Another classic album is finally coming to streaming services, and with particularly good timing at that. Dr. Dre’s influential hit The Chronic is reaching all streaming music services on April 20th — can you imagine it arriving on any other day? It’s been available on Apple Music since 2015 (not surprising given Dre’s involvement with Apple), but now you won’t have to be picky about where and how you hear “Nuthin’ But A G Thang.”
It’s not certain what prompted the wider release besides an extremely appropriate date. Pragmatism frequently plays a role when holdouts make albums widely available online, though. Whether artists like it or not, streaming services dominate music revenue these days. They’re limiting their income if they stick to one service, not to mention their ability to reach audiences that wouldn’t even consider buying a CD. This ensures that millions more people can hear that definitive West Coast sound and understand where modern hip hop and rap find their roots.