Prince - Hit n Run Phase Two 2015

 

Hit n Run Phase Two is the thirty-ninth studio album by American musician Prince and the last to be released within his lifetime.^[1] It was initially released exclusively on the Tidal streaming service on December 12, 2015, for streaming and purchase as a continuation of his previous album, Hit n Run Phase One.^[2][3]

Prince confirmed on Twitter that a physical CD would be released during a weekend of Paisley Park shows in January 2016. The CD was given away to attendees of the shows on the Australian and New Zealand leg of the Piano & a Microphone Tour. The album was finally given a worldwide CD release on May 6, 2016, through Universal Music Group, just over two weeks after his death.

The album includes the song "Baltimore", for the memory of the death of Freddie Gray.^[4] The album has a more organic sound than the recent Art Official Age, features Booker T. Jones on engineering duties, and includes a large brass section (the "NPG Hornz") of five saxophonists, four trumpets and two trombones.

 The album debuted at No. 23 on the US Top R&B Albums chart following its release,^[18] selling 2,000 copies in its first week. It re-entered the chart at No. 13 when Prince died four months later, and peaked at No. 3 on chart dated May 21, 2016.^[19] It also peaked at 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,^[20] and No. 40 on the Billboard 200.^[21] The album has sold 57,000 copies as of November 2016.