Dr. Dre's The Chronic album finally gets a wide digital release in time for 4/20
After 28 years, The Chronic, Dr. Dre's famed debut album, will finally be available on all digital music services, just in time for stoner holiday 4/20.
Death Row Records released The Chronic in December 1992 and it redefined West Coast rap, while helping launch the career of rapper Snoop Dogg. But the work famously remained off of platforms until 2015, when the album dropped digitally for the first time with the launch of Apple Music.
The label previously lost a lawsuit from Dre in 2011 which prevented them from releasing the music digitally and giving the hip-hop star 100 percent of the proceeds from any potential online sales.
On Thursday, Chris Taylor, global president of music and live at Entertainment One, announced The Chronic will now arrive on all digital service platforms.
"Fans now have another reason to celebrate on what has become a national holiday, celebrating all things cannabis-related — where legally allowed and in moderation of course," Taylor said in a statement. "Working with the Death Row catalogue is like working with the legendary recordings of Elvis, Chuck Berry, and the Beatles. These historic artifacts should be heard by all music lovers and we are so happy Dr. Dre has opened this door so everyone can experience the brilliance of this seminal work."
Featuring tracks like "Let Me Ride," "Deeez Nuuuts," and "Nuthin' but a G Thang," The Chronic was chosen by the Library of Congress as one of 25 recordings inducted into the National Recording Registry.
Entertainment One
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