Rhapsody and MTV Set the Stage for Jay-Z's Latest Album, 'The Blueprint 3' Rhapsody and MTV are the exclusive places to hear the new Jay-Z album, The Blueprint 3, starting September 1, nearly two weeks prior to official release date. Rhapsody will be the exclusive retailer for The Blueprint 3 from September 8-10, prior to official September 11 release date Two exclusive bonus tracks will be available from Rhapsody on September 8, 2009 Rhapsody collaborates with Jay-Z on TV advertisements promoting the new album -- Rhapsody to premiere a 60-second customized Jay-Z advertisement in 2009 MTV VMAs. Hip-hop superstar and music industry mogul Jay-Z has teamed up with Rhapsody and MTV to promote the highly-anticipated release of his new album, "The Blueprint 3." As part of the partnership, the entire album will be available for fans to listen to for free on Rhapsody.com (www.rhapsody.com/jay-z) and from MTV's "The Leak" (http://theleak.mtv.com/), almost two weeks prior to its official release. In addition, Rhapsody will also make the new album available for purchase beginning September 8, three days ahead of the street release, and will include two exclusive bonus tracks. Leading this partnership, three new Rhapsody TV spots featuring Jay-Z and his hit song "Run This Town" featuring Kanye West and Rihanna, will debut starting on September 1 across MTV Networks. In addition to two 30-second ads, Rhapsody will premiere a 60-second version of the ad in the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on September 13. "It's great to get the support of two major music industry players for The Blueprint 3," said Jay-Z. "Rhapsody brought an amazing creative vision to the table, and it was exciting collaborating with them." "Jay-Z's hands-on participation throughout this creative process has been incredibly refreshing for an artist of his stature," said Jessica Friedberg, senior director of consumer marketing at Rhapsody America. "Rhapsody is excited to showcase a unique 60 second TV spot leading into his performance at the VMAs. Being able to combine this creative campaign and the early release of his new album with MTV Networks gives us all a unique way to connect with his fans, old and new." | | The Jay-Z spots are the latest installment of Rhapsody's ongoing "Fans Get It" campaign. Rhapsody's "Fans Get It" campaign kicked off earlier this year with a massive promotion around Green Day's hugely successful release "21st Century Breakdown," followed with more promotions with top artists in genres from pop to country. The "Fans Get It" campaign has utilized a similar treatment through all the ads, which celebrate the culture and iconography of artists' careers, enabling them direct involvement in the creative development of the spot. These high-profile promotions both serve as a great vehicle to further connect music fans with the artists they love, and have also contributed to significant increases in brand awareness and user engagement for Rhapsody's music subscription service. Over a two-month period following the Green Day television spot, the subscription service's usage grew by 20 percent. Rhapsody is an integrated and immersive digital music experience accessible to consumers via their computer, portable music device and their Verizon Wireless mobile phone. Rhapsody is the exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks , Inc. and for MTV Networks' music and pop-culture brands in the United States. Rhapsody is a service of Rhapsody America LLC, a joint venture between MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) and RealNetworks (NASDAQ:RNWK) . Rhapsody and the Rhapsody logo are registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. SEATTLE and NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Island Def Jam Music Group Appoints Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter to President & CEO, Def Jam Recordings The Island Def Jam Music Group, a division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, today announced Grammy Award-winning superstar Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter to President & CEO of Def Jam Recordings. The announcement was made by Antonio "LA" Reid, Chairman of The Island Def Jam Music Group, to whom Jay-Z reports. In addition Jay-Z will continue to run Roc-A-Fella, which was recently purchased by IDJ. The appointment is effective January 3, 2005 and Jay-Z will be based at IDJ's New York headquarters.
"After ten years of successfully running Roc-A-Fella," said Mr. Reid, "Shawn has proven himself to be an astute businessman, in addition to the brilliant artistic talent that the world sees and hears. We are fortunate that he has agreed to take over as president & CEO of Def Jam Recordings. I can think of no one more relevant and credible in the hip-hop community to build upon Def Jam's fantastic legacy and move the company into its next groundbreaking era."
"I have inherited two of the most important brands in hip-hop, Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella, said Mr. Carter. LA Reid and the Universal Music Group have given me the opportunity to manage the companies I have contributed to my whole career. I feel this is a giant step for me and the entire artist community."
Since 1995, Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella artists have dominated the rap industry and set the trends for a generation. Not just with an extensive catalog and talented artists and producers, but with a profitable brand that spawned a clothing line (Rocawear), films (Fade to Black, Backstage, Streets Is Watching, State Property), a nightclub (40/40 Club) and a successful sneaker line (Reebok's S. Carter shoe collection). Moreover, Jay-Z has founded three philanthropic organizations, including The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, Team Roc, and the annual Jay-Z Santa Claus Toy Drive. With a string of multi-platinum albums, SRO concerts and more than 30 million albums sold worldwide on his Roc-A-Fella label, there are no thresholds that Shawn Carter has not crossed. That is what made his Grammy-nominated, The Black Album such a phenomenon -- a groundbreaking autobiographical statement that was not only one of the most important records of 2003/2004, but perhaps the most important record of Jay-Z's legendary career. NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- The Island Def Jam Music Group Acquires Remaining 50% of Landmark Urban Label Roc-A-Fella Records Wholly-Owned Powerhouse Boasts Such Chart-Toppers as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron, Memphis Bleek, Among Others NEW YORK, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Island Def Jam Music Group, a division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, has acquired the remaining fifty percent of Roc-A-Fella Records, it was jointly announced today by Antonio "L.A." Reid, Chairman of The Island Def Jam Music Group, and the three principals of Roc-A-Fella Records, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter; Damon Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Def Jam had first entered into a joint venture with Roc-A-Fella in 1997.
World-renowned Roc-A-Fella Records has been home to many of rap and hip-hop's chart-topping voices, including Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron, Memphis Bleek, Juelz Santana, and others.
"This is truly historic and cause for celebration," said Mr. Reid. "The artists and staff of Roc-A-Fella have worked diligently for a decade to establish the label as the premier voice in hip-hop, from both a cultural and commercial point-of-view. Today, Roc-A-Fella boasts one of the most important and listened-to artist rosters on the planet, and is blessed with a deep catalog whose message has never gone out of style. We look forward to growing the Roc-A-Fella brand and expanding the roster in the years ahead." © 2005-2009 EMOL.org Music Entertainment Masgazine | American Gangster (Clean) Jay-Z (Artist) Separate from the official motion picture soundtrack, this collection of all-new original material is a musical journey and lyrical interpretation of snapshots from the upcoming motion picture American Gangster. The conceptual, full body of genius work from the new album balances the line between pure entertainment and real life. JAY-Z draws upon past experiences, speaking to the harsh reality of the drug trade still taking place in our nation's cities. While not glorifying the Frank Lucas story, JAY-Z articulates the lure of a gangster's life and stands as an example of one who chose to leave those streets behind to go on and become one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time. • Audio CD (November 6, 2007)
• Format: Clean
• Label: Roc-a-Fella American Gangster [EXPLICIT] Version
American Gangster (Clean) Version | | Jay Z Fade to Black DVD | | Collision Course CD (with DVD) | |
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