(AllHipHop News) The full artist roster for the “We Are The World 25 For Haiti) was unveiled yesterday (February 10) and a number of top rappers will be featured on the remake of the 1985 hit single.
Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, Nipsey Hussle, Fergie, Drake, will.I.am and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are among the artists featured on the track, which was recorded in the same studio as the original version.
The world premiere of We Are The World 25 will take place during NBC’s coverage of the opening ceremony during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics tomorrow (February 12) at 7:30 PM EST.
“It warmed my heart to see that the experience during the recording of We Are The World 25 For Haiti embodied the same enthusiasm, sense of purpose and generosity as the original recording 25 years ago,“ Quincy Jones told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “Every one of the artists who participated, regardless of genre or generation, walked into the room with their hearts and souls completely open to coming together to help the people of Haiti. Through the contributions of their voices to this new rendition of ‘We Are The World,’ and with the help of our partners, the We Are The World Foundation will be the most transparent not-for-profit foundation ever created.”
Wyclef Jean executive produced the single along with Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie and a host of others, to benefit the Haitian earthquake relief efforts and the rebuilding of Haiti.
After the debut, fans can download the song and view exclusive footage at the relief efforts official website, World25.org.
“When I was first approached about recording a new version of We Are The World, I was lukewarm because the first effort was so iconic, then Haiti happened and I realized that this was the kind of crisis for which the song was originally written,” said Richie who wrote the original version with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. “The new version takes the copyright to a different place while staying true to the iconic nature of the original,” Richie added.
“What a better way to help rescue our Haitian brothers and sisters in distress, bring a heightened awareness to that country’s plight and needs, and bring some of the world’s greatest talent together. The result speaks for itself so download to donate!”
All proceeds will go to the We Are The World Foundation, a newly created not-for-profit organization founded by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie.
“I am touched by the enthusiasm and support we are seeing from the entertainment community,” said Wyclef Jean. “With the continued efforts of the global community, we increase our chances of successfully bringing Haiti much needed relief; and taking the next step in reconstructing a 21st century Haiti.”