To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dr. Dre’s groundbreaking album “The Chronic,” the album will be re-released by its original distributor, Interscope Records, and will return to all major streaming services Wednesday (Feb. 1). The re-release of the acclaimed work will be accompanied by a special Chronic merch collection.
The album was removed from streaming services after Snoop Dogg acquired the catalog of Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, which originally released the album in 1992. Snoop’s album ‘Doggy Style’ was also removed but has not yet returned. The return is presumably part of Dre’s recent $200 million-plus catalog deal with UMG and Shamrock.
Dr. Dre. says, “I am thrilled to bring the Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records. Working alongside my longtime colleagues, Steve Berman and John Janick, to re-release the album and make it available to fans all over the world is a full circle moment for me.”
Steve Berman, Vice Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, said: “Dr. Dre is without a doubt one of the most iconic and groundbreaking artists in the modern era. He has also used his platform to fuel some very impactful philanthropic efforts that will ensure his legacy is felt for generations to come. Dre’s solo career all started with the The Chronic, one of the most celebrated recordings of all time. To have this album at Interscope once again where we work with Dre and his amazing team at Aftermath day in and day out is incredibly gratifying for me personally and all of us at Interscope.”
John Janick, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, commented: “From my first day at Interscope the significance of Dr. Dre as a foundational artist at this label was incredibly important to me. We take our responsibility to Dre and his amazing body of work very seriously and we are honored to work closely with him on this re-release of one of the most important albums of all time.”
First released on December 15, 1992, on Death Row Records/Interscope, The Chronic peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has spent 97 weeks on the chart since its release. The album also spawned three top 40 hits on the Hot 100, including top ten records with “Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang” (No. 2) featuring Snoop Dogg and “F— Wit Dre Day” (No. 8). The Chronic topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for eight weeks, while “Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang” hit No. 1 for two weeks on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
From Variety US