Fans of โ90s hip-hop/R&B can break out their Timbs, phillies and 40s! Singer Faith Evans (not Hill, CNN) will release an album of duets with her late husband the Notorious B.I.G. 20 years after his murder in Los Angeles.
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Evans, who most likely has ownership of Biggieโs masters and unreleased work, will debut The King & I on May 19, according to her website. It will be distributed through Rhino Records.
The 25-track album promises โrare and unreleased vocalsโ by Big as well as โguest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Lilโ Cease, Lilโ Kim, Sheek Louch and Styles P.โ
We all know that Lilโ Kim and Faith were once at odds because both of them were romantically dealing with the rapper, but all of that seems like water under the bridge now.
Evans recruited some of hip-hopโs finest producers for the project as well, including DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Salaam Remi, Chucky Thompson and, of course, her little boyfriend from TV, Stevie J.
Evans released the first two singles from the album on Friday, โNYC,โ featuring Jadakiss and โWhen We Party,โ featuring Snoop Dogg.
On โNYC,โ Biggieโs verses comes from an early track called โMumbling and Whispering,โ and on โWhen We Party,โ Biggieโs rhyme is lifted from the 1997 hit โGoing Back to Cali.โ
โI remember telling Ms. Wallace years ago that one day it would be really dope if I could do something similar to Natalie & Nat King Coleโs โUnforgettable,โ โ Evans said in a statement. โKnowing the love that B.I.G. had for [his children] Tyanna & Ceejay, I feel itโs my duty to uphold & extend his legacy, especially his musical contributions.โ
You can preorder the album on Evansโ website.
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