One of the more anticipated albums of the 1990s was Street Scholars by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania producer/emcee Sam Sneed. As a Death Row Records artist, Sneed released 1994 hit single “U Betta Recognize” featuring Dr. Dre from the Murder Was The Case soundtrack. However, after co-production and writing credits on label hits between 1994 and 1996, Sneed’s album has remained shelved.
Death Row Records, now owned by Toronto, Canada’s WIDE Awake Entertainment, announced that is going to change. In the last two years, the new regime at the label founded by Dr. Dre, Marion “Suge” Knight and attorney David Kenner in 1991 has released shelved material from Snoop Dogg, Danny Boy and Kurupt. Sneed’s Street Scholars, according to E1 Enterainment, Death Row’s present distributor, will be released on January 25, 2011.
Prior to working with Dr. Dre in 1994, Sneed was known as a member of PMD’s Hit Squad, producing for Long Island, New York emcee K-Solo (who would also later sign with Death Row). In addition to “U Better Recognize,” Sneed worked alongside Dr. Dre on hits such as “Natural Born Killaz” and “California Love.” After Dr. Dre left the label he co-founded in 1996, Sneed soon followed after a fight with Suge Knight and Tupac Shakur that has been profiled in several books, most notably Ronin Ro’s Have Gun Will Travel.
In the years since Death Row, after surviving a reported brain tumor, Sam Sneed has produced for Busta Rhymes, Capone-N-Noreaga, Beanie Sigel and former Posion Clan emcee JT Money.
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Street Scholars is believed to feature Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Dayton, Ohio emcee J-Flexx. (November 20)
UPDATE: Death Row Records provided HipHopDX with a cover, posted above. (November 29)
UPDATE #2: The tracklisting for Street Scholars is as follows:
1. Cold World
2. Gorilla Pimpin’
3. Uncle Sam
4. U Better Recognize (feat. Dr. Dre)
5. Marriage
6. Weather Man
7. I Keep A Check
8. The Survivor
9. New World Over
10. The Exodus
11. What I’m Lookin’ For
12. Lady Heroin
13. Goin’ Hollywood
14. Drug Related
15. Kingdom Kome
