All Elite Wrestling is looking to celebrate this year’s Black History Month with a special 21-track Hip Hop and R&B album. Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 will arrive on Friday, February 18.
Mikey Rukus, AEW’s in-house producer, executive produced the professional wrestling promotion’s first-ever full-length compilation. Funk legend William “Bootsy” Collins appears on the introduction to the LP.
“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.
Patti Collins continued, “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.”
Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 will be available exclusively in hard copy format on ShopAEW.com before hitting streaming platforms at a later date. Proceeds from sales of the project will benefit the Bootsy Collins Foundation. The organization works to inspire, educate, and enrich the lives of individuals from all backgrounds through music.
“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.
The creator of many AEW wrestlers’ theme music added, “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 includes contributions from artists like Jon Connor, Mega Ran, Brinson, Omega Sparx, Monteasy, and Josiah Williams. AEW wrestlers, such as Max Caster and Sonny Kiss, are featured on the album as well.
All Elite Wrestling’s Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 Tracklist:
- 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
