Grammy-Nominated Songstress Ledisi and Rap Legend Doug E. Fresh Added to ESSENCE Music Festival Line-Up

Grammy-Nominated Songstress Ledisi and Rap Legend Doug E. Fresh Added to ESSENCE Music Festival Line-Up

NEW YORK, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Grammy-nominated songstress Ledisi and rap legend Doug E. Fresh have been added as Superlounge artists during the 2010 Essence Music Festival. The artists, who will both perform on Sunday, July 4th, will join a stellar line-up of artists performing during the annual event over the Fourth of July weekend, including: Janet Jackson; Mary J. Blige; Alicia Keys; Earth, Wind & Fire; Gladys Knight; Trey Songz; Chrisette Michele; Estelle; Irma Thomas; Melanie Fiona; Mary Mary; Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra; Arrested Development and many more.

Ledisi is featured in ESSENCE's July issue feature, Why I Love Being a Black Woman, where nine leading ladies talk about what they love about themselves. Visit www.essence.com to hear Real Woman -- an exclusive song Ledisi dedicated in honor of the photo shoot.

Doug E. Fresh, the first human beat box in the rap world -- and still the best of all time -- has amazed audiences with his note-perfect imitations of drum machines, effects, and often large samples of hip-hop classics. By 1985, he was one of the biggest names in rap music, and his first single for Reality, The Show/La Di Da Di, became a hip-hop classic.

For additional information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL, visit www.essencemusicfestival.com. For the most updated information on the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL's weekend long festivities, please visit Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Essence-Online/68771922854?ref=ts#!/profile.php ?id=1662732956&ref=ts) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/essencemusic).

The presenting sponsor for the 2010 Essence Music Festival is Coca-Cola. Other 2010 sponsors include Coors Light, CoverGirl Queen, Ford, McDonald's, Olay, Pantene, Tide, U.S. Army and Wal-Mart; AARP, CNN, HBO, My Black is Beautiful, TBS, TVOne and Visa.

The 2010 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL is executive produced by Essence Festivals LLC and produced by Rehage Entertainment. Essence Festivals LLC is a division of Essence Communications Inc. (ECI).

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC.:

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media and communications company dedicated to African-American women. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is "Where Black Women Come First". The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood, Window on Our Women (WOW I & II) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 40 years, ESSENCE magazine, which has a brand reach of over 8 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women's lives. Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at www.essence.com.

Source: ESSENCE Magazine

CONTACT: Dana Baxter, +1-212-522-1634, dbaxter@essence.com, or Sheila
Harris, +1-212-522-1089, sharris@essence.com, both of ESSENCE; or Marcee
Rondan of MSO, +1-818-380-0400, ext. 248, marcee@msopr.com, for ESSENCE
Magazine

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

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