Dr. Dre is celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Chronic with a re-release of his pioneering gangsta rap album.
The West Coast icon’s highly acclaimed debut studio album reached the three-decade milestone last month. On Wednesday, The Chronic will return to streaming services after its removal last year.
In a statement, Dr. Dre said he’s “thrilled to bring the Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records.” The music industry mogul added, “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.”
Snoop Dogg pulled The Chronic from streamers last year, alongside most of the label’s catalog, after he acquired Death Row Records. He made it his first act as owner, stating “those platforms don’t pay,” and announced the music would “live in the metaverse.”
Steve Berman, vice chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M called Dr. Dre one of the most groundbreaking artists in the modern era. He also credited The Chronic as “one of the most celebrated recordings of all time.”
The triple-platinum certified iconic album became a classic, spawning several hits, including “Let Me Ride,” which earned Dr. Dre his first Grammy in 1994. In 2019, the Library of Congress deemed The Chronic as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” selecting the release for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg Have A New Album Coming
Meanwhile, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg reunited last year to work on a project to mark the 30th anniversary of Doggystyle. In October, the Doggfather revealed the ionic duo had been in the lab for two months. He said they expected to finish recording in November.
“It’s produced by Dr. Dre.” Snoop declared during an appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s Know Mercy podcast. “It’s our 30th anniversary to ‘Doggystyle.’ And the name of the album is ‘Missionary’.”
Last month, as reported by AllHipHop.com, sources close to Dr. Dre confirmed he is selling the rights to some of his music. The master recordings for The Chronic are included in the sale, comprising two deals pitched for $250 million.