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 | Posted by news
| Sun, March 27, 2011 at 6:42 PM |
 Pitbull is making major moves in the spirits business with a new majority equity stake in Voli, a new liquor brand billed as the world's first line of low calorie vodkas.
Pitbull now has equity in the Voli brand, in addition to acting as the official spokesperson and ambassador for the Voli line, which is produced in Cognac, France.
Voli hopes to take advantage of Pitbull's popularity, as the Latin rapper has over five million Facebook fans, 400 million YouTube views, putting him in the pantheon of such artists as Lady Gaga, Eminem and Justin Bieber.
"I am extremely excited to be partnering with Voli light vodkas and to hold a significant ownership position in this great brand," Pitbull told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "I knew this was great vodka when I overheard some ladies talking about it while they were drinking. I asked them about it and they told me it was some of the smoothest, most delicious vodka they'd ever had, plus it was low calorie vodka. That's when I tried it and fell in love. Next thing you know, we are business partners! I am excited to watch this brand explode and to be a central part of its success."
According to Voli's CEO, the vodka is...continue reading
Source  Share on Facebook ·  Bookmark on Delicious Long before his work earned millions of YouTube clicks, music video director David Rousseau would conjure mental images of the songs wafting into his neighborhood from the nearby Orange Bowl.
Growing up in the 1980s in Little Havana, Rousseau couldn't afford to attend the big concerts happening blocks away, including Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd and Genesis. But he was set on a path to his present-day career by imagining his own videos for the music spilling out of the stadium.
"I would literally sit on top of one of the cars in the neighborhood and listen. You're hearing the music and you're trying to figure out what's going on in there. That's where you start visualizing the music," said Rousseau, whose parents are Cubans who moved to Miami from Venezuela.
These days, the 35-year-old's imagination spawns bright colors and graphics that accompany the music of artists including Lil Wayne, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, and T-Pain. Rousseau's innovative — and often thrifty — approach has earned him repeat business from Pit Bull, as well as Lil Wayne's label, Cash Money Records.
"He just know our swagger," said Cash Money CEO and rapper Bryan "Birdman" Williams.
Rousseau's expertise in creating visuals that pop out of people's Web browsers has benefited him in recent years, as the primary venue for music videos has shifted from television to the Internet.
"When you're watching things on TV and you have a wide shot and you see a vast vista, it's beautiful," Rousseau said. "But when you watch it on your phone or on YouTube, people look really tiny. Now you have to do more close-ups. You have to do more shots where the artist is full frame, centered in front of the screen."
Still, Rousseau calls hours spent watching MTV his film school. As a child, he began making his own videos with his father's Super 8 camera and later took TV production classes in high school. After graduating from South Florida's Barry University with a communications degree in 1999, Rousseau got a job in the promotions department at Miami's CBS affiliate, WFOR.
Rousseau eventually landed at the satellite and digital cable channel The Tube Music Network. He was working there in 2006 when a friend recommended his directing skills to rapper Pitbull.
"He was hungry," Pitbull said. "He was like 'Look, I'll shoot this video for basically nothing. I just want to show you how I work.' And sure enough, we did 'Be Quiet' in Little Haiti, and we haven't stopped working since then."
Rousseau has made 13 videos with Pitbull, including "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," which has received more than 150 million views on YouTube since its March 2009 release. A video Rousseau shot this year for the Iglesias and Pitbull collaboration "I Like It" was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.
Building on his initial success with Pitbull, Rousseau started the production company CreativeSeen in 2008. The company offered a cheaper alternative to its larger competitors, which appealed to music labels stung by the recession.
"We took advantage of the economic situation," Rousseau said. "Normally, a production company would turn down a job because they really couldn't make a profit out of it, but we could. And even if we broke even, we were starting to get new clients."
The days of big acts routinely shelling out a millon dollars for music videos are over, Rousseau said. Video budgets can still get into the six figures, but many are shot for less. Taking those lower-budget projects while keepin | Posted by news
| Sun, November 22, 2009 at 11:58 AM |
Jennifer Lopez steps back into music w/ help from Pitbull in her brand new video, "Fresh Out The Oven." Is "Fresh Out The Oven" really applicable for a woman who's been married twice, has twins and slept with Diddy? More like, "Microwave & Reheat."
Amazon.com Widget The Grammy Award Winning Duo recently signed a label imprint deal with SRC/Universal Records and have been in the studio working with Nelly, Hurricane Chris, Bun B & Pitbull
New York, NY – Two-time GRAMMY award winning producers and recording artists, Play-N-Skillz have announced that they will release their highly anticipated new mixtape "Recession Proof" in stores nation wide on Tuesday, October 27th. Recession Proof features appearances from Slim Thug, Bun B, Talib Kweli, Hurricane Chris, Slim formally of 112, Big Tuck, Krayzie Bone and many others.
The new mixtape is a collection of exclusive unreleased material as well as a multitude of tracks produced by Play-N-Skillz. Each track on "Recession Proof" will include a viral video to accompany its release.
"We titled this mixtape "Recession Proof" because our goal is to motivate people to stay strong in this recession and not let the situation get the best of them," says Play from Play-N-Skillz.
In addition, Play-N-Skillz have signed a record label deal with SRC/Universal Records for their own label imprint, G4 Muzik. The deal will allow the dynamic duo the opportunity to sign, develop and market artists with distribution through SRC/Universal Records. They have also been in the studio working with Nelly, Bun B, Pitbull and Hurricane Chrisand were the receipients of an ASCAP Award this year and as well as scored their second Grammy for producing Lil' Wayne's hit single "Got Money" feat T-Pain.
TRACK LISTING
* Intro feat. LIL WAYNE and SWAY from MTV
* "TOP BACK"
* "GOT MO' MONEY" -feat. MANNIE FRESH,SLIM THUG and KILLA KYLEON
* "GET THE MONEY"-feat. TALIB KWELI and HURRICANE CHRIS
* "LICK YOU UP AND DOWN"- feat. SLIM from 112
* "SOMEBODY ELSE"- feat TPAIN
* "XXPENSIVE"
* "I GOT DAT THANG N' MY PANTS"- feat. TUM TUM and INERTIA
* "CHECKIN MY FRESH" -feat JAY Z
* "ON TOP OF THE WORLD"
* "1 MO' GIN"- feat. LIL JON,KRAYZIE BONE and BUN B
* "THROW YA HANDS UP"
* "IM GETTING MONEY"- CNN feat. SHAWTY LO
* "HEAD and SHOULDERS"- SUPASTAAR feat GORILLA ZOE and YUNG JO  MIAMI - Rapper Pitbull, whose chart-climbing songs have made him a bilingual favorite, was honored Wednesday with the key to Miami - an accomplishment he said officially cemented his title as "Mr. 305."
"I can't help but keep staring at it, because it's something I've worked so hard for," Pitbull said, looking down at the gold key. "I'm very passionate about Miami."
The Cuban-American performer and Miami native, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, was presented with the key by Miami Commissioner Thomas Regalado during the morning ceremony.
"Pitbull not only lives in Miami, but he's been traveling the country and the world sharing a positive message of Miami," Regalado announced. "So, we should honor not only the dignitaries that visit, but those individuals who make a positive impact on the city."
While growing up in urban Miami, hitting the streets to make money was the norm for Pitbull. But he said he educated himself throughout the process.
"Miami has built my character, and it has taught me a lot about life and helped me in my career," he said, wearing a three-piece gray suit.
Pitbull burst this year onto the mainstream scene with his single, "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," which topped charts worldwide and reached No. 2 on the American Billboard Hot 100.
Pitbull's material often references his roots - from album titles about Cuba like "The Boatlift" to frequent use of the nickname "Mr. 305," referring to Miami's area code.
His single, "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," topped charts worldwide and reached No. 2 on the American Billboard Hot 100.
Pitbull's fourth album, called "Rebelution," which features "Krazy", "Calle Ocho" and another hit single, "Hotel Room Service," is set to debut on Aug. 31.
"The new album has an international, global feel to it, but it's actually a tour of Miami through my mind, Pitbull said. "I'll take you through the streets of Miami, from southwest to northwest and all the way to the beach." CHART TOPPING ARTIST PITBULL READIES RELEASE OF BRAND NEW ALBUM, REBELUTION, ON AUGUST 31ST
“HOTEL ROOM SERVICE” AND “I KNOW YOU WANT ME” CONTINUE TOP 10 REIGN ON THE CHARTS
RECEIVES THREE TEEN CHOICE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
New York – Chart-topping entertainer Pitbull makes his highly anticipated return to the mic with the debut of his new solo LP, Rebelution. After dominating the charts for five solid months with his single “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho),” which peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart and has sold 1.6 million digital singles, the infectious song remains in the top 10 on the Top 40 Charts. Joining it is Pitbull’s latest, “Hotel Room Service,” which currently holds the #6 position on the Rhythmic charts. Rebelution, which will be released through Pitbull’s Mr. 305 imprint via Polo Grounds Music/J/RCA Music Group, will hit shelves and online on August 31st.
Boasting production from beatmakers such as Play N Skillz, Clinton Sparks and Grammy Award winning Jim Jonsin and featuring guests T-Pain, Akon, Lil Jon, Trick Daddy and Slim of 112, Pitbull will stake his claim as one of the best emcees in the game, showcasing his undeniable lyrical skills throughout the album’s entirety. While the official first single, “Hotel Room Service,” makes its way up the charts, the accompanying music video, directed by David Rousseau, made its debut on August 3rd on MTV Hits.
As he readies for the long awaited release of Rebelution, Pitbull is also celebrating his three Teen Choice Award nominations for Best Rap Artist, Best Rap/Hip Hop Track and Best Summer Song for “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho).” These nominations come on the heels of his winning the Billboard Latin Music Award for “Latin Digital Download Artist of the Year” for his hit single “Krazy.”
Selling over a million albums throughout his career, Pitbull has proved that he has true staying power. He is fresh off of his first ever Jimmy Kimmel Live performance and currently has two songs on iTunes Hot 100 and 11 songs on iTunes Latino Hot 100, indicating that his fans are eagerly awaiting his next offering.
Pitbull will kick-off his worldwide Rebelution Tour at the Harrah’s Casino in Valley Center, CA on September 18th with a final show on October 23rd at the Fillmore in Charlotte, NC, after which he will embark internationally through Canada and Europe through the end of November. For cities and dates, please log on to PlanetPit.com.  The Orchard & Team Pitbull Get "Krazy", Land a Gold Single, and Snag Billboard's Prize
NEW YORK - The Orchard, a global leader in music and video entertainment today announced that following the recent Gold Certification of Pitbull's single "Krazy," the hip-hop artist has been awarded the newly-created "Latin Digital Download Artist of the Year" by Billboard. Other nominated artists in this category, some of Latin Music's top stars, included Aventura, Enrique Iglesias, and Shakira. The award was presented to Pitbull at the Billboard Latin Music Award show on April 23rd in Miami.
The success of Pitbull in the Latin digital market comes as a result of an aggressive promotional campaign by The Orchard, who handled all digital marketing activities for Pitbull. Supported by Team Pitbull's outside radio promotion, The Orchard managed digital and mobile marketing activities around "Krazy." The single shot to No. 19 on Billboard's hot digital tracks, and at iTunes, it notched the No. 1 slot in Latin sales (as well as #4 in hip-hop and #16 overall). To date, "Krazy" has been downloaded more than 700,000 times.
"We promoted not only 'Krazy', but Pitbull, a hip hop artist whose unique music style crosses many genres, including pop, hip-hop, and Latin", commented Jaclyn Ranere, head of marketing for The Orchard. "Working with our Team Pitbull friends, we are pleased to see Pit honored and expect great things from Team Pitbull and Sony/Polo Grounds in the future."
The Pitbull BVConnect NEW ALBUM "REBELUTION" SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 1st RELEASE
HIT SINGLE "I KNOW YOU WANT ME (CALLE OCHO)" CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE CHARTS RECEIVES BILLBOARD LATIN MUSIC AWARD NOMINATION FOR "LATIN DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ARTIST OF THE YEAR"
New York, NY With two singles quickly climbing the charts, Pitbull has signed with Polo Grounds Music/RCA Music Group through his "Mr. 305, Inc" imprint. The relationship will not only involve recording, but also touring and branding opportunities.
Pitbull's current Ultra Records single "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" is presently No. 13 on the Rhythm charts and is the follow-up to his hit single "Krazy" which featured Lil Jon and went on to sell 700,000 downloads. Pitbull's digital download success just earned him a nomination in the upcoming Billboard Latin Music Awards in the newly created category "Latin Digital Download Artist of the Year."
While ascending the charts with one smash single, Pitbull has another hit in the works the recently released "Blanco" featuring Pharrell, is the first single from the original motion picture soundtrack for Fast & Furious 4 (Interscope/Star Trak), released March 31st. The Paul Hunter directed "Blanco" video premieres this week and features Pitbull alongside Pharrell and Chad of The Neptunes.
"I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," "Krazy," and "Blanco" are currently anticipated to be featured on Pitbull's debut PGM/RCAMG release Rebelution, scheduled for a September 1st, 2009 release.
The album will be executive produced by super producer Jim Jonsin (Lil Wayne, T.I.) and will also feature production from Jonsin, alongside Lil Jon (Ciara, Usher), Mr Collipark (Soulja Boy), Play N Skillz (Lil Wayne, Chamillionaire), The Neptunes (Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z) and others.
"Being able to be a part of Pitbull's career again after signing him to TVT Records 6 years ago is amazing. Being able to do this under Polo Grounds Music is even more satisfying. Pitbull's work ethic is like no other - he and his team prove that it's still about making music, taking chances and having fun" says Bryan Leach, President of Polo Grounds Music.
"We are truly excited to have signed Pitbull to the PGM/RCA MG family," comments Barry Weiss, Chairman and CEO, RCA/Jive Label Group. "Pitbull has been grinding for years and with such great visibility with the 'I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)' and 'Blanco' singles, now is the time to fully maximize his career."
"Being an art
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