If you’ve been collecting music for a while, then you probably remember when the Ballers Ona Mission “The Reala Ride” album would sell for $200+ on eBay. Since the re-release is very similar to the original, and the album is still popular, here are some quick tips to help you tell the difference between the two.
By looking at just the album covers it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between the two releases. When you turn them over and look at the rear traycards is when you can begin to tell the difference.
The easiest way to spot the re-release is by the darker color of red used for printing. The original release is more dull looking. Also if you look closely, the original release uses the classic Phunky Phat Graph-X font for the additional album information at the bottom, while the release has a more bolder, modern font. Below are both releases side by side so you can see the difference we pointed out. The original Ballers Ona Mission “The Reala Ride” is on the left, the Ballers Ona Mission “The Reala Ride” re-release is on the right.
If you open the jewel case and inspect the linear notes, you will notice that the re-release is printed much darker than the original. Also if you look closely the white font is not as crisp looking as the original release. Below are scans of the original release on the left, and the re-release on the right.
There are also slight differences in the way the cd art was printed. On the original release seen on the left has a different shade of green than the re-release. The most distinguishing factor is the silver ring around the middle of the original release. Below are scans of the original cd on the left, and the re-release on the right.
If you’re still not sure which version you have take a look at the Rainbo Records ringcode on the bottom of the cd. Both are very similar, which means whoever made the re-release was definitely trying to pull a fast one.
The differences to look for are the font, the additional IFPI code that’s on the original and the numbers in brackets on the re-release. The original ringcode is on the left is: RBO3378THEBOM-2 RAINBO IFPI L151, the re-release on the right is: <37503> RB03378THEBOM-2 RAINBO
