Certified Classics to Re-release Maxwell’s Embrya Album In Celebration of 20th Anniversary

 

 

 

Sony Music’s Certified Classics, Legacy Recording’s division for the celebration of Sony Music’s Hip Hop and R&B catalogue, will re-release Maxwell’s Embrya on September 28th. The release will include a 2-LP white vinyl package and a new 12-page booklet featuring unseen photos from the original Embrya photoshoot shot by Mario Sorrenti. The audio has been newly re-mastered by Maxwell and Stuart Matthewman, who has worked with Maxwell for over 20 years and who mixed and co-produced the album in 1998. Additionally, it has been resequenced, moving the original opening track to the end.

 

Embrya, which was originally released in 1998, reached #2 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #3 on the Billboard 200 and went Certified platinum. It also garnered Maxwell a GRAMMY Award nomination for best R&B album.  The album remains an integral chapter in Maxwell’s career canon. He switched up from the jazzier leanings of Urban Hang Suite to stronger basslines, lush strings, electronic beats and more pulsating beats and grooves versus melodies - with Hawaiian guitar riffs and Latin accents thrown in for good measure. And whereas the retro-souled Suite’s concept revolved around romance, Embrya takes the musical discussion to the next level: the gestation of love and spirituality.

Pre-order Embrya HERE!



RANKED: Brandy’s “Never Say Never” Album 20 Years Later

Grammy-Award winning vocalist Brandy’s sophomore album Never Say Never was released 20 years ago on this day via Atlantic Records. With production handled by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Harvey Mason Jr., Marc Nelson, David Foster and Brandy herself, the album would go on to become one of the quintessential albums of 90’s music combining elements of R&B and Pop.

Never Say Never features the #1 hits “Have You Ever” and “The Boy Is Mine”. The latter which is a duet with fellow R&B recording artist Monica, spending 13 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming the biggest selling single of 1998 and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.

Other singles released are “Almost Doesn’t Count”, “Top of the World” featuring Mase, “Angel In Disguise” and “U Don’t Know Me (Like U Used To)”.

In honor of it’s 20th Anniversary, @RnBJunkieOfficial looks back and rank this classic album. Tell us if you agree/disagree with our ranking:

14 HAPPY

13 ONE VOICE

12 NEVER SAY NEVER

11 TOMORROW

10 LEARN THE HARD WAY

09 TRUTHFULLY

08 PUT THAT ON EVERYTHING

07 (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU

06 ALMOST DOESN’T COUNT

05 ANGEL IN DISGUISE

04 HAVE YOU EVER

03 TOP OF THE WORLD FEAT. MASE

02 THE BOY IS MINE FEAT. MONICA

01 U DON’T KNOW ME (LIKE U USED TO)

Lauryn Hill Announces The 'Miseducation' 20th Anniversary Tour!

This past week, Lauryn Hill announced in celebration of the 20th anniversary of her iconic debut solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill that she will be embarking on a 2018 world tour. Tickets for the North American portion of 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill World Tour 2018' went on sale April 20th.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has sold over 17 million copies worldwide, garnered 10 Grammy nominations with Hill winning 5, making her the first female to receive that amount of awards and nominations in a single night. 

A portion of ticket sales will go to the MLH Foundation, "which directly contributes support for education, health, agriculture, technology, and community-based business development initiatives throughout the Diaspora." The tour kicks off June 5th, in Virginia Beach.