08.11.2010

Rap star Lil Wayne released from NYC jail

NEW YORK – Lil Wayne has been freed from jail after serving eight months in a gun case, emerging with a hot new album, well-wishes from a former president and a deepened appreciation for his fans.

The city's Department of Correction website said Thursday the Grammy Award-winning rap star had been released from the Rikers Island jail complex.

"FREE AT LAST!!!!!!!" the rapper's longtime manager, Cortez Bryant, Tweeted Thursday morning.

His managers have said he planned to head for his home in Miami, where they're planning a welcome-home party Sunday.

"I was never scared, worried nor bothered by the situation" behind bars, Lil Wayne said Tuesday through Weezythanxyou.com, a website he set up to give fans a glimpse of his life in jail.

Lil Wayne, who had the best-selling album of 2008 and won a best rap album Grammy with "Tha Carter III," kept his career in high gear while locked up for having a loaded gun on his tour bus in 2007.

His latest album, "I Am Not a Human Being" — released while he was in solitary confinement in September — hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart last month. He also was featured on a string of hits by other artists, including Drake and Eminem, that came out while he was incarcerated — and he recorded a verse for the Drake/Jay-Z collaboration "Light Up" over on the phone for a "Rikers Remix" that made the rounds online.

President Barack Obama recently told Rolling Stone he has some Lil Wayne music on his iPod. And former President Bill Clinton praised the rapper's abilities during a phone interview with a Pittsburgh radio station Tuesday, adding that "what I hope will happen is that he has a good life now."

Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Carter Jr., pleaded guilty in October 2009 to attempted weapon possession, admitting he'd had a loaded, semiautomatic .40-caliber gun on his bus after a Manhattan concert.

He started a yearlong sentence in March but got time off for good behavior, despite a disciplinary knock that sent him to solitary for the last month of his term. A charger and headphones for a digital music player were found in his cell in May, jail officials said. The items are considered contraband.

The rapper later acknowledged the misstep on his Weezythanxyou site, where his associates typed up and posted periodic letters he wrote on topics ranging from his daily Rikers routine to new songs he'd heard and liked on the radio.

He also provided specific, individual responses to some of the fan mail that flooded his cell and became, he said, a source of cheer behind bars.

"I laughed with some of you, reasoned with some of you, and even cried with some of you," he wrote in a letter posted Tuesday. "I never imagined how much impact my words and life can have."

But he assured fans the impact hasn't completely changed an artist known for ingenious work that sometimes borders on weird: "I will be the same Martian I was when I left, just better."

A few die-hard fans huddled in the pre-dawn rain Thursday outside Rikers Island complex, hoping to get a glimpse of him.

Anthony Smith, 19, and his twin sister, Jess, got in their car at 1 a.m. in the town of Woodbury, N.Y., north of the city, to drive down with a couple of friends.

Smith said he's been listening to Lil Wayne for about a decade since his first album, "Tha Block is Hot."

"I feel that his words mean something ... He just has a gift," Smith said.

The group sang and rapped from some of Lil Wayne's songs and occasionally yelled, "Free Weezy," a reference to the rapper's nickname.

"I don't do this for just anyone," said Jess Smith.

Lil Wayne envisions recording new music and releasing a long-rumored "Tha Carter IV" next year, and he may also make a book out of a journal he kept in jail, according to his managers and associates.

But his priorities at the moment are reconnecting with his family ash; he has four children — and the Cash Money Records labelmates to whom he often refers as family, too.

"Family first ... then back to business," Cash Money co-founder Bryan "Birdman" Williams said in an interview last week.

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Eight Lady Gagas to enter Madame Tussauds worldwide

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Pop singer Lady Gaga is to be immortalized in eight Madame Tussauds locations worldwide on December 9, with each wax figure sporting a different flamboyant outfit.

Teams in London are working on the $2.4 million project, replicating such looks as the lace body stocking outfit worn to the Brit Awards this year, a towering purple hair piece used in Denmark, and a telephone hat and costume she donned for a London TV show.

The wax likenesses will be installed at Madame Tussauds in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Hollywood, Las Vegas, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Details of which city will get which look are being kept under wraps until launch day.

"As one of the biggest and most unique talents in the world, she is the perfect subject for the biggest figure launch in Madame Tussauds' history. All of the styles being worked on are classic Gaga," Madame Tussauds said in a statement.

Lady Gaga, 24, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, has dominated the music world for the past two years, turning out dance hits like "Bad Romance", and "Telephone" and amassing more than 20 million followers on Facebook.

Her 2008 album "The Fame" has spent more than 100 weeks on the U.S. Billboard charts and she has become known for stunts like setting her piano on fire, and dressing entirely in raw meat.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant)

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CRS Music & Media Partners with BFM Digital for Worldwide Distribution of Caribbean and Reggae Content

Caribbean label CRS Music & Media, a member of COT Media Group, a marketing and production organization made up of 5 complementary companies based in Barbados, has signed on with BFM Digital to handle the digital distribution and marketing of their multi-genre catalog. , a leading digital distributor of independent music, will be distributing the content.

Los Angeles, CA (Vocus) October 19, 2010

Caribbean label , a member of COT Media Group, a marketing and production organization made up of 5 complementary companies based in Barbados, has signed on with BFM Digital to handle the digital distribution and marketing of their multi-genre catalog. BFM Digital, a leading digital distributor of independent music, will be distributing the content.

This important partnership aids in vastly expanding the reach of CRS Music & Media beyond their operation in Barbados and the Caribbean islands to audiences throughout the rest of the World. It also propels CRS toward their goal of introducing larger audiences to lesser-known Caribbean genres such as Soca, Calypso, Steelpan, and Spouge. COT Media Group utilizes this relationship to introduce digital distribution into an already well-rounded offering of services to their clients that includes branding design, marketing strategy development, manufacturing of promotional materials and publishing representation.

CRS will also gain support from BFM’s suite of marketing and publicity services to launch a comprehensive campaign for their catalogue as well as their Holiday content, including compilation “The Very Best Caribbean Christmas Ever!,” “Caribbean Christmas Party” by The Merrymen and “Steel Drums at Christmas” by the Banks Soundtech Steel Orchestra. More will come closer to the Holiday season on these releases.

“BFM is pleased to welcome CRS Music & Media and their eclectic blend of Caribbean artists and albums to our library of content providers. It’s refreshing to work with a company that offers a diverse array of services that fully realizes the extent of an artist’s needs.” Says Steven Weber, President of BFM Digital.

All content from CRS Music & Media will now be available online through all major digital retailers such as iTunes, Amazon mp3 and eMusic, as well as niche stores such as iRibbeanTunes. Popular titles from the CRS catalog include, “Greatest Hits Vol. 1” and “Beautiful Barbados” both by The Merrymen along with “Steel Drums & Island Music” and “Barbados Steel Drums” that effortlessly capture the island breezes of the Caribbean.

“Working with the team at BFM Digital has given new life to our existing and future catalogue. They have provided the conduit through their distribution model ,that as and independent multi genre label makes a difference to our bottom line and that of the lifestyle of the Artists we represent,” says Derek Wilkie, Managing Director at CRS.

For more information on CRS Music & Media, please visit:

Please contact Heather Noonan / BFM Digital with any questions at pr (at) bfmdigital (dot) com or 818-762-0191.

BFM Digital, Inc.BFM Digital is a global digital music company committed to serving the independent music community and delivering quality music, spoken word and video content to leading online retailers worldwide. Representing a diverse catalog of indie labels, artists and publishers, BFM distributes to all of the major music services including iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic, Napster, Walmart, Nokia and many more. With an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, BFM works closely with their content providers from around the world to ensure maximum exposure of their catalog by customizing marketing efforts and building strong relationships with BFM's digital store partners.

CRS Music & Media, Ltd. CRS Music & Media, a member of the C Media Group, is a multi-genre label that represents artists from all over the Caribbean while based in Barbados.This catalog of music includes Soca, Calypso, Reggae, Steelpan, Jazz, Atlernative, R&B, Holiday, Spouge and many more.Artists share roots in Caribbean culture, but have a universal appeal to audiences outside of the islands.

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Heather NoonanBFM Digital818-762-0191Email Information

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