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AEW Announces Hip Hop Compilation Album for Black History Month

Published Tue, 01 Feb 2022 12:37:09 -0600

AEW officially announced the release of their upcoming Hip Hop compilation album, Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1. The album will be released on February 18th, sold exclusively through ShopAEW.com, where you can preorder it now. The album features 19 tracks by Hip Hop and R&B artists, as well as AEW wrestlers Max Caster and Sonny Kiss, with each track telling the life story of a Black AEW wrestler, plus an intro by Bootsy Collins and an interlude talking about the Bootsy Collins Foundation. Proceeds from the CD sales, executive produced by AEW Music Producer Mikey Ruckus, will benefit the Bootsy Collins Foundation, which aims to provide music education to kids. Artists involved include Jon Connor, Mega Ran, Brinson, Omega Sparx, Monteasy, and Josiah Williams. Not involved is former AEW wrestler and rapper Lio Rush, who had an apparent falling out with the company over the recent Big Swole controversy back in January.

Ruckus, who, according to the press release, worked "hand-in-hand with AEW's roster to curate their entrance music, pairing wrestlers with producers and artists to tell their stories in a unique, collaborative format," explained the concept behind Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1:

One key aspect of my role in AEW is to deliver a multifaceted audio experience for fans that delves into the essence of the characters they see on screen every week, as well as the stories behind the individuals who bring these characters to life. Who We Are is like a bunch of '30 for 30' episodes for AEW's Black wrestlers. Releasing this project during Black History Month in a format that is authentic to the culture and resonates in a familiar manner, while allowing these incredible talents to share their personal journeys, is special for everyone involved.

Patti Collins, President of the Bootsy Collins Foundation, said:

Bootsy helped define early on what it meant to be a Black entertainer in America. Bootsy's involvement in this project is a perfect convergence of the past, present and future, and we are grateful to have the chance to continue inspiring future musicians as the album's beneficiary.

Below, see the tracklist for Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 along with which AEW wrestlers each track is about.

Intro f. Bootsy Collins
In The Mix (Red Velvet Story) f. Will Washington, Wrestle and Flow, Cutright, E.Quipped
Taiga Styling (Lee Moriarty Story) f. True God, Shokus Apollo
Shine (Nyla Rose Story) f. Richa Latta, Monteasy, Jon Connor, Bliz
Whatcha Lookin' At (Sonny Kiss Story) f. Sonny Kiss, Brinson
Victory (Jay Lethal Story) f. Alexv, Omega Sparx, Swats, Kit Walters
Knockout (Jade Cargill Story) f. Rich Latta, Monteasy, Anthiny King, Righteous Reg
No Socks (Ricky Starks Story) f. Applejaxx, Brinson, E.Quipped
I'm The Captain (Shawn Dean Story) f. Cutright, E.Quipped, Isaac Mather
Mixed Messages (Max Caster Story) f. Max Caster
BGM (Brandi Rhodes Story) f. Mega Ran, Touré Masters, FrivolousShara, Lost Perception
The Bootsy Collins Foundation f. Patti Collins
Underneath Me (Anthony Bowens Story) f. Zane Oliver, Quinn O'Donnell
Fish N' Chips (Anthony Ogogo Story) f. Mega Ran, Tru God, Bliz, Tizzy
Ready to Go (Private Party Story) f. Staylo Dom
Legend (Mark Henry Story) f. Rich Latta, Monteasy, Wrestle and Flow
Who's the Coldest (Top Flight Story) f. Brinson
Powerhouse (Will Hobbs Story) f. Will Washington, Righteous Reg, Gram
Dats On Period (Kiera Hogan Story) f. Tamira Slade, Tizzy, Bliz
Fully Loaded (Lee Johnson Story) f. R8ed R
Up in the Clouds (Scorpio Sky Story) f. Omega Sparx, Swats, Teek Hall, Doe the Paperboy, Mega Ran, K-Drama