The digital release of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic just got one day closer. According to a press release, the 1992 G-funk classic will be available to stream exclusively on TIDAL beginning at 12 am EST this Sunday (April 19). Initially slated for a 4/20 release across a variety of streaming services, TIDAL listeners will now be able to stream Dre’s landmark album for the first time ever in its highest quality audio.
Earlier this month, Entertainment One announced that the historic record would finally be arriving to streaming services on April 20.
“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,” Entertainment One Global President of Music & Live Chris Taylor said in a statement at the time.
“Working with the Death Row catalogue is like working with the legendary recordings of Elvis, Chuck Berry and the Beatles,” Taylor continued. “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.”
Since 2015, The Chronic has only been available to stream through Apple Music. Dre chose to keep the record off streaming services after winning his 2011 lawsuit against Death Row Records, which awarded him the right to decide on how to digitally distribute his 1992 solo effort. The suit also granted Dre the total earnings from The Chronic’s digital sales. Until now, only his records 2001 and Compton have been available on other streaming providers.
The incoming digital release follows the album’s recognition from the Library of Congress. The Chronic was among the 25 selected recordings to be included in the National Recording Registry. To be added to the prestigious archives, recordings must be deemed “worthy of preservation” by the Librarian of Congress and the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board.