AEW Officially Announces ‘Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1’

AEW has shared more details about ‘Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1’, a new music album to celebrate black excellence.

The album was announced last month on the. AEW community outreach Twitter account, confirming that the music will be inspired by the stories of a number of AEW stars.

The track-list for the album has also been announced.

AEW shared the following press release:

AEW Announces “Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1” 

— AEW’s Comprehensive Compilation Project will tell the Life Stories of its Black Wrestlers Through the Voices of Renowned Artists — 

Feb. 1, 2022 – To commemorate the beginning of Black History Month, AEW revealed the upcoming  release of Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1, a compilation album that will bring to  life the stories of more than twenty Black AEW wrestlers through the music of established hip-hop  and R&B artists. Executive produced by AEW’s in-house producer Mikey Rukus, the promotion’s  first-ever full-length compilation LP will feature an introduction from legendary funk musician  Bootsy Collins, with proceeds from CD sales benefiting the Bootsy Collins Foundation. 

Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 will be released on Friday, Feb. 18, initially available  exclusively in hard copy format with pre-orders now open on ShopAEW.com. Featuring 21 tracks,  the album includes contributions from artists such as Jon Connor, Mega Ran, Brinson, Omega Sparx,  Monteasy, Josiah Williams, AEW’s own Max Caster and Sonny Kiss, and many more. In developing  this project, Rukus utilized his previous experience working 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. 

“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,” said Mikey Rukus, Music Producer at AEW. “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.” 

Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 will be released on streaming platforms in the near  future, and its initial exclusive hard copy launch will directly benefit the Bootsy Collins Foundation,  which Rukus and AEW’s Community Outreach Team identified as a viable partner during development  of the album. The Bootsy Collins Foundation works to inspire, educate, and enrich the lives of  individuals from all backgrounds through music. 

“Bootsy helped define early on what it meant to be a Black entertainer in America,” said Patti  Collins, Bootsy’s wife and President of the Bootsy Collins Foundation. “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.”

The tracklist for Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 includes: 

1. Intro f. Bootsy Collins 
2. In The Mix (Red Velvet Story) f. Will Washington, Wrestle and Flow, Cutright, E.Quipped 3. Taiga Styling (Lee Moriarty Story) f. True God, Shokus Apollo 
3. Shine (Nyla Rose Story) f. Richa Latta, Monteasy, Jon Connor, Bliz 
4. Whatcha Lookin’ At (Sonny Kiss Story) f. Sonny Kiss, Brinson 
5. Victory (Jay Lethal Story) f. Alexv, Omega Sparx, Swats, Kit Walters 
6. Knockout (Jade Cargill Story) f. Rich Latta, Monteasy, Anthiny King, Righteous Reg 8. No Socks (Ricky Starks Story) f. Applejaxx, Brinson, E.Quipped 
7. I’m The Captain (Shawn Dean Story) f. Cutright, E.Quipped, Isaac Mather 
8. Mixed Messages (Max Caster Story) f. Max Caster 
9. BGM (Brandi Rhodes Story) f. Mega Ran, Touré Masters, FrivolousShara, Lost Perception 12. The Bootsy Collins Foundation f. Patti Collins 
10. Underneath Me (Anthony Bowens Story) f. Zane Oliver, Quinn O’Donnell 
11. Fish N’ Chips (Anthony Ogogo Story) f. Mega Ran, Tru God, Bliz, Tizzy 
12. Ready to Go (Private Party Story) f. Staylo Dom 
13. Legend (Mark Henry Story) f. Rich Latta, Monteasy, Wrestle and Flow 
14. Who’s the Coldest (Top Flight Story) f. Brinson 
15. Powerhouse (Will Hobbs Story) f. Will Washington, Righteous Reg, Gram 
16. Dats On Period (Kiera Hogan Story) f. Tamira Slade, Tizzy, Bliz 
17. Fully Loaded (Lee Johnson Story) f. R8ed R 
18. Up in the Clouds (Scorpio Sky Story) f. Omega Sparx, Swats, Teek Hall, Doe the Paperboy, Mega Ran,  K-Drama

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