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SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT’S CERTIFIED ANNOUNCES OVER 50 PRODUCT RELEASES TO CELEBRATE HIP HOP’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MASS APPEAL

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Paying homage to some of the greatest voices of all-time, Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and Certified, the digital destination platform celebrating SME’s R&B and Hip Hop catalogswill unveil over 50 product releases via Legacy Recordings, Record Store Day, Vinyl Me, Please, Get On Down, Mobile Fidelity, and Urban Outfitters in 2023 to celebrate, commemorate, and honor the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop in partnership with entertainment company Mass Appeal. This bevy of titles spans new physical configurations, first-time digital releases, and limited-edition vinyl from the genre’s most influential and indelible icons, including Big Pun, Cypress Hill, Nas, Outkast, Q-Tip, RUN DMC, Three 6 Mafia, Wu-Tang Clan, and more.

Kicking off this celebratory season, the first release will be Nas’s Made You Look: God’s Son Live 2002 as an exclusive Record Store Day vinyl out on April 22. This sought-after live record graces DSPs for the first-time ever on April 21. It notably captured Nas’s historic sold-out headline show at Webster Hall in New York, NY. Fans have clamored for its release for years, and it finally drops on streaming platforms in 2023.

On its heels, RUN DMC’s 1988 classic, Tougher Than Leather, arrives on black vinyl via Legacy Recordings on May 12 just in time to celebrate the monumental 35th anniversary. In conjunction, Get On Down will be repressing a special edition blue colored vinyl to release on the same day. Both may be pre-ordered now HERE. This fall, it will also be featured in Vinyl Me, Please’s Hip-Hop subscription.

Sony’s HH50 campaign is also partnering with Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. In the summer and fall, the label will release audiophile-grade versions of RUN DMC’s iconic albums – RUN DMC (1984), King of Rock (1985), and Raising Hell (1986)-on 180g SuperVinyl LPs. Sourced from the original master tapes, the numbered-edition reissues will be pressed at RTI, housed in Stoughton gatefold jackets, and feature liner notes. All LPs are available for preorder now HERE.

Next up, Nas’ fan favorite The Lost Tapes celebrates its 20th anniversary and gets a vinyl update on May 26 with pre-order available now through Legacy Recordings HERE. To accompany the latter, Get On Down is also releasing Nas’ The Lost Tapes on limited edition double colored-vinyl in a gatefold jacket with numbered OBI limited to 2000 units. The Lost Tapes 20th Anniversary special-colored vinyl edition is available for pre-order now, exclusively at www.getondown.com.

Serving up a fascinating overview and comprehensive history lesson, SME’s Certified will reveal the brand-new compilation, Raised By Rap: 50 Years of Hip Hop, on July 28. It will be available as a double-LP vinyl with exclusive color variants at Target and Urban Outfitters.

It traces a roadmap through rap music, curating and collating decades of hits from legendary acts to newcomers including records by 21 SavageA Tribe Called QuestBiaDoja CatFugeesFutureMobb DeepNasRUN DMCWu-Tang Clan, and more. The pre-order opens on June 1, launching in tandem with Black Music Month.

Mass Appeal and Certified have also developed a new socially driven content series called “Made By Hip Hop” which launched its first video today (watch HERE). The series delves into various Hip Hop subjects through the lens of the SME/Certified repertoire and features influential personalities speaking to Hip Hop’s impact on the culture. Releasing weekly throughout the year with the next video set for release April 18th, the content series aims to showcase different themes (fashion, science, etc.) and their relationship to Hip Hop.

As part of the program, these luminaries will candidly dive into the legacy of Hip Hop, affirming you can always learn from your favorite rapper.

As part of Sony’s HH50 campaign, multiple albums in Sony’s Hip-Hop catalog will be featured into 2024 as part of Vinyl Me, Please’s Hip-Hop and Essentials Subscriptions. Albums by RUN DMC, Wu-Tang Clan, Boogie Down Productions, Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, and more will be featured. 

The campaign also includes in-person activations in New York City. Launched in January, Sony Music Entertainment/Certified served as a supporting partner of an exclusive preview event launching the new Fotografiska New York exhibition Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious. Featuring over 200 photographs dated 1972 to 2022, the exhibition traces the rise and proliferation of Hip Hop through five decades of work from the trailblazing image-makers who helped codify Hip Hop as the most influential pop culture movement of its generation. Created in partnership with Mass Appeal and presented in collaboration with Chase Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, it opened to the public on January 26 and runs through May 21.

Further collaborations and activations from Mass Appeal and SME related to #HipHop50 will be announced in the coming months.

The partnership is the latest announcement surrounding Mass Appeal’s #HipHop50 initiative – a massive cross-platform initiative that celebrates Hip Hop’s momentous anniversary in the most authentic and globally impactful way possible by acknowledging and recognizing Hip Hop as not only a genre but a movement that has impacted the worldwide community.

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Features

Behind The Music: Omega The Poet

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We’ve recently covered a few releases from Omega The Poet — a neo-soul adjacent lyricist who captivates us with his emotional rhymes and constantly unique subject matter. 

We sat down with him for a new series: Behind The Music — covering what our favorite artists are interested in outside of their current releases. Grab a cold lemonade, sit on the couch, and discover more about one of the most exciting new faces in rap today. 

How did you get your rap name?

Initially, when I first started making music I was just looking for a name that fit me. There were so many options that I was deciding between. But Omega The Poet seemed like it had the most flow without being either corny, or feeling like it didn’t have much longevity attached to it. In actuality, I want my stage name to be just “Omega” but I’ll be working to make that happen soon as far as legalities are concerned.

Are you into poetry? If so, who’s your favorite poet? Why? 

Definitely, for a long time growing up I used to write poems often. Then when I went to college & started hanging around friends that were musicians I started converting my poems into songs. I wouldn’t necessarily say I have a favorite poet, but I will say that I inspire myself. Especially after I write something extremely profound & different.

Outside of other music or artists, what influences your creative process? 

Outside of those, things like architecture, interior design, nature, & cuisine all influence my creative process.

Are you a spiritual person? If so, how does that factor into your creativity? 

100%, I actually just got my Master’s in Spirituality, Culture & Health a few months ago. Spirituality influences my creative process in so many ways, from the way I look at people to be inspired, to the jewelry that I wear to write upper echelon raps.

Do you approach music by trying to fit into a genre or do you do your own thing and classify it later? Which do you prefer? 

Interestingly enough, as I’ve stepped into more of a business executive role through my company For The Record. I do follow & observe trends closely to stay up to date on what’s happening in the creative world. However, I think naturally with this knowledge in mind I always tend to make things unique to me. It’s like a chef, they all could have the same recipe but in the end things might end up tasting & being presented differently.

What’s the scariest song you’ve ever released? What made it scary? 

Probably my first ever song, mainly because when you’re not necessarily known for making music it will raise a lot of eyebrows, laughs, & more. Which it did. I also wouldn’t say I was “scared” either but I didn’t know what to expect. I definitely always had the confidence & energy to know I was going to excel no matter what.

Is there a person outside of music that inspires you? If so, who?

Maybe Neville Goddard, an author who wrote one of my favorite books “Feeling is The Secret”. Which covers the law of assumption & to create any reality you must first assume the feeling of what you wish to obtain.

If your artistry could be described in a pinterest board, what four images would you put on it? 

There’s a lot of soul and neo soul influence in your music. How would you describe what your music sounds like to you? 

Good, undeniable. I like to describe myself as someone that doesn’t miss. 

What type of music haven’t you made yet, that  you’re scared to make, that you want to make before your career is over? 

I don’t think I’m scared to make any music, but I do want to make a house album. Similar to the sound of Kaytranada.

What type of art do you consume when you’re not making or listening to music? 

Photography for sure, I love how photos are timeless. Which is why I’m a big fan of good album art.

Who’s one artist outside of your atmosphere that you’d want to collaborate with? How would that collab work?

I can’t think of anyone specific, but I do want to work with an architect to build a home. Somewhere on the side of a mountain or boulder. Somewhere warm, but not tropical. With a small underground studio.

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Audio

Nylo Cash and Omega The Poet Explore Vulnerability In “Eyes Roll Back”

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Nylo Cash and Omega The Poet have made a bedroom smash with “Eyes Roll Back.” The lustful tune is an exercise in melodic harmonies as they physical and emotional vulnerability. If you’re looking for another smooth song to add to your bedroom rotation, this is a track you’ll want to listen to. Special shoutout to Grammy-nominated producer Satyr Black on the background vocals. 

Check out “Eyes Roll Back” below.

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Editorials

Omega The Poet Speaks On Being a Music Executive, Producer, & His Record Label

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Making music ain’t just something you do for a day and call it quits — you’ll never take off like that. It has to be a lifelong journey, filled with dedication that makes you love what you do. Omega The Poet’s obsession with the craft, which began as a child, has evolved into a career full of creativity that’s been driven by his years of experience. From his early beginnings to owning a record label and his lofty plans in the future, Omega’s had and has it all figured out.

Everyone has a unique way that they discover music. For some, it’s experiencing what their parents listened to. For others, it’s randomly vibing to a song on the radio. Omega’s origins had a bit of a holier beginning.  “I got into music by attending church,” he shares. “My introduction to music was unique in the sense that most of my ‘music-making’ abilities came from reading and the development of that skill.”

From there, he participated in a children’s choir, learning about different vocal registers—soprano, alto, tenor—and understanding the foundations of music theory. These formative years gave him an understanding about song structure that would prove pivotal to his development as an artist in later years. 

Soon, Omega became a lyricist that didn’t find inspiration in whatever was on the radio. He studied musical legends for their craft and their personalities to discover what kind of artist he’d want to be — specifically André 3000, Wale, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West (before he was a dickhead).  “I enjoy how unapologetically unique these artists are, how they push boundaries sonically, and their undeniable influence on the culture,” he explains.

In recent years, his inspirations have expanded to include experimental artists like Solange, Steve Lacy, Childish Gambino, and Daniel Caesar because of their fearless approach to music-making. “These artists have this ability to merge genres and create something truly special,” he says. “I want to bring that same level of originality and fearlessness to my own work.”

After the release of his debut EP Eros in 2020, Omega took a step back from releasing music — but now, he’s back with a reinvigorated sense of purpose. “Recently, I’ve been releasing songs that I’ve had stashed in the vault since Eros,” Omega explains. “My goal is to release one song of mine every month for the whole year.”

This consistent rollout strategy isn’t just about holding on to the huge and organic momentum that he’s building — it’s also about evolving and wanting his fans to experience his growth and versatility in real time.  As he’s doing this though, he’s also working with others to develop their talent in an exciting way. “I plan to introduce the music of artists under my publishing company and record label, For The Record.”

Working as an executive producer and record label founder, he’s bringing something special with For The Record. “I drew inspiration from Kanye West’s former label, G.O.O.D. Music,” he says. “I loved the grandeur and exclusivity that surrounded that label.”

However, as he matured, he realized that creative vision alone wasn’t enough. He wanted to combine artistic innovation with solid business practices founded in realness. “It was a true step-by-step journey toward creating and solidifying my record label,” he explains. “But the idea was developed incrementally, and it’s like God revealed each piece I needed at the perfect moment to allow the business to flourish.”

Today, For The Record is home to a growing roster of artists, including Nylo Cash, Tajé, 7Reazon, and JSavv, with more names coming soon. They’re set to takeover this year, so stay tuned for this exciting new chapter.  

With so much on Omega’s plate, he (and his label) are destined to make a definitive impact in an industry that often is only focused on making a splash.  “I want to create music that resonates, that stands the test of time,” he reveals. “And I want to help others do the same.”

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