Rising talents to celebrate the best in Hip-Hop all across the country

New York, June 1, 2007 – Rémy Martin® is about to take Black Music Month to a whole new level. The celebrated cognac-maker today announced the launch of its annual Black Music Month program, which will bring together 10 artists from across the country for one interesting summer of music. The 2007 celebration will explore the tremendous influence cities have had shaping hip-hop music – looking back at the all-time greats and forward to the stars of tomorrow.

Kicking off the celebration is a national online poll to identify the top hip-hop songs to emerge from the artists’ cities, which range from New York to Los Angeles to Chicago to Miami.  (See the complete list of cities and artists on the following page.)  Rémy Martin is asking music fans to weigh in on their favorite hip-hop songs from their hometowns at http://www.getinteresting.com/. The poll will be updated daily throughout the summer and the results will be announced on August 29th.  Also on the site are interviews with the artists, key moments in contemporary black music history, and the opportunity to win a daily prize (including t-shirts, ear phones and mp3 speakers).

The centerpiece of the summer is a series of appearances by the 10 artists Rémy Martin identified as the most interesting up-and-comers in their cities.  From June through August, each artist will make 10 stops in his hometown, including a concert performance and a trip to a local charity that is of special meaning to him, where Rémy Martin will make a contribution in his honor.  The artists can also be found in a special collector’s issue of XXL Hip-Hop Soul. The magazine hosted them earlier this year to learn what they think about the current state of the industry and where black music is headed. 

 “Black Music Month has become one of the most important programs at Rémy Martin and we are excited to kick off our biggest year yet with a celebration that is both national and local,” said Steve Hissam, Rémy Martin Category Director. “And we are proud to continue to give consumers a voice with our online poll.  Nobody knows the local music scene better than they do – it’s going to be great to hear what they have to say.”

The 10 Rémy Martin artists are:

o New York, NY – Saigon
- Appears on HBO hit series “Entourage”
o Los Angeles, CA – Ca$his
- Debut album on Eminem’s Shady Records
o Oakland / San Francisco, CA – San Quinn
- Holds the Guinness World Record for appearing on more albums than any other rap artist
o Detroit, MI – Slum Village
- Unique sound and ability to integrate live instruments in the tradition of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul
o Chicago, IL – L.E.P.
- Album on Sony BMG with production by Kanye West is due out in 2007
o Atlanta, GA – UNK
- No. 1 Hit Single, “Walk It Out”
o Houston, TX – Trae
- Single “Real Talk” featured on soundtrack for Madden NFL 2007 video game
o Washington, DC – Wale
- Hit Single “Dig Dug” was the most requested song on DC’s WKYS-FM for 3 weeks
o Miami, FL – Duece Poppi
- Collaborated on tracks with Trick Daddy and Nate Dogg
o Cincinnati, OH – Cross
- Produced “Unpredictable” by Jamie Foxx and “Grind wit Me” by Pretty Ricky

Rémy Cointreau USA
Rémy Cointreau USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of France’s Rémy Cointreau, SA. It is the exclusive U.S. importer for a variety of premium spirits and wines, including Rémy Martin ®, Cointreau ®, The Macallan Scotch Whisky ®, The Famous Grouse ®, Damrak Gin ®, Mount Gay Rum ®, Metaxa® Brandies and Ouzo, Imperia® and Russian Standard® Vodka, Champagne Piper-Heidsieck ®, Champagne Charles Heidsieck ®, Merryvale ®, Masi Agricola ®, Vietti ®, Biondi Santi ®, Laroche ®,  Piper Sonoma ® and Bearboat ® wines.