Jive Records Names Chris Lighty Senior Vice President; Violator Records To Be Distributed By Jive; Rap Trailblazers Mobb Deep Are First Signing.

Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 2003

Jive Records has appointed Chris Lighty to the position of Senior Vice President.

Lighty also maintains his title of President, Violator Records, which will now be brought under the Jive umbrella. The announcement was made today by Barry Weiss, President, Jive Records and Peter Thea, Senior Vice President, Jive Records.

In the newly created position, Lighty will take on A&R responsibilities, with his Violator Records imprint to be exclusively within the Zomba/Jive group of labels worldwide. As his first signing, Lighty has brought rap pillars Mobb Deep to the label. The duo, Prodigy and Havoc, have been together for over ten years and are known for their gritty, gangsta rap style. Their success is marked by one platinum album, "Murda Muzik" and two gold albums, "The Infamous" and "Hell On Earth." Their first Violator/Jive album is to be released in August, to be preceded in July by the "V3" compilation, the third in a series of previously certified gold and platinum albums.

Commented Weiss: "Chris has a long history with Jive Records dating back to the late 1980's when he was the manager of A Tribe Called Quest. We couldn't be happier to welcome him and his Violator Records imprint into the Jive family. His proven track record and innovative, entrepreneurial spirit makes Jive, Chris and Violator a natural fit."

"Mobb Deep is a group I've always admired for their no-holds barred underground street attitude and their serious self contained talent which makes them timeless. This is an exciting development for us," continued Weiss.

Said Lighty: "I have known Barry and Jive for the length of my career. This is who I feel the most comfortable with and I expect to continue my learning curve here at Jive. The talent this label has on the roster is second to none and I look forward to working with everyone."

About Chris Lighty:

Chris Lighty's humble beginnings can be found in the Bronx projects, carrying crates into local clubs for the legendary DJ Red Alert and hanging out with his Violator posse. After passing on both a basketball and football scholarship to study electrical engineering by day and club-hop at night, he eventually became a road manager for the Jungle Brothers.

He was then asked by Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen to join their fledgling RUSH Management team and shortly afterward, he started the indie Violator Records label at Relativity with artists like Fat Joe and the Beatnuts on the roster. After moving the company to Def Jam, he broke Warren G's four-million-selling "Regulate" album wide-open, then inked Cru AND Foxy Brown to the Violator Records label. His burgeoning Violator Management company (run with partner Mona Scott) boasts a heavy roster of its own, including Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, and Mobb Deep.

After finding the time to serve as executive producer for LL Cool J's double-platinum "Mr. Smith" album, while maintaining his management position, Lighty sold off the Violator Records roster to Def Jam and embarked on a new chapter in his career at Loud, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President before joining Jive.

About Violator Records:

In 1999, "Violator The Album (V1)" was released. The platinum CD featured a reunited Capone-N-Noreaga, some of the last music from Big Pun and new tracks from Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep and LL Cool J and introduced the first solo record from Q-Tip since his departure from long-time Violator management clients, A Tribe Called Quest. That track, "Vivrant Thing," went on to #1 and garnered Grammy, Soul Train, and MTV Award nominations.

"V1" set the scene for 2001's "V2" album. Critically acclaimed, "V2" features new tracks from Prodigy, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, and CNN, including the club burner, "What It Is," and the street anthem, "Grimey."

About Mobb Deep:

While most hardcore gangsta rappers and rap groups are quickly written off by seasoned rap fans and critics as lowbrow exploitation, Mobb Deep have overcome this initial stereotype, becoming one of the few gangsta rap groups to garner unanimous acclaim from all sides of the rap community. Mobb Deep members Prodigy and Havoc originally met while both attending the prestigious Graphic Arts High School in Manhattan as teenagers, thanks to their mutual residence in Queens along with their mutual passion for hip-hop. Their brutally honest reality rapping and complimentary melancholy beats landed them a deal with Loud Records in 1995, resulting in their first major-label release, "The Infamous."

Propelled to awareness partially by fellow Queens rapper Nas, Mobb Deep suddenly found themselves developing a quickly growing cult following. A year later in 1996, Prodigy and Havoc released "Hell on Earth"; debuting at number six on Soundscan, the album found them fully realizing their approach, dropping both evocative beats and cinematic rhymes that communicated the dark side of New York's urban landscape.

Months after bootlegs first leaked and after several pushed-back street dates, "Murda Muzik" finally dropped, debuting at number three on Soundscan and quickly going platinum on the strength of "Quiet Storm," a song that epitomized the signature Mobb Deep style. Not surprisingly, the album was welcomed by critics, who again applauded the group's lucid cinematics, driven primarily by Havoc's inimitable production.

About Jive Records:

Jive and its associated labels, Silvertone, Verity, Mojo, Volcano and Nick Records (a joint venture with Nickelodeon) are home to a diverse group of top entertainers, including: R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Petey Pablo, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter, Joe, Mystikal, Aaron Carter, Nivea, Nick Cannon, Buddy Guy, Tool and Weird Al Yankovic, as well as celebrated gospel artists Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Fred Hammond and John P. Kee. The company is owned by BMG, the worldwide music division of Bertelsmann AG.