Miri's Moment ... Long-Awaited Debut, Miri Ben-Ari: The Hip-Hop Violinist in Stores September 20th

Miri's Moment ... Long-Awaited Debut, Miri Ben-Ari: The Hip-Hop Violinist in Stores September 20th

Miri Ben-Ari: The Hip-Hop Violinist Features Contributions From Kanye West, John Legend, Akon, Scarface, Baby, Lil Wayne, Anthony Hamilton and Lil Mo

Multi-Faceted Partnership With Footwear /Apparel Powerhouse Reebok Spawns a First-of-Its-Kind Collaboration

Kool Sponsored 14 City National Tour With Busta Rhymes Slated to Begin in Fall

"Miri Ben-Ari is truly an army of one - carving her own niche in an increasingly fragmented genre" -XXL

"Miri enlists big names to create original Hip-Hop music enhanced by her string arrangements" -the SOURCE

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- After whetting the public's appetite with the soul stirring single "Sunshine To The Rain," featuring Scarface and Anthony Hamilton and the slanguistic twist of the E 40 and Lil' Flip heater "Sick With Da Flip," the long awaited major label debut Miri Ben-Ari: The Hip Hop Violinist, hits the streets on September 20th. With an instrument that runs the gamut of emotions, Miri has composed inspirational instrumentals, which evoked conscious, heartfelt renderings from her assembled all-star collaborators. "The artists on my album were all very talented and unique, and most have never worked with a violinist, so we pushed each other creatively," she gleefully states. The end result, a groundbreaking fusion of her crisp, soulful violin and hard-edged hip-hop production, has the streets abuzz with the new single "We Gonna Win" with one of the hardest lyricists in the game, Styles P. Of their creative coup, Miri says, "'We Gonna Win' is a song of triumph. It represents my personal belief that with hard work, talent and dedication, everything is possible. It's a one-of-a-kind marriage between rap and classical music, where the music doesn't accompany the vocalist, but rather stands on its own."

Adding a twist to the single is the Paul Schneider-helmed video, which launches a first-of-its-kind business venture between Universal Motown Records and footwear/apparel giant Reebok. Marking Reebok's first foray into the actual creation of a music video, Ben-Ari and Styles P. wear customized RBK branded apparel, footwear and accessories. The partnership will also highlight Israeli superstar, Ben-Ari, as the newest face of the brand's global "I Am What I Am" advertising campaign, featuring print, online and retail components. As the latest celebrity endorsee to be featured in Reebok's "I Am What I Am" worldwide advertising campaign, Ben-Ari will join contemporary heroes of today's global youth including Allen Iverson, Jay-Z, Yao Ming, 50 Cent, Nelly, Donovan McNabb, Christina Ricci, and Stevie Williams. "Partnering with Reebok is a natural fit for me because they truly value artists who are not afraid to be different and stand out from the crowd," said Ben-Ari. "I am excited to work with Reebok on my new music video and thrilled to be part of their 'I Am What I Am' campaign."

Initially introduced to the hip-hop community by superstars Jay-Z and Wyclef Jean, joining them both onstage in front of packed houses, Miri's live performances are becoming legendary. While preparing her album, Miri has managed to share stages across the globe with Kanye West, thanks to her Grammy award-winning contributions to his multi-platinum, classic debut The College Dropout. She has also wowed thousands more at numerous athletic events with her rousing rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner." In fact, it was her performance of the national anthem at a TJ Martell Foundation event in New York that brought her to the attention of Universal Music Group's chairman and CEO Doug Morris and eventually led to her signing with Universal Records.

Miri gets to show her wares with dynamic showman Busta Rhymes on The Kool New Jazz Philosophy Tour. Dates are as follow:

10/3 Baltimore, MD Ram's Head 10/6 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory 10/8 Boston, MA Avalon 10/10 Cleveland, OH House of Blues 10/14 San Diego, CA Cains 10/17 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues 10/21 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle 10/24 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Theatre 10/26 Milwaukee, WI The Rave 10/29 Chicago, IL House of Blues 10/31 St Louis, MO The Pageant 11/3 Houston, TX Hush 11/5 Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room 11/10 San Francisco, CA The Grand

Source: Universal Records

CONTACT: Jody Miller or Dave Goodson, both of JLMPR, +1-212-431-5227; or Shirronda Sweet of Universal Motown, +1-212-841-8622

Web site: http://www.universalrecords.com/

------- Profile: Ent