2006: A Banner Year for Chris Lighty's Violator Management

2006: A Banner Year for Chris Lighty's Violator Management

* A Career Tally of Over 70 Million Albums Sold

* New Signings Such as Diddy and Fantasia

* Historic Oscar Win for Three 6 Mafia

* New Ventures for 50 Cent, Missy Elliott and LL Cool J

NEW YORK, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Chris Lighty, CEO Violator Management, "one of the industry's most influential talent managers" (Forbes), has plenty of reasons to celebrate this season. A trailblazer at heart, Chris Lighty and Violator spent 2006 re-writing the book on global entertainment management, while logging over 70 million albums sold throughout Violator's existence.

Lighty is the formidable behind-the-scenes operator whose multimedia company guides the careers of Hip-hop's hottest, including: Diddy, 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Three 6 Mafia, Fantasia, Papoose, Winky Wright, and others. 2006 marked the massive, cross-media expansion of Violator's empire with deals spanning the music, film, television, advertising, sports and financial industries -- elevating Violator to unprecedented heights.

Blazing new ground in integrated deal-making, Violator took on the management of Hip-Hop icon Diddy in 2006; was instrumental in orchestrating 50 Cent's investment in the Glaceau-owned Vitamin Water; and continued the 50 Cent Reebok deal movement worldwide.

It was also a year of firsts: Violator's Three 6 Mafia received an Oscar for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," from the movie "Hustle & Flow," positioning them historically as the first African-American Hip-hop group to win an Academy Award for Best Song. They were also the first Hip-hop artists ever to perform at the ceremony.

With record company budgets at an all-time low, Violator-managed Papoose secured an impressive 1.5 million dollar deal with Jive Records -- validating not only the artist's talent, but Violator's ability to break through barriers.

In June 2006, Violator's Mona Scott, sold Missy Elliot's life story to Universal Pictures. Universal's expectations are so high that they plan to have Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal produce and Diane Houston write and direct.

In Violator's latest round, Winky Wright -- champion boxer -- took another step towards a middleweight crown on December 12th by easily beating Ike Quartey in 12 rounds. Look out for the Jermaine Taylor and Winky Wright rematch in 2007!

As Hip-hop has become an international phenomenon and the prevailing youth culture, Chris Lighty has maintained his presence from the streets, navigating through both ends of the spectrum. His winning methods and vast playbook are rooted in Hip-hop culture. He's been a leader, an inspiration, and a driving force with his artists, leaving an indelible mark that no other manager can rival in these times.

Combining business savvy with passion, instinct and an unwavering sense of community, he's also surrounded himself with an exceptional team and support system.

It is a new era in the music industry, one that will be earmarked by the bold, visionary moves and next-level thinking of the man we know as The Violator.

Source: Violator Management

CONTACT: Leyla Turkkan, +1-646-792-2180, or +1-917-374-8020,
leylaturkkan@aol.com, or Rey Roldan, +1-646-792-2182, rey@reybee.com, both of
The Catalyst for Violator Management

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