Certified Classics to Re-Release Maxwell's 'Embrya' in Celebration of the Album's 20th Anniversary September 28th

New York, NY (August 22, 2018) - Sony Music's Certified Classics, Legacy Recording's division for the celebration of Sony Music's Hip Hop and R&B catalogue, will release Maxwell's Embrya on September 28th. The release will include a 2-LP white vinyl package and a new 12-page booklet featuring unseen photos from the original Embrya photoshoot shot by Mario Sorrenti. The audio has been newly re-mastered by Maxwell and Stuart Matthewman, who has worked with Maxwell for over 20 years and who mixed and co-produced the album in 1998. Additionally, it has been resequenced, moving the original opening track to the end.

Pre-order Embrya HERE!

Embrya, which was originally released in 1998, reached #2 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #3 on the Billboard 200 and went Certified platinum. It also garnered Maxwell a GRAMMY Award nomination for best R&B album. The album remains an integral chapter in Maxwell's career canon. He switched up from the jazzier leanings of Urban Hang Suite to stronger basslines, lush strings, electronic beats and more pulsating beats and grooves versus melodies--with Hawaiian guitar riffs and Latin accents thrown in for good measure. And whereas the retro-souled Suite's concept revolved around romance, Embrya takes the musical discussion to the next level: the gestation of love and spirituality.

It was also recently announced that Maxwell will perform the National Anthem at the Opening Night Ceremony of 2018 US Open. The performance will take place at Arthur Ashe Stadium prior to the evening session on Monday, August 27th. This announcement follows the news that GRAMMY-Award winning music sensation Kelly Clarkson will headline the Opening Night Ceremony.

Additionally, Maxwell recently announced his upcoming "50 Intimate Nights Live" North American tour which will kick off on September 27th in, Richmond, VA see the full routing below.

Check out a curated playlist of hits, b-sides and more on Maxwell's Top Tracks playlist on Spotify HERE.

About Certified Classics
Certified Classics is Legacy Recordings' division for the celebration of Sony Music's Hip-Hop and R&B catalog. With artists like The Fugees, Maxwell, Nas, A Tribe Quest, Xscape, Aaliyah and many more, Certified aims to pay homage to the legendary innovators of Hip-Hop and R&B by preserving, curating and reissuing repertoire from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

Launched in 2016, Certified creates opportunities to discuss, revisit, and renew interest in a genre that shaped an entire culture, making the leap from a grassroots form of expression to a mainstream juggernaut with staying power. Certified provides contemporary music fans access to rare and unreleased albums, singles, remixes, photos and video footage from iconic labels that have come through the Sony label system such as Jive, Ruffhouse, J Records, Arista, LaFace, So So Def, Profile, RCA Records, Epic, and Columbia--all in an effort to tell stories that help illustrate the impact R&B and Hip-Hop have made on music and the world.

Tour Routing:
9/27 - Richmond, VA - Altria Theater 
9/28 - Durham, NC - The Art of Cool Festival
9/29 - Atlantic City, NJ - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
10/1 - Rochester, NY - Kodak Center
10/2 - Pittsburgh, PA - Heinz Hall
10/4 - National Harbor, MD - The Theater at MGM National Harbor
10/5 - National Harbor, MD - The Theater at MGM National Harbor
10/6 - Baltimore, MD - MECU Pavilion
10/8 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall
10/9 - Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/10 - Augusta, GA - Bell Auditorium
10/12 - Atlanta, GA - State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
10/13 - Jacksonville, FL - Moran Theatre at Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
10/14 - Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre
10/16 - Orlando, FL - Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
10/17 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live at the Event Center
10/18 - St. Petersburg, FL - Mahaffey Theater
10/20 - Huntsville, AL - Von Braun Center Concert Hall
10/21 - Jackson, MS - Thalia Mara Hall
10/24 - New Orleans, LA - Saenger Theatre
10/25 - Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
10/27 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/28 - Sugar Land, TX - Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
10/29 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre
11/1 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
11/2 - San Diego, CA - Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
11/3 - Reno, NV - Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
11/4 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl @ Palms Casino Resort
11/8 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
11/9 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
11/10 - Los Angeles, CA - Microsoft Theater
11/14 - Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
11/15 - St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre
11/18 - Nashville, TN - Schermerhorn Symphony Center
11/20 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
11/21 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre
11/23 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace
11/24 - Northfield, OH - Hard Rock Live
11/26 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
11/28 - Montclair, NJ - The Wellmont Theater
11/29 - Westbury, NY - NYCB Theatre At Westbury
12/1 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
12/2 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
12/3 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
12/5 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
12/7 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale Theatre
12/8 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theater
12/9 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre

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