Acclaimed Guerilla Director, Producer Shomi Patwary Joins KarmaloopTV

Acclaimed Guerilla Director, Producer Shomi Patwary Joins KarmaloopTV

Illusive Media Co-Founder, Fam-Lay, Clipse, Lupe Fiasco Collaborator Brings Unique Video Style and Creativity to Karmaloop's Multiplatform Online Video Channel

BOSTON, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Karmaloop.com today announced the addition of critically acclaimed music video director and television producer Shomi Patwary to its KarmaloopTV creative team. The Co-Founder of Virginia-based underground multimedia design collective Illusive Media, Patwary, among other accomplishments, is known for helping Sean Paul, N-E-R-D, and other national acts reach broader fan bases. He has also directed numerous music videos for Fam-Lay and The Clipse, and collaborated with Lupe Fiasco, Asher Roth, 9th Wonder and Stalley, among other artists.

Patwary will work with KarmaloopTV to create exclusive music videos in ways that will fundamentally shift how musicians work with digital networks, according to Greg Selkoe, Karmaloop's founder and CEO.

His hiring reflects the company's creative verve that fuels "verge culture," the intersection of lifestyle, music and fashion at the crux of the progressive global concrete culture phenomenon. Featuring exclusive political, celebrity, informational and music content, KarmaloopTV since its 2008 launch has aired segments with artists, performers and icons including Diddy, Lil' Wayne, Mos Def, Tony Hawk, Danny Boyle, M.I.A, Betsey Johnson and Kid Cudi, among many others.

Patwary's association with KarmaloopTV began several years ago when Pharrel Williams, the multiplatform, broadband programming network's Creative Director, commissioned Illusive Media to produce and shoot a pilot for a hip, urban show along the lines of Comedy Central's The Daily Show. Patwary's initial collaboration with the network indirectly continued when he dropped an a cappella version of the Fam-Lay single "Da Beeper Record" for remixing to well-known DJ Redfoxx, AKA Julian Wadsworth, now a KarmaloopTV director.

Wadsworth, a Virgina native from Norfolk, and a KarmaloopTV crew subsequently visited Illusive Media's Virginia Beach studios to shoot a behind-the-scenes video on the making of an Asher Roth video, which Patwary, with limited resources, directed and released within two weeks. Wadsworth also helped Illusive Media launch a video channel, after which Patwary began feeding exclusive content to KarmaloopTV.

"I have always loved the Karmaloop world, and expressed to [Julian] my wish to join the team," Patwary explained. "After sending them exclusive content over a year or so, I met with Greg [Selkoe] and here I am! Julian and I both have Virginia roots and like a lot of the same music. For example, he recently had me direct photography for the Diplo/Nicky Da B "Express Yourself" music video in New Orleans, where we worked the shoot guerilla style, lighting up the night scene with an iPhone.

"I believe the video will go viral, as it's all over the blogosphere from Pitchfork to Hypetrak," Patwary continued. "This is the type of production and style that I'm really excited to bring to KarmaloopTV. We work really well together, and are psyched to further develop radical new collaborative efforts with the hottest musicians. We're all on the same creative page and are fully down with this!"

"Shomi's creativity and volume of work with a truly impressive array of the most cutting-edge musicians is truly astounding," Greg Selkoe said. "Rather than attempting to mirror major studio values and methods, with often bare-boned resources he creates truly inspiring and productions that attract the industry's most talented and creative artists.

"Shomi and the rest of our team have rolled up our sleeves and can't wait to make wonderful music...and videos together as part of the growing exclusive content that makes KarmaloopTV both unique and the envy of larger, less-nimble production houses," Selkoe said.

About Karmaloop.com:
Karmaloop.com is one of the world's largest and most-respected online retailers of "streetwear" (including footwear, apparel and accessories). The company was founded by Greg Selkoe in 2000 and is headquartered in Boston, MA, with an office and TV studio in New York City and a Karmaloop Europe home base in Denmark.Karmaloop.com sells over 500 men's and women's brands to a loyal customer base spanning 80 countries, with Karmaloop online platforms attracting more than 4.5 million unique monthly visitors. Karmaloop, Inc. owns and operates Karmaloop.com, KarmaloopTV.com, PLNDR.com, BoylstonTradingCo.com, BrickHarbor.com, StreetAmmo.dk (soon to be Karmaloop Europe) and Kazbah Underground Brands, and owns 11 private label clothing brands.

The Karmaloop family includes Karmaloop TV (www.KarmaloopTV.com), a multi-platform broadband programming network which was launched in 2008 and received 69 million video views in 2011. Karmaloop TV is planning to launch as a 24/7 linear network via IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) in 2012.

SOURCE Karmaloop.com

Karmaloop.com

CONTACT: Nikki Nardick, S&S Public Relations, +1-847-415-9307, nnardick@sspr.com

Web Site: http://www.karmalooptv.com

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