Hip-Hop 'Hitchhiker' From Capitol Heights, MD in the Running to Launch Music by Cell Phone on V CAST Music

Hip-Hop 'Hitchhiker' From Capitol Heights, MD in the Running to Launch Music by Cell Phone on V CAST Music

LAUREL, Md., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Local Hip Hop band Hitchhiker is one step closer to being the first unsigned songwriter to launch a musical career on a wireless phone. Hitchhiker was selected by Verizon Wireless and MySpace to be one of the 15 semifinalists in the "Calling All Bands" contest (http://www.myspace.com/callingallbands) from more than 4,000 bands across all musical genres. The winning band or songwriter will have the opportunity to have their song, music video, ring tone and ring back tone released on Verizon Wireless.

From March 13 through March 22, the MySpace network of more than 60 million users can listen to Hitchhiker and all the semifinalists and vote online for their favorite at http://www.myspace.com/callingallbands.* The five entries receiving the most votes will become finalists; Verizon Wireless will select the winner who will be announced on MySpace March 29.

Hitchhiker is both the nickname and musical brainchild of Antwane Smith of Capitol Heights, Maryland, a new father who served in the US Army in Bosnia and Kosovo. He's one of two Hip Hop artists selected as a semifinalist. He describes his song "Summer Feeling," as "emotional and passionate; soulful with a touch of the unpredictable."

Hitchhiker began his music career at age 14, but he describes his musical education and his nickname starting around age seven when his parents' separated.

"All those years of traveling between cities to visit parents and family exposed me to all kinds of music and influences, and that's where the universalism in my own music comes from," said Smith. "I love all kinds of music -- jazz, reggae, pop, rock, Latin -- everything. I'm trying to relay a positive message so people can both listen and find something that might help them to grow."

Verizon Wireless will release the "Calling All Bands" winner's song on V CAST Music -- marking the first time an unsigned band will release its first single on a wireless phone. The winner will also collaborate with Verizon Wireless and a MySpace Independent Filmmaker to produce a music video that will be released on V CAST and the Calling all Bands Community on MySpace, plus a ring tone and ring back tone of the winning song that will be available for purchase by Verizon Wireless customers. The program Verizon Wireless is running on MySpace helped Verizon Wireless introduce up and coming bands to the mobile world, further extending the music experience on customers' communication devices they use most every day -- their wireless phones.

Listen to Hitchhiker's music and more and vote for your favorite new artist at http://www.myspace.com/callingallbands. Smith's own website is http://www.hikervision.com/.

V CAST Music

V CAST Music from Verizon Wireless lets customers play music from well- known and independent artists on their wireless phones -- the same devices they have come to rely on for mobile entertainment, information and communication. The V CAST Music store will contain a million songs by spring and lets customers browse, preview, download and play high-quality digital music from their phones or in the Verizon Wireless V CAST Music online store. Songs cost $0.99 if purchased from the PC or $1.99 if purchased and downloaded over the air onto a V CAST Music phone.

V CAST Music runs on Verizon Wireless' broadband network, the most robust, award-winning wireless broadband network in the nation, available to 150 million people from coast to coast.

Customers need a V CAST-enabled phone and a subscription to the V CAST VPak, which is $15.00 monthly access, added to their Verizon Wireless calling plan to access V CAST Music and music videos on their phones. Customers interested in managing their music from their PCs need Windows Media Player 10; a free download of the player is available online in the V CAST Music store.

V CAST Music is available through Verizon Wireless' 2,000 Communications Stores and Circuit City locations and online at http://www.verizonwireless.com/. For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/music.

* No purchase necessary. Void outside the U.S.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 51.3 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE:VOD). Find more information on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Source: Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Sherri Cunningham, +1-202-364-5856, or John Johnson,
+1-240-568-1429, John.H.Johnson@VerizonWireless.com, both of Verizon Wireless

Web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://www.hikervision.com/
http://www.myspace.com/callingallbands

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