Universal Continues Its "Respect The Classics" Campaign With Classic N.W.A And Posse Releases Including An Old Skool Record Store Day Cassette Exclusive

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Apr 01, 2015, 09:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, April 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1987 rap pioneers N.W.A, featuring Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella, burst onto the underground rap world with their appearance on a compilation N.W.A And The Posse. A year later, N.W.A released their groundbreaking debut album Straight Outta Compton and forever changed music with their raw, uncensored depiction of life in the gritty suburbs of L.A. With virtually no support from mainstream radio or print, N.W.A hit the charts, putting a controversial spotlight on the struggles, injustices and growing tension between young black youths and authority figures within their community, quickly becoming the "World's Most Dangerous Group."

On April 14, 2015, Universal Music Enterprises' (UMe) Respect The Classics vinyl reissues campaign continues with pinnacle releases from the N.W.A posse including a special edition picture disc of their debut album Straight Outta Compton, which will also be issued as a limited edition red cassette for Record Store Day, and the 20^th Anniversary Edition of Friday – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack featuring a 3D "smoking gun" cover. N.W.A And The Posse will be released on May 5^th and Ice Cube's Lethal Injection on June 16^th, both with 3D lenticular covers.

April 14
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton (Picture Disc & Limited Edition Red Cassette)
N.W.A.'s highly anticipated and critically acclaimed full-length debut, Straight Outta Compton, took the music and cultural world by storm, establishing gangsta rap as a genre, an impact that is still echoed in present day rap. The album reached No. 37 on The Billboard 200 and No. 9 on the R&B Albums chart, is 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
(20th Anniversary Edition – "Smokin Gun" 3D Lenticular Cover)
This year marks the 20^th 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. It spawned the hit single "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" by Dr. Dre which hit No. 1 on The Hot Rap Singles chart and Top 10 on both The Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks charts. Other tracks include Ice Cube with the titles track, The Alkaholiks' "Coast II Coast," Cypress Hill's "Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up," Funkdoobiest's "Superhoes" plus classics such as "Mary Jane" by Rick James and "I Wanna Get Next To You" by Rose Royce. This 20^th Anniversary Edition features a special, 3D "smoking gun" lenticular album cover.

May 5
N.W.A - N.W.A And The Posse (3D Lenticular Cover)
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. It debuted at No. 39 on the R&B Albums chart and features classic N.W.A tracks "Dope Man" and "8 Ball" and "Panic Zone," The Fela Fresh Crew, featuring The D.O.C., with "Drink It Up," "Tuffest Man Alive," 3-The Hard Way and "Dunk The Funk," and Eazy-E stepping out on his own with the neighborhood classic "Boyz-N-The Hood."

June 16
Ice Cube - Lethal Injection
("Animated Syringe" 3D Lenticular Cover)
Originally released in 1993, 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, with the single "Bop Gun (One Nation)" hitting No. 6 on the Hot Rap Singles chart, No. 23 on The Billboard Hot 100 and Top 10 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. The single "Really Doe" reached No. 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart, and the track "You Know How We Do It" hit No. 5 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.

Available Now:

N.W.A – EFIL4ZAGGIN (3D Lenticular Cover)
EFIL4ZAGGIN was released in 1991 and was N.W.A's final release featuring Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and MC Ren. It was the first full-length album recorded without Ice Cube who had already established himself as a successful solo artist. EFIL4ZAGGIN is N.W.A's highest charting album, reaching No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and No. 2 R&B Albums chart. The album features classic tracks such as "She Swallowed It," "Real Niggaz Don't Die," Niggaz 4 Life" and "Appetite For Destruction."

Ice Cube - Death Certificate (3D Lenticular Cover)
After the highly successful release of his debut album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Ice Cube released his hard-hitting, politically charged and controversial, double platinum-selling release Death Certificate. The album reached No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart. Songs include the singles "True To The Game," "Givin' Up The Nappy Dug Out," and the track "Steady Mobbin'," which hit No. 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.

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SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises