Leading Social Network Presents Concert in Kuwait with Host Carlos Mencia and Performances by the Pussycat Dolls, Jessica Simpson, Disturbed, Filter, and DJ Z-Trip

Landmark Concert To Be Web Cast Live for the MySpace Community Enabling Users to Post Videos and Messages of Support for Troops Overseas

February 28, 2008
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, in cooperation with the Department of Defense’s Armed Forces Entertainment and America Supports You program, today announced the launch of Operation MySpace, a landmark concert event designed to bring troops serving in Kuwait a taste of home and enable the MySpace community to show their support for troops serving overseas.

On March 10, MySpace Co-Founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, along with some of today’s most popular musical acts, will participate in a 3-hour plus MySpaceLive! concert in Kuwait that will be streamed in high definition flash video using Kulabyte’s XStream Live Solutions exclusively on the official Operation MySpace profile: http://myspace.com/operationmyspace. The MySpace community can watch the entire concert webcast starting at 11a.m. PT/ 2 p.m. ET.

"For years troops stationed all over the world have utilized MySpace as a lifeline to communicate with their loved ones back home. Many of them have been generous enough to share their unique experiences with me through messages on MySpace," Anderson said. "I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to thank them in person and bring along the entire MySpace community."

Operation MySpace will be the largest MySpaceLive! concert to date with performances by the Pussycat Dolls (http://www.myspace.com/pussycatdolls), Jessica Simpson (http://myspace.com/jessicasimpson), Disturbed (http://myspace.com/disturbed), Filter (http://myspace.com/filter1), DJ Z-Trip (http://myspace.com/djztrip) and the comedic genius of Carlos Mencia (http://myspace.com/carlosmencia).

"We’re incredibly proud to host this one of a kind concert," added DeWolfe. "Unlike past variety shows or concerts of this nature, Operation MySpace will connect people, content, and culture a world apart through the live webcast of the show and interaction on the Operation MySpace profile."

Starting today, the Operation MySpace profile (http://myspace.com/operationmyspace) will serve as a communication hub where troops’ families and friends, along with the entire MySpace community, can post videos and messages of support via a video blog section. The profile will also feature a scrolling ticker of goodwill messages uploaded to the community during the live stream. A condensed 1-hour version of the show, featuring the best and most stirring moments, will be nationally broadcast on FX on April 12.

The Pussycat Dolls commented, "We’re so excited to be performing for the troops and supporting our Armed Forces overseas. They’d better get ready…the desert’s about to get a lot hotter!"

"It’s truly an honor to perform for the troops," said Jessica Simpson. "Through Operation MySpace, I get to serve my country by doing what I love to do in front of thousands of brave men in uniform. It’s every girl’s dream!"

In addition to hosting this one-time event, MySpace announced its support of the America Supports You program as part of its ongoing commitment to recognize the dedication of members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. MySpace joins businesses, hundreds of homefront groups and thousands of citizens across America who have worked with America Supports You to support the military and their families. MySpace previously worked with America Supports You this past November in an initiative called "Giving Thanks" which created an opportunity for Americans to send troops a message of support via text.

"This MySpaceLive! concert is an exciting event because it communicates to our troops that people from all walks of life and from all types of companies support their service to our country," said Allison Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. "MySpace is a great medium to connect our military members and their families, who serve in 177 countries, to the folks back home. We are so glad to have MySpace as part of the team working with both America Supports You and Armed Forces Entertainment."

As one of the most popular and most trafficked music platforms in the world, MySpace Music has evolved into an offline experience by connecting bands and fans around the world through various concert series and live events including Secret Shows, MySpaceLIVE, and The List. MySpaceLive! brings live concerts to the MySpace community via streaming online video and gives MySpace users watching at home the opportunity to submit real-time messages through an on-site message ticker. Past MySpaceLive! concerts have featured the Projekt Revolution Tour with Linkin Park, Grammy award winning rapper T.I. and DJ Paul Oakenfold. Millions of MySpace fans have logged on to MySpaceLive! webcasts to watch their favorite artists. To date, MySpace has more than six million bands using the site.

B-roll and photos from Operation MySpace will be available upon request.

About America Supports You

America Supports You is an ongoing, nationwide program organized by the Department of Defense to showcase Americans’ support for the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. Since its launch in November of 2004, America Supports You has welcomed more than 350 homefront organizations and more than 35 corporations to the program. Many America Supports You homefront groups demonstrate their support for the troops through letter writing, care packages, helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending an email or kind gesture. Learn more about supporting military personnel at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.

About Armed Forces Entertainment

Armed Forces Entertainment, founded in 1951, is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and remote and isolated locations. The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of Armed Forces Entertainment. Visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com for more information.

About MySpace

MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first ranked web domain in terms of page views (a), MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace’s international network includes localized community sites in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Latin America, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Brazil and the United Kingdom. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS) (NYSE:NWS.A) (ASX:NWS) (ASX:NWSLV).

(a) Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, January 2007. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to http://www.comscore.com.

OPERATION MYSPACE: TALENT QUOTE SHEET

"It’s truly an honor to perform for the troops. Through Operation MySpace, I get to serve my country by doing what I love to do in front of thousands of brave men in uniform. It’s every girl’s dream!" –Jessica Simpson

"We are proud to bring strength and support to those who support us with their strength." –David Draiman of DISTURBED

"We look forward to play for the troops to show them our support for the sacrifices they make to keep us safe." –Mike Wengren of DISTURBED

"We’ve been talking about wanting to perform for the troops for a long time, and feel there’s no better way to pay our respects than to bring the show to them!" –Dan Donegan of DISTURBED

"We have waited a long time for the honor to play for the people who safeguard our freedom." –John Moyer of Disturbed

"I’m honored to have the opportunity to go over there and perform for the troops," states Z-Trip about his show for Operation MySpace. "I’m hoping to bring them a little piece of home through the music. They’ll be plenty of hip-hop, rock, some turntable tricks and some thought-provoking stuff. Playing for a crowd this diverse is actually a good thing–it allows me to go all over the place musically." –DJ Z-Trip

"I am so glad to be returning to Kuwait, and bring some laughter to our service men and women. … And growing up with 17 brothers and sisters, the mess hall reminds me of my Sunday family dinner." –Carlos Mencia

"It is an honor and a privilege for me and the whole band to be given the chance to perform for the troops. Based on personal experiences and relationships, I feel going to Kuwait and playing for the men and women who put their lives in harm’s way every day is the least I can do. Hopefully these performances bring enjoyment and alleviate some stress while these soldiers are serving overseas." –Richard Patrick of FILTER

Contacts

MySpace
Dani Dudeck, 310-969-7148
ddudeck@myspace.com
or
Jessica Bass, 310-969-7179
jbass@myspace.com
or
Shadow PR For MySpace
Liza Bychkov, 212-972-0277
liza@shadowpr.com
or
Amy Crouse, 212-972-0277
amy@shadowpr.com
or
America Supports You
Debra Preitkis, 202-615-7124 (mobile)
debra@susandavis.com
or
Armed Forces Entertainment
Melissa Welch, 210-829-1953
mwelch@rc-co.com

ABSOLUT(R) Vodka Stirs Creative Visions with Luminaries Kanye West, Eddie Izzard, Perez Hilton, Pablo Francisco, Live Earth Filmmakers and More, As They Express Their View of Life ‘In An ABSOLUT World’

NEW YORK, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Today, ABSOLUT(R) VODKA, the world’s most iconic spirits brand, launches ABSOLUT Visionaries, an initiative that engages consumers and some of the world’s leading creative luminaries within the media, arts and entertainment fields to express their clever and daring ideals for life In An ABSOLUT World. As part of its overall ‘In An ABSOLUT World’ advertising campaign, ABSOLUT will showcase the bold and optimistic projects from style-makers such as Kanye West, Eddie Izzard, Perez Hilton, Pablo Francisco, Jim Denevan, various Live Earth Filmmakers, The Sartorialist and editors from Thrillist.com, Flavorpill.com and Treehugger.com at www.absolut.com. ABSOLUT is also encouraging consumers to submit their visions and participate in the dialogue within the interactive online Visionaries community.

"When we created the ‘In An ABSOLUT World’ campaign, we asked ourselves ‘What if everything in the world was approached with the same ideal as we approach ABSOLUT vodka?’ With the Visionaries program, we are opening that question to the rest of the world to spark conversations and challenge the status quo," said Ian Crystal, Brand Director, ABSOLUT Vodka. "ABSOLUT has a history of collaborating with the artistic community, and we will continue in that tradition, while also inspiring consumers to engage with us and each other."

Two of the first ABSOLUT Visions will be available to consumers in real time, as well as online. As official sponsor of the Live Earth Film Series, ABSOLUT will be touring the film series, a collection of humorous, pithy and serious dialogues about the effects of global warming, to more than 70 film festivals around the country this year. As well, The ABSOLUT Machines, designed by Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman, both with a background from M.I.T., have created the "ABSOLUT Quartet," an automated multi-instrumental orchestral machine. ‘In An ABSOLUT World Would Machines Be Creative?’ is the question that inspired The ABSOLUT Quartet, which consists of three instruments and thousands of parts working together to create one piece of music, inspired by inputs from online users around the globe. The ABSOLUT Quartet will be available for viewing from February thru April at 186 Orchard Street in New York City.

  Below is a list of some of the ABSOLUT Visionaries and their visions:

  — Absolut Machines — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Would Machines Be Creative?’
     (www.absolutmachines.com)
  — Owen Benjamin — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Everything Would Be ABSOLUT’
  — Andre Des Rochers — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Lonely Loves Lonely’
  — Flavorpill — Flavorpill will be producing a series of 100 visions over
     the course of the year tied to their mission of covering cutting-edge
     art, music, fashion and cultural events
  — Zach Galifianakis + Tim & Eric — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Friends Would
     Get Together More Often’
  — Lauren Gropper — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Buildings Would Produce Energy
     Instead of Consuming It’
  — Perez Hilton — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Perez Hilton Is Dead;’ ‘IN AN
     ABSOLUT WORLD Perez Hilton Is A God’
  — Live Earth Filmmakers — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD None Of These Films Would
     Be Necessary’ (www.liveearth.org/films.php)
  — The Sartorialist — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD The Street Is The Runway’
  — Team Facelift — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Everyone Is Too Busy Dancing’
  — Thrillist  — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD All Your Spam Would Be True’
  — TreeHugger — ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Everything Would Be Downloadable’

Through the ABSOLUT Visionaries program, ABSOLUT aims to create the world’s biggest community of visionaries — a dynamic place where everyone, notables and consumers alike, has the chance to rate, comment on, even interact with and improve the visions of everyone else. Once a consumer submits their vision, the vision will be open for viewing and voting. If a vision acquires enough points and is rated among the most interesting, witty, provocative and inspiring, ABSOLUT will then bring that vision to life. Realized Visions will also be posted on www.absolut.com.

About The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.

The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc., headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of V&S Group and operates under the auspices of V&S Absolut Spirits in Stockholm, which produces and markets ABSOLUT(R) VODKA, ABSOLUT CUT(TM), Level (TM) Vodka, FRIS(R) Vodka, Plymouth(TM) Gin and Cruzan(R) Rum. The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc. imports ABSOLUT VODKA, Level Vodka, Plymouth Gin and Cruzan Rum in the US and distributes the brands through FutureBrands LLC, a joint venture with Beam Global Spirits and Wine.

  Press Contacts:
  Sarah Bessette                           Zlata Faerman
  The Absolut Spirits Company              Ketchum
  212.641.8653                             646.935.4185
  sarah.bessette@absolut.com               zlata.faerman@ketchum.com

Source: The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.

CONTACT: Sarah Bessette of The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.,
+1-212-641-8653, sarah.bessette@absolut.com; Zlata Faerman of Ketchum,
+1-646-935-4185, zlata.faerman@ketchum.com for The Absolut Spirits Company,
Inc.

Web site: http://www.absolut.com/

( Los Angeles , CA ) February 27, 2008 – Blackground Music is faced with the death of one of its family members as the label mourns the loss of writer/producer/singer Stephen "Static" Garrett.  The 33-year-old died in his hometown of Louisville , Kentucky Monday, February 25, 2008.  Static, a creative genius who claimed to draw his inspiration from the hood, joined the Blackground Music family in the late 90′s.  He is described as their secret weapon and is best known for penning/producing several songs for chart-topping artists Jay-Z, Pretty Ricky, Ginuwine and the late Aaliyah, who died in a tragic plane crash in 2001. Blackground Records founder, Barry Hankerson, not only considered Static an invaluable asset to the company but also a friend.  "Blackground Records and its staff and affiliate entities are deeply mourning the loss of a great talent and a great human being.  It has been a pleasure to work and develop his career as a songwriter and producer.  His talent was only surpassed by his loyalty and dedication," he says. "It made me so happy to share with him the wealth of the music industry as well as one of the most personal relationships I have ever had in my 40 year career. I truly loved him, and I still do.  We will now transfer our love and attention to his family during this difficult time," adds Hankerson.

Label mate and R&B singer Tank is wounded by the loss as well. "We’ve lost one of the great song writers of our time but more than that we’ve lost a son, a brother, a husband, and a father.  The Blackground family has been dealt yet another blow to the heart. God is still getting us through the last one and this too shall pass. Static I love you," expresses Tank. The cause of Static’s death is not confirmed at this time.  He is survived by his beautiful wife, his four children and his music, which will resonate until the end of time. 

About Stephen "Static" Garrett

November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008

Static first came on the music scene in 1997 as a member of the R&B trio Playa.  He wrote many of the group’s songs but after releasing one album, Cheers 2 U, they disbanded and Static went to work using his talents to assist other artists.  He penned R&B singer Ginuwine’s debut hit single, "Pony," and caused the world to continue to fall in love with his immeasurable style as he yielded platinum recording artist Aaliyah’s hits "Are You That Somebody," "Try Again," "More Than A Woman" and "Rock The Boat."  With three songs charting at #1 under his belt, Static also made his presence known in hip-hop, crafting Nas’ "You Owe Me" and Jay-Z’s "Change The Game."  He recently wrote Lil Wayne’s debut single, "Lollipop," from his forthcoming album and starred in the video, which was shot three weeks ago in Las Vegas .  Static has also received praise for his collaborations with Pretty Ricky, David Banner, Diddy, Brandy, Jamie Foxx, Destiny’s Child, Timbaland and Magoo and Truth Hurts.  The world only received a snippet of what Static was capable of accomplishing.  This phenomenal talent was also poised to step from behind the scenes and introduce his alter ego Static/Major on his debut album, Suppertime, in 2008.  The first single "I Got My," featuring Lil Wayne, is already being heralded as a hit.   

###

For More Information Contact: Echoing Soundz 818.787.7633
Echo Hattix | echohattix@echoingsoundz.com and Arica Adams Hazeleyez@echoingsoundz.com

Duck Down Records is continuing its expansion and doing so by adding two of the most highly respected talents in Hip-Hop to its roster of artists: THE TEACHA himself, KRS-ONE and DJ Revolution.

KRS ONE AND BUCKSHOT Team Up For New Album:

KRS ONE is a significant figure in the Hip-Hop community and is often credited by critics and other Hip-Hop artists as epitomizing the "essence" of an emcee. It is no surprise then, that KRS-ONE decided it would make the most sense to combine forces with Buckshot, of Black Moon and record a new album on Duck Down Records. Buckshot shares similar philosophies as KRS-ONE, one of which is the notion of the "Stop the Violence Movement," which KRS-ONE is actively involved with.

KRS-ONE turned to Dru Ha and Buckshot (co-owners of Duck Down Records) to bring a certain sound and production to this upcoming project, a request that Duck Down Records Co-President Dru Ha was honored to fulfill "To say we are honored and humbled would be an understatement.  Buck and I have known KRS since our early days in the game, back when we were recording at D&D Studios and he directly influenced the name of the label with his song "Duck Down" (sucka Mc’s Duck).  He was also instrumental in one of Buck’s first and biggest records as Da Beatminerz flipped the "How Many MC’s" vocal sample from KRS.   But with the nostalgic feelings of KRS being one of my favorite MC’s growing up to the side, it’s KRS’s continued relevance of today that’s most exciting.   KRS has a message in his lyrics, a gladiator performer who reps the culture and posses all the qualities that an MC should embody: Meaningful lyrics, mastery of the flow, intense creativity and a ferocious live show.   I know how much respect Buck has for KRS, so I can only imagine how this will elevate his game.  It’s Old School to those that don’t keep up with the current works and movements but to me, I would call it Now School ." 

Three tracks have already been recorded and the chemistry between the two artists is very natural. Buckshot described the work as "CONFLOSATION, even when KRS ONE is flowing he’s having a conversation with his audience. This collaboration with KRS-ONE is going to be an album full of Hip-Hop conversation, ranging from New World Order, to socially conscious topics such as unemployment, poverty, and politics. At the same time, we will speak to the streets, as that is what I’m known to do. It’s a dream to be able to work with KRS-ONE. Before I even began rapping that is who I checked for. I kept the "Blue Print" album on me at all times. That is all I listened to for an entire summer."

Check for the KRS-ONE & Buckshot’s album later this year on Duck Down Records.

In related news, 9th Wonder & Buckshot’s "The Formula" album will be in stores April 15th on Duck Down Records.

DJ Revolution Preps "KING OF THE DECKS" Album

DJ Revolution has spent 15 years perfecting his craft on the 1200s.  Revolution has done just about  everything you can think of with records. Spun ‘em, scratched ‘em, juggled ‘em, sampled ‘em, collected ‘em, produced ‘em, sold ‘em, distributed ‘em, promoted ‘em, and so on.  Aside, from being the DJ, producer and editor for the world famous "Wake Up Show," based out of LA on Power 106 and Syndicated across the nation, DJ Revolution is a renowned producer with credits on albums by: KRS-ONE, Defari, Dilated Peoples, Planet Asia, Buckshot, Smif N Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, Crooked I, Slum Village, El Da Sensei and Akrobatik to name just a few.  DJ Revolution is also a veteran stage show DJ who has toured with artists such as Rakim and Kanye West.

Now DJ Revolution is readying his new project "KING OF THE DECKS" to be released on Duck Down Records in 2008. The album currently features appearances from:

*KRS ONE

*Sean Price

*Tash

*Crooked I

*Bishop Lamont

*Dilated Peoples

*Alchemist

*Royce 5’9"

*Guilty Simpson

*Q-Bert

*Blaq Poet

*Spinbad

*Defari

*Kidz In The Hall

*Buckshot

*Bumpy Knuckles

*Planet Asia

DJ Revolution’s attention to detail and his genuine respect for the craft of Hip-Hop music is what separates him from other DJ’s, as quoted by saying: "despite today’s DJ’s being ‘psuedo-lebrities’  and as big and  trendy as ever, they are almost completely disconnected from Hip-Hop in the eyes of the general public. Through this record I’ll attempt to reconnect the DJ with Hip-Hop, re-introduce the DJ to those who forgot what we really do and re-define what is possible in recorded music for the DJ as an artist."

Expect to see DJ Revolution’s "King of The Decks" album in stores fall 2008.

Press Contact:

Matt Conaway@                   MAC MEDIA

Business #:                          410-903-7568

E-Mail:                                   Matthewbrn@aol.com

AOL IM:                                Matthewbrn

For More Information please visit:

http://www.duckdown.com

http://www.myspace.com/bootcampclik

MOTHER FROM NORTH CAROLINA PRESENTED WITH WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VAN AND WARDROBE FROM 8732 FOR SON WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Platinum Rapper Young Jeezy granted the wish of the lucky winner from his "Make Your Dreams Come True" contest last night at Justin’s Restaurant in Atlanta .  The contest offered an open invitation to fans to share their dreams and aspirations with Jeezy.

The winning submission came from Tamara Jenkins-Wilson from North Carolina who wrote a heart-felt letter regarding her disabled son:

"My ultimate dream would be for me to provide a wheelchair accessible van for my son, Davon Jenkins.  Davon is 13-years old and has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair.   It is hard for me to provide this for him as we are a military family and I am unable to work as I have to take care of him.  My husband is currently serving in Iraq so I physically lift him in and out of our vehicle when we need to go to appointments and such.  Thanks so much for the opportunity."

The Jenkins-Wilson family was presented with the wheel chair accessible van personally purchased by Jeezy, along with a personalized wardrobe for the young Davon which was monogrammed with his nick name "Speedy," courtesy of Jeezy’s clothing line 8732. 

Click on the link to download photos for press use – http://picasaweb.google.com/thaddaeus.mcadams/Dreamin?authkey=AD9T92tUmWQ. Photos credit should read Thaddaeus McAdams/www.exclusiveaccess.net.

For more information on Young Jeezy, visit www.youngjeezy.com or contact Tracy Nguyen or Milena Brown at 5W Public Relations, 212-999-5585.

Methodologie Hopes to Alleviate Stress of Annual Report Season

Methodologie, a Seattle-based branding firm, today released a video on YouTube.com called "The 10-K Rap," to wish Fortune 500 CFO’s and Investor Relations experts, a happy and stress-free annual report season, as they prepare to unveil their results. The video portrays young rapper Little MG, rhyming lines such as "It’s A-R Time and we’re feeling the heat, CFO’s breakin’ sweats up and down Wall Street…Computin’ my figures and checkin’ my facts. If it don’t look right I could get the axe."

The 10-K "Rap" pokes a little fun at the seriousness of the 10-K "wrap," a comprehensive summary report of public companies’ performance, which must be submitted annually to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the era of Sarbanes-Oxley, many public companies are noticing a shift in their annual report content and design, as they become more in depth than in the past.

"Methodologie has been in the business of designing annual reports for the last 20 years, so we have seen a change in requirements and best practices, and we understand the stress and complexities that go along with producing them," said Janet DeDonato, Strategic Director and Partner, Methodologie. DeDonato has designed and managed over 100 annual reports for clients that include BNSF Railway, Amylin, and Washington Mutual. "A good laugh goes a long way this time of year, and that’s what our 10-K "Rap" aims to do."

Check out The 10-K "Rap" video at http://www.youtube.com/10krap.

About Methodologie:

Methodologie is a brand firm specializing in comprehensive, business-critical communications systems. Our work shifts perceptions, changes behavior, and strengthens relationships. We develop brand strategies and leverage existing brands into print and digital communications for clients, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Boeing Company, BNSF Railway, Casey Family Programs, The Coca-Cola Company, The MacArthur Foundation, Microsoft, Semiconductor Industry Association, Sun Microsystems, and Washington Mutual.

Contacts

Spotlight Communications
Tomeeka Farrington, 617-423-0040
Tomeeka@spotlightcommunications.net

RAPPER CONFIRMED FOR THE VANS WARPED TOUR THIS SUMMER WITH SELECT DATES THROUGH THE SPRING

Always on a musical mission, BRAILLE has become one of rap’s best-kept secrets.  He has released three solo albums; performed throughout the U.S. , Europe and Japan with artists like the late James Brown, De La Soul and others; been named one of the "Next 100" by URB magazine; and collaborated with rap heavyweights such as 9th Wonder and Pigeon John.  All of these accomplishments set the stage for Braille’s fourth album The IV Edition, set for release April 15 on Syntax Records/KOCH Entertainment.

The album’s first single and title song serves as an ode to Braille’s rap roots.  Produced by Marco Polo and featuring scratches from Rob Swift, the energetic drum-driven tune is a lyrical showcase that caters to rap’s tremendous subterranean following.  "The underground hip-hop base is a lot bigger than people think it is," Braille reveals.  "Sometimes when people think of the word ‘underground,’ they think of basement albums that just get dubbed on tape.  So I’m sticking to my roots.  I believe that the audience for lyricism and good hip-hop is much larger than most people assume.  I wanted to start with the hip-hop base and take it from there."

Elsewhere, Braille acknowledges his personal and artistic history on "Remember Your Path" and channels the energy of music icon James Brown on "Main Squeeze," with whom Braille toured as an opening act during 2005 and 2006.  Then on "Calculated Risk" Braille gets personal by examining his decision to pursue and create lyric and beat-drive rap music with spiritual overtones.

In addition to being his fourth album, the title represents three other things.   Braille wants the album to serve as an IV to distribute musical medicine for social illnesses directly into the veins of the society.  IV also stands for "International Vision" (becoming more aware of what’s going on in the world around us) and "International Version" (the album is made for an international audience and features German, French, Finish and Australian producers like M-Phazes, Aetoms, Staffro, etc).

Hailing from Portland , OR , Braille began his life in hip-hop at an early age.  In 1999, when he was 17, independent startup ESWP music released his first album, Lifefirst: Half The Battle. Next came 2004′s Shades of Grey, which featured collaborations with 9th Wonder (Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child) and Rob Swift, and Box of Rhymes followed in 2006.

Leading up to the release The IV Edition, BRAILLE will be on tour with Ohmega Watts and Galactic performing material from the album. Later this summer he’ll be appearing with Othello on the Vans Warped Tour. Complete tour dates follow below.

The complete track listing for Braille’s The IV Edition is:

1.      Beautiful Humanity – beat by Ohmega Watts

2.      Submission Hold – beat by Shuko

3.      Calculated Risk featuring Mr. J Medeiros (Procussions) and Manchild (Mars ILL) – beat by The Are

4.      The IV featuring Rob Swift – beat by Marco Polo 

5.      Main Squeeze – beat by 88 Keys

6.      Remember Your Path featuring Rob Swift – beat by  Staffro

7.      Constantly Growing featuring Speech (Arrested  Development), Surreal and Sojourn – beat by DJ Spinna 

8.      Blessed Man – beat by S1  (Strange Fruit Project)

9.      Many Stories featuring Barry Hampton – beat by  Barry Hampton

10. Raise the Dead featuring Poems (LA Symphony) –  beat by J-Thrill

11. Double Dose – beat by Mr. Mar of the Stieber Twins 

12. Counter Attack featuring Theory Hazit and DJ Idull – beat by OhNo

13. Mental Guards (Snitch Blade) – beat by Aetoms 

14. Get it Right featuring Ragen Fykes – beat by Kno  (CunninLynguists)

15. Restless – beat by M-Phazes

16. The Cure – beat by K-Murdock (Panacea)

17. Bonus  track

18. ADDvice featuring DJ  Bombay – beat by J-Zone

Catch BRAILLE live on tour now:

With Ohmega Watts and Galactic   

Thu      2/21                 Majestic Theatre                                  Madison , WI

Fri        2/22                 Parkwest                                              Chicago , IL

Sat       2/23                 Music Mill                                             Indianapolis , IN

Wed     2/27                 Hiphop for Hunger                               Puyallup , WA

Mon     3/10                 Green River College                            Auburn , WA

Thu      3/13                 UGHH.com at SXSW                            Austin , TX

Fri        3/21                 WOW Hall                                            Eugene , OR

Sat       4/12                 Willamete University                              Salem , OR

Tue      4/15                 Berbati                                                 Portland , OR

Thu      4/17                 Nectar Lounge                                     Seattle , WA

Fri        4/18                 WOW Hall                                            Eugene , OR

Sun      4/20                 Peanut Butter and Jelly Party              Nashville , TN

Mon     4/21                 GMA Week                                          Nashville , TN

Tue      4/22                 GMA Week                                          Nashville , TN

Fri        5/2                   TBD                                                     Albuquerque , NM

Sun      5/11                 Revolution Church                                Gary , IN

Tue      5/20                 UndergroundHipHop Instore                Boston , MA

Appearing on the Vans Warped Tour with Othello:

Fri        6/20                 Vans Warped Tour                             Pomona , CA

Sat       6/21                Vans Warped Tour                             San Francisco , CA

Sun      6/22                 Vans Warped Tour                             Ventura , CA

Wed     6/25                 Vans Warped Tour                             Phoenix , AZ

Thu      6/26                 Vans Warped Tour                             Las Cruces , NM

Sat       6/28                 Vans Warped Tour                             Salt Lake City , UT

Sun      6/29                 Vans Warped Tour                             Denver, CO

Tue      7/1                   Vans Warped Tour                             St. Louis , MO

Wed     7/2                   Vans Warped Tour                             Kansas City , KS

Thu      7/3                   Vans Warped Tour                             Dallas , TX

Sat       7/5                   Vans Warped Tour                             San Antonio , TX

Sun      7/6                   Vans Warped Tour                             Houston , TX

Wed     7/9                   Vans Warped Tour                             Atlanta , GA

Thu      7/10                 Vans Warped Tour                             Orlando , FL

Fri        7/11                 Vans Warped Tour                             Tampa , FL

Sat       7/12                 Vans Warped Tour                             Miami , FL

Sun      7/13                 Vans Warped Tour                             Jacksonville , FL

Mon     7/14                 Vans Warped Tour                             Charlotte , NC

Tue      7/15                 Vans Warped Tour                             Virginia Beach , VA

Wed     7/16                 Vans Warped Tour                             Washington , DC

Thu      7/17                 Vans Warped Tour                             Cleveland , OH

Fri        7/18                 Vans Warped Tour                            Detroit , MI

# # #

For more information on BRAILLE, contact:

MSO   818-380-0400

National          Alexandra Greenberg x223, agreenberg@msopr.com

Tour                Bari Lieberman x222, blieberman@msopr.com

Other               Alex Mohler x230, amohler@msopr.com

Grandmaster Flash’s Memoirs The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash – My Life My Beats Will Be Available June 10

/24-7PressRelease/ – NEW YORK, NY, February 27, 2008 – Grandmaster Flash is one of Hip Hop’s pioneers: he made it his life’s work to create and perfect the art of DJing. In his adolescent years in the Bronx, Grandmaster Flash was the first DJ to use the turntables as an instrument. He also created the very first beat box machine, which remains a staple of Hip Hop, despite newer technology.

In celebration of Black History Month, Grandmaster Flash has launched his new website (http://www.grandmasterflash.com). The site will offer innovative ways to listen, read, and hear about this legend. As someone always looking to take Hip Hop up a notch, Grandmaster Flash is proud to take his pioneering spirit to the Internet.

Grandmaster Flash’s memoirs, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash’ My Life My Beats are slated to hit bookstores on June 10. The book was penned by David Ritz, author of both Marvin Gaye’ s and Ray Charles’ biographies. In this extraordinary book, Grandmaster Flash sets down Hip Hop history, for sharing for the first time his personal and difficult life story along with no small amount of wisdom and experience.

Today, Grandmaster Flash has a weekly show on Sirius Radio, The Flash Mash. The show is a kaleidoscopic mash-up of his tastes, spanning just about any genre from just about any corner of the world. It airs on Saturdays from 5-8pm. Previously, Chris Rock sought out Grandmaster Flash to serve as Musical Director for the groundbreaking HBO Series, The Chris Rock Show. He remained in that role for five years.

In addition to his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ "as the very first Hip Hop artist so honored’ "Grandmaster Flash has been the recipient of many awards, including VH1 Hip Hop Honors; BET’ s Icon Award; The Lifetime Achievement Award from the RIAA; and Bill Gates’ Vanguard Award.

Grandmaster Flash takes his DJ innovations into the future by sponsoring what he calls the best DJ fun and friendly digital application in the market today – "Traktor Scratch" by Native Instruments. The program accents the techniques, flips, tricks, and switches that Flash introduced to the world 30+ years ago.

The Smithsonian Museum of American History in honor of Black History Moth has opened its exhibit RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture in which Grandmaster Flash along with other hip hop artist such as LL Cool J, Erykah Badu and Common will be featured. The exhibition opened on February 8 and will be throughout October 8, 2008.

http://www.grandmasterflash.com
http://www.myspace.com/flashcutitup
http://www.pranamarketing.com/artist/grandmasterflash

For press information contact: Angela Thomas (201) 503-1333

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – February 27, 2008) – Legendary lyricist Rakim is set to release a brand new album titled "Live, Lost & Found" on March 4th, 2008. "Live, Lost & Found" features four previously unreleased tracks, including the new single "It’s Nothing," as well as an additional 17 tracks of classic Rakim material performed live.

Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs — perhaps the greatest — of all time within the hip-hop community. His flow is smooth and liquid, inflected with jazz rhythms and carried off with an effortless cool that makes it sound as though he’s not even breaking a sweat.

After teaming up with Queens DJ Eric B. in 1986, Rakim recorded a string of classic material like "Eric B. Is President," "I Ain’t No Joke" and "Paid in Full." The duo’s first two full-length albums, 1987′s "Paid in Full" and 1988′s "Follow the Leader," are still regarded as all-time hip-hop classics; Rakim’s work set out a blueprint for other, similarly progressive-minded MCs to follow, and helped ensure that even after the rise of other fertile scenes around the country, East Coast rap would maintain a reputation as the center of innovative lyrical technique.

About KOCH Entertainment

KOCH Entertainment, founded in 1987 and now in its twentieth year, is the leading and fastest-growing independent music company in the U.S. KOCH’s operations encompass record and video labels as well as distribution companies in the U.S. and Canada. KOCH Entertainment is the market leader among independent labels and distributors in both the U.S. and Canada and its record label KOCH Records had the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents for seven years in a row (2001 – 2007). KOCH Entertainment is a subsidiary of Entertainment One Ltd. which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market (ticker symbol "ETO").

For more information Contact:
Giovanna Melchiorre
212-353-8800×257
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=3818DBD78F8CA9A7

Largest online user-generated song database goes mobile.

An increasing number of music-enabled handsets are sold each year, and we aim to make midomi mobile available on all of these handsets. With the exciting functionality we’re continuing to develop for midomi mobile, it will become the ultimate music search tool for the mobile market

Sunnyvale, California (PRWEB) February 27, 2008 — Pioneering search and sound recognition company MELODIS Corporation today announced the launch of midomi mobile, its music search application for mobile devices.

midomi mobile allows users to search for music by singing, humming or even whistling into their mobile devices. The application accesses midomi’s online user-generated database of songs and uses MELODIS’ patented Multimodal Adaptive Recognition System (MARS) to identify what users are searching for.

The midomi song database has become the largest user-generated repository of its kind since its launch in January 2007. The free, membership-based midomi community is also a vibrant social-networking destination on the Web–providing a forum for amateur and professional musicians, talent seekers, and music lovers around the world to discover and be discovered.

Available for download free of cost at mobile.midomi.com, midomi mobile offers users a wide range of functionality. Having found a song using midomi mobile, users can play back the snippet from the rendition that matched their query or listen to other members’ renditions that helped identify the song. midomi mobile also enables users to search for music videos playable on mobile devices through services such as YouTube. And, users can connect to midomi’s social network through midomi mobile to access member profiles, recordings, playlists, and more.

The company will soon offer additional functionality for midomi mobile users. Future releases will allow users to identify original music content, such as music broadcast through the radio. Users will also be able to search for music by speaking out the song title or artist’s name, or by typing it without having to know the exact spelling.

The initial release of midomi mobile is designed for mobile phones using the Symbian OS and the popular S60 platform. MELODIS plans to release support for additional platforms such as the S40 Java platform in the near future.

"An increasing number of music-enabled handsets are sold each year, and we aim to make midomi mobile available on all of these handsets. With the exciting functionality we’re continuing to develop for midomi mobile, it will become the ultimate music search tool for the mobile market," says Keyvan Mohajer, CEO, MELODIS Corporation.

The commercial potential of midomi is growing rapidly, according to Mohajer: "Both at the website and on midomi mobile, we’re providing advertising opportunities that are easily and quickly accessible for viewers and advertisers alike. This is allowing us to continue growing the services we can offer to our users and partners."

Recognizing its potential, Nokia has recently selected midomi mobile as the Application of the Week and it is showcased at Nokia’s featured applications corner. (http://www.nokia.com/link?cid=EDITORIAL_894336)

To download midomi mobile, users can visit mobile.midomi.com on their PC or m.midomi.com on their S60 phones.

About midomi
midomi (www.midomi.com) is the first-of-its-kind online music search engine and social community where you can find songs in the most intuitive way imaginable: sing a line, hum a few bars–even whistle your favorite tune! If it’s not in the database, you can add it to the user-generated database by simply singing it in the midomi Studio. With new songs in 33 languages added to it each day by members all over the world, midomi has become the largest online repository of its kind.

Currently available in ten languages and recognized by Popular Science magazine as one of the top global innovations of 2007, the free, membership-based midomi community is a vibrant social-networking destination that strikes a chord with music lovers the world over. For amateur and professional musicians, and talent seekers, midomi has become a unique forum to discover and be discovered.

About MELODIS Corporation
Incorporated in September 2005, MELODIS Corporation is building the next generation of search and sound recognition technologies that are "Breaking the Silence™" in human-computer interaction. These technologies have a variety of applications on the Internet, mobile devices, robotics, security applications and much more. MELODIS’ technologies have been applied to music search, text search and speech recognition, and additional applications are currently under development. The MELODIS management team is comprised almost entirely of graduates from Stanford University, and the company has strong backing from leading Silicon Valley investors.

With the launch of its online community, www.midomi.com , MELODIS has combined the world’s most powerful search technologies with proven online models including social networking, user-generated content and digital content distribution, and is moving forward with its mission to build the world’s most comprehensive database of searchable music.

Read more about MELODIS Corporation at www.melodis.com .

Copyright © MELODIS Corporation 2005-2008; Patents Pending

Media Contact:
Keyvan Mohajer
Tel: 408 439 4453