressive rock, and what would later be labeled heavy metal, made them one of the most popular hard rock outfits to come out of the '70s. With album sales over 30 million worldwide and classic rock anthems such as "Easy Livin'," this five-man British band (who took their name from a key character in a classic Charles Dickens's novel) carved a sizable niche in the annals of rock.

To this day, Uriah Heep continues to tour playing to millions of fans across the globe and performing many of the songs featured on this collection.

BLACKSTREET – ICON

BLACKstreet is one of the most successful pop and R&B/hip-hop groups of the 1990s. Founded by new jack swing pioneer Teddy Riley after the breakup of his seminal trio Guy, BLACKstreet, also featuring Chauncey Hannibal, Levi Little and Dave Hollister, released their platinum-selling, self-titled debut album in 1994 and it immediately hit top 10. For their second release, 1996's Another Level, Mark Middleton and Eric Williams replaced Hollister and Little and it quickly became their breakthrough release reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200.

This collection features many of their chart-topping singles including the Grammy^® Award-winning No. 1 hit "No Diggity" featuring Dr. Dre, "Don't Leave Me," "Joy" (which was co-written with Michael Jackson), "Booti Call," and "Fix" featuring Wu Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard.

Dru Hill – ICON

R&B vocal group Dru Hill, a name derived from a park in an area where they grew up in Baltimore, first hit the charts in 1996 when their self-titled debut album hit No. 5 on the R&B Album chart. They continued to stay on the chart with 1998's double-platinum release Enter The Dru, hitting No. 2 on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B Album charts, followed by their 2002 release Dru World Order, which reached the No. 2 position on the R&B Album chart. Led by their charismatic blond-haired lead vocalist Mark Andrews, nicknamed "Sisqo," Dru Hill offered their own take on New Jack Swing blending in elements of hip-hop and combining their R&B and gospel-style singing which appealed to the masses and took them to the top of the charts.

Included on the disc are their No. 1 hits "How Deep Is Your Love" featuring Redman, "In My Bed" and "Never Make A Promise." Also included are "5 Steps," "You Are Everything," "I Should Be…" and the track "These Are The Times" which reached No. 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

JA RULE – ICON

The platinum-selling New York rapper Ja Rule began his career in the hip-hop group Cash Money Click and in 1994 became the flagship artist for Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. label.  His hard-hitting 1999 debut album Venni Vetti Vecci hit No. 1 on the R&B Album chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200. For his next album, 2000's Rule 3:36, Ja Rule began to collaborate with R&B singers for a more radio-friendly formula, and as a result hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and R&B Album charts consecutively. On 2001's Pain Is Love he continued to use his successful rap/R&B template and once again shot to No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B Album charts. His 2002 release, The Last Temptation, peaked at No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart; Blood In My Eye reached No. 1 and R.U.L.E. went to the No. 3 position also on the R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart.  

Released in both explicit and edited versions, this collection features Ja Rule's biggest hits, including the No. 1 smash "Always On Time" and the No. 2 charting "Mesmerize" (both featuring Ashanti); "Holla Holla" and "Wonderful," the latter featuring R. Kelly. Other tracks included are "Between Me & You," "Down A** B**ch" and "Livin' It Up," all showcasing why Ja Rule became one of the rap industry's most commercially successful artists during the early 2000s.

Universal Music Enterprises' ongoing and highly successful ICON series features greatest hits, signature songs and fan favorites from many of the most influential artists in music history. Each collection is specially priced offering unprecedented value for music fans.

SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises

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