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Once
available only to New York audiences and street savvy kids,
the “other” music industry, that of the mixtape scene, has
been in the media a lot lately--the tapes themselves often
gain more notoriety than major label releases--and has
launched the careers of many of today’s hottest artists
including 50 Cent, The
Lox, Game, Fabolous, the Diplomats and Jadakiss. It has also brought about a metamorphosis of the role of
DJs in hip-hop, many of whom have parlayed their mixtape
successes into successful business ventures, like TV shows,
jewelry, clothing lines, DVDs, record deals and radio shows,
some notables being DJ Clue, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Whoo Kid and of course Shady/Aftermath’s
own, DJ Green
Lantern.
Enter “Mix-Tape Radio”, the new, 3-hour weekly radio show announced
today by New York-based syndicator X
Radio and producer FM2,
in which Green will have the opportunity to showcase all of
his phenomenal skills as well as his amazing rolodex of
artists in a way not previously available to listeners
nationwide.
Green
Lantern’s career trajectory has ascended rapidly since his
first foray into hip-hop back in ’90 as a party DJ. Though
he always knew he was destined to produce, it was rocking
parties that paid the bills for the Rochester, NY native and
he made quite a name for himself doing it. Green dropped the
first of many mixtapes in ’95 and he soon not only had the
attention of the streets, but was regularly tapped by
companies such as Shady
LTD., Heineken, Roc-a-Fella, Def Jam, Loud, Cornerstone
Promotions and Dr. Pepper for his evil creations. Most recently, Green designed his
own limited edition signature 50/59 fitted baseball cap for New
Era.
Green’s
mixtape career has certainly not been short on awards and
rewards over the past five years, having won multiple Justo
Mixtape Awards, XXL’s Mixtape of the Year two years
running and the opportunity to join the Shady Aftermath
family, both as Eminem’s
DJ in 2002 and then as an artist in his own right on Shady/Interscope
Records in 2003, with his album “Armageddon” scheduled to
drop early in 2005. “Armageddon” is built around Green’s
unique talent behind the boards and will include features by Em
and the Shady fam,
50 Cent and G Unit, label newcomers Busta
Rhymes and Stat Quo
as well as Fat Joe,
Wyclef, Ghostface, T.I. the late ODB and many more.
Mixtapes like “Tupac:
Rap Phenomenon” and both the “Invasion”
and “Countdown to Armageddon” series have kept Green’s name hot in
the streets and his production skills sought by hip-hop’s
elite. It is, in fact, Green Lantern’s production skills,
combined with his access to the exclusives that are the envy
of his peers, which set him apart from the pack and brought
him to the attention of programming providers X
Radio and syndication and program producers FM2.
DJ Green
Lantern is no stranger to radio. His already successful show “In Da Lab” can be heard every Tuesday night on NY’s premier
station Hot 97 from
midnight to 2AM. He is also the official DJ on Eminem’s
newly launched Shade 45 on Sirius Radio.
When asked
about his feelings on making the jump to coast-to-coast
terrestrial radio, Green just smiled. “Hey, this is all part
of the evil plan. It’s a national invasion on the FM dial.
Ya can’t stop it! Look for me doing my thing across the
country. You know what that means ~ world premieres of my
exclusive mixes and appearances from all of my Shady Records
fam….holding me down!”
“DJ
Green Lantern represents the pulse of hip-hop’s next big
trends and sounds“says FM2’s CEO Rick Martin.
“Mixtapes have become the measuring stick of artist street
credibility and Green is at the forefront of how hip-hop music
is promoted and marketed to the urban consumer today.”
X
Radio President
Kirk Stirland had this to say about his newest venture:
“’Mix-Tape Radio’ takes a huge street phenomenon right
onto the radio using DJ Green Lantern. The guy is an original
artist and radio gets to hitch a ride on the buzz he is
generating. If you add to that his connection with Eminem and
access to those artists the streets are hungry for, you have
all the ingredients for a hit show.”
Those
anxious to hear “Mix-Tape Radio” for themselves can do so
the weekend of January 7-9, 2005 with the airing of a Special
Edition which will be free of any network commercials. “We
want to kick off ‘Mix-Tape Radio’ in a big way, on the
first full weekend of the Winter Book,” comments Kirk
Stirland. “This show will be a real tune-in event, with
Eminem and many other celebrities helping Green Lantern launch
his first nationally syndicated show. We want programmers and
listeners alike to hear it first hand.”
Full
syndication of “Mix-Tape Radio” will begin the week of
January 31st, 2005.
Reservations
for the free debut Special Edition of “Mix-Tape Radio” and information about
the weekly syndicated version is available from:
Terry
Foxx,
Director
of Urban Programming
X
Radio
310.442.5531
tfoxx@xradionetworks.com
.
Publicity
Contact:
Nancy
Byron
“It”
Girl PR
310.577.1122
Nancy@ItGirlPublicRelations.com
About
X Radio
X
Radio Networks produces and syndicates more than 25 music
programs and prep services in a variety of formats to more
than 2,500 radio stations nationwide. Programs and prep
services include The Countdown with Walt “Baby”
Love and Walt “Baby”
Love’s Gospel Traxx, The Ross Brittain Report, Russell
Simmons’
Hip Hop Laws of Success, and Country Kickers prep service.
Excelsior
Radio Networks owns and operates X Radio Networks and MJI
Interactive, as well as Dial Communications-Global Media.
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