Rhapsody and MTV Set the Stage for Jay-Z's Latest Album, 'The Blueprint 3'

Rhapsody and MTV Set the Stage for Jay-Z's Latest Album, 'The Blueprint 3'

-- Rhapsody and MTV are the exclusive places to hear the new Jay-Z album, The Blueprint 3, starting September 1, nearly two weeks prior to official release date -- Rhapsody will be the exclusive retailer for The Blueprint 3 from September 8-10, prior to official September 11 release date -- Two exclusive bonus tracks will be available from Rhapsody on September 8 -- Rhapsody collaborates with Jay-Z on TV advertisements promoting the new album -- Rhapsody to premiere a 60-second customized Jay-Z advertisement in 2009 MTV VMAs

SEATTLE and NEW YORK, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hip-hop superstar and music industry mogul Jay-Z has teamed up with Rhapsody and MTV to promote the highly-anticipated release of his new album, "The Blueprint 3." As part of the partnership, the entire album will be available for fans to listen to for free on Rhapsody.com (www.rhapsody.com/jay-z) and from MTV's "The Leak" (http://theleak.mtv.com/), almost two weeks prior to its official release. In addition, Rhapsody will also make the new album available for purchase beginning September 8, three days ahead of the street release, and will include two exclusive bonus tracks.

   (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh//LA67844)   (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070821/AQTU905LOGO-a)   

Leading this partnership, three new Rhapsody TV spots featuring Jay-Z and his hit song "Run This Town" featuring Kanye West and Rihanna, will debut starting on September 1 across MTV Networks. In addition to two 30-second ads, Rhapsody will premiere a 60-second version of the ad in the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on September 13.

"It's great to get the support of two major music industry players for The Blueprint 3," said Jay-Z. "Rhapsody brought an amazing creative vision to the table, and it was exciting collaborating with them."

"Jay-Z's hands-on participation throughout this creative process has been incredibly refreshing for an artist of his stature," said Jessica Friedberg, senior director of consumer marketing at Rhapsody America. "Rhapsody is excited to showcase a unique 60 second TV spot leading into his performance at the VMAs. Being able to combine this creative campaign and the early release of his new album with MTV Networks gives us all a unique way to connect with his fans, old and new."

The Jay-Z spots are the latest installment of Rhapsody's ongoing "Fans Get It" campaign. Rhapsody's "Fans Get It" campaign kicked off earlier this year with a massive promotion around Green Day's hugely successful release "21st Century Breakdown," followed with more promotions with top artists in genres from pop to country. The "Fans Get It" campaign has utilized a similar treatment through all the ads, which celebrate the culture and iconography of artists' careers, enabling them direct involvement in the creative development of the spot. These high-profile promotions both serve as a great vehicle to further connect music fans with the artists they love, and have also contributed to significant increases in brand awareness and user engagement for Rhapsody's music subscription service. Over a two-month period following the Green Day television spot, the subscription service's usage grew by 20 percent.

   Promotion Details   --  Beginning September 1, users can stream the new album in its entirety       at Rhapsody (www.rhapsody.com/jay-z) and MTV's "The Leak"       (http://theleak.mtv.com/).   --  In addition, Rhapsody will debut three new television advertisements       for the album featuring Jay-Z, starting on September 1. The       commercials will be available online at www.rhapsody.com/jay-z.    --  On September 8, the album will be available for purchase on the       Rhapsody MP3 Store at www.rhapsody.com/mp3, three days ahead of street       release. Rhapsody's version of the album will feature two exclusive       tracks.     ABOUT RHAPSODY  

Rhapsody is an integrated and immersive digital music experience accessible to consumers via their computer, portable music device and their Verizon Wireless mobile phone. Rhapsody is the exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks , Inc. and for MTV Networks' music and pop-culture brands in the United States. Rhapsody is a service of Rhapsody America LLC, a joint venture between MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) and RealNetworks (NASDAQ:RNWK) . Rhapsody and the Rhapsody logo are registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc.

ABOUT MTV

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 27 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries -- giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV is the number one rated full-day ad-supported cable network for P12-24. Online, MTV.com averaged 8.5 million monthly unique visitors during the first quarter of 2009 -- up +6% from Q4/2008 and up +6% year-over-year. Total video streams for the first quarter of 2009 increased 21% over the same time period last year. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B) , one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in... www.mtvpress.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh//LA67844
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070821/AQTU905LOGO-a
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Rhapsody

CONTACT: Oona Rokyta of Rhapsody, +1-206-892-6445, orokyta@real.com,
Twitter - @orokyta

Web Site: http://www.rhapsody.com/jay-z
http://theleak.mtv.com/
http://www.mtvpress.com/

---

Profile: International Entertainment