(Submitted) After nearly 14 years, the long-awaited Death Row Records album by one-time Dr. Dre protιgι Sam Sneed is finally being released. WIDEawake Entertainment Group Inc., the company who purchased the Death Row Records catalog, is releasing Sneed's Street Schoalrs project on January 25th, 2011 through E1 Entertainment.
Sam Sneed became well-known for his catchphrase "My name is Sam Sneed, you better recognize!", which originally appeared in the song "Pump, Pump" off the Snoop Doggy Dogg debut album, Doggystyle. He also appeared in the Death Row movie, Murder Was the Case, which also spawned Sam Sneed's "U Better Recognize" single, featuring Dr. Dre, included in the movie's soundtrack. The soundtrack single peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart, #18 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart and #48 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Sam Sneed also co-produced "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" and "Natural Born Killaz" with Dr. Dre. The original, alternate version "Natural Born Killaz" with Sam Sneed rapping a verse was released on the Ultimate Death Row Collection on November 24, 2009.
Following his time on Death Row, after surviving a brain tumor, Sam Sneed has produced for Jay-Z ("Anything"), G-Unit ("I Smell Pussy"), Scarface ("f***'n With Face"), and others like Capne-N-Noreaga, Beanie Sigel and former Posion Clan emcee JT Money.
John Payne, of WIDEawake/Death Row Records, had this to say, "Sam has stayed true to the game. His production was brilliant back in the nineties; he has somehow managed to improve and take his brilliance to another level! This collection of music is completely put together by Sam and his team. Sam reached into the vault and pulled out some heat from his Death Row days and added some new fire from an arsenal of recently completed tracks. All tracks have been produced, mixed and conceptualized by SAM SNEED, to quote Sam, 'U BETTER RECOGNIZE!'
Street Scholars will feature "U Better Recognize", "Lady Heroine", "Goin' Hollywood", "Drug Related", as well as 10 brand-new tracks that Sam Sneed has recorded for the project. The project is set to feature Dr. Dre, Nu Starz Entertainment (Sneed's new group of talent), J. Flexx and others.