After nearly 14 years, the long-awaited Death Row Records album by one-time Dr. Dre protégé 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 reported brain tumor, Sam Sneed has produced for Jay-Z (“Anything”), G-Unit (“I Smell Pussy”), Scarface (”****’n With Face”), and others like Busta Rhymes, Capne-N-Noreaga, Beanie Sigel and former Posion Clan emcee JT Money.
Street Scholars is believed to feature Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Dayton, Ohio emcee J-Flexx.