Imagem Music Group Welcomes Ludacris

Grammy Award winning songwriter, artist, acclaimed actor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Ludacris has joined Imagem Music, the pop music publishing division of the Imagem Music Group. The new relationship is a worldwide exclusive, long-term, co-publishing agreement.

Ludacris has had an especially prolific career as a writer in addition to his many other talents. In the past two years he has co-written and been heard on three singles hitting the top 5 of Billboard's Top 100, including "Baby" with Justin Bieber, at #5; "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" with Enrique Iglesias, at #4; and "Break Your Heart" with Taio Cruz , at #1. In June of this year, Ludacris was named ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards' "Songwriter of the Year."

"I'm really excited about my new deal with Imagem Music, a great partner not only for publishing, but other avenues as well," says Ludacris. "Thanks to Richard [Stumpf] and the Imagem Music staff for their support!"

"It is a pleasure to welcome Ludacris to the Imagem family," says Richard Stumpf, President of Imagem Music USA. "He is a forward thinking artist who has proven himself in both music and film. We are excited to be part of his team and look forward to aggressively working his music."

"Imagem is a global music publishing business," says Imagem Music Group CEO André de Raaff, "and Ludacris is a global music phenomenon. His vision -as an artist and as a music industry pioneer - is in sync with what Imagem stands for and, just like us, he is ‘making the difference.'"

About Chris "Ludacris" Bridges

Recording artist, actor, philanthropist, restaurateur...just a few of the befitting titles for Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, who first gained worldwide acclaim more than 10 years ago with his debut album, Back for the First Time (2000). Ever since, his unrivaled lyrical prowess, dynamic performances and timeless hits including "Stand Up," "Get Back,", "Number One Spot," "Money Maker," and "My Chick Bad," have solidified him as one of music's best entertainers and led to the sale of more than 20 million albums domestically. In addition to immense commercial success, Ludacris' consistent output of stellar music has garnered the admiration of his peers, as well as numerous awards and honors including three Grammys.

The same talent and versatility that Ludacris showcases in his music has enabled him to make a seamless and successful transition to acting, with acclaimed performances in films including Crash, Hustle & Flow and the #1 movie, No Strings Attached in January 2011, and television's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, under his belt. His

work in Crash earned him the prestigious Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice awards. He co-starred in the latest installment in The Fast & The Furious film series, Fast Five, which debuted at #1 in April 2011 and will be in the film, New Year's Eve in December 2011.

In addition to his non-stop efforts in the studio, on stage and on the big and small screens, Ludacris' long held entrepreneurial spirit led him to open a restaurant, Straits, in Atlanta, GA in 2008 and launch his own spirit, Conjure Cognac in 2009. Both of these ventures have captured the attention and affection of the public and firmly established themselves in their respective markets in just a short time. Chris is currently launching headphones, SOUL by Ludacris that will be in the market in the summer of 2011.

Although one could wonder how Ludacris finds the time for anything outside of work, his artistic and business fortitude is only rivaled by his desire to give back and use his success to change the lives of others. This passion inspired him to establish the Ludacris Foundation, a non-profit organization which seeks to inspire youth through education and memorable experiences to live their dreams by uplifting families, communities and fostering economic development.

In 2010, MSNBC.com named Ludacris, along with other eminent figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffet, as one of today's most effective influencers on American culture. With his feet firmly planted in so many diverse areas, one can certainly see why.

Imagem (André de Raaff, CEO and co-founder) is the #1 independent music publishing company in the world, unique for its leadership role in classical music (Boosey & Hawkes), musicals (Rodgers & Hammerstein), and pop (Imagem Music). Founded in 2008, Imagem began by acquiring music publishing rights in a number of catalogues sold by Universal Publishing, such as Rondor, Zomba, BBC and 19 Music. This was followed by acquiring the world's leading classical music publishing company Boosey & Hawkes (representing the world's leading classical and jazz composers from Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky to John Adams, Wynton Marsalis, and beyond), and Rodgers & Hammerstein (containing the rights to the world's most popular stage and film musicals including THE SOUND OF MUSIC and OKLAHOMA!, and representing hundreds of works by writers including Irving Berlin.) Highlights from Imagem Music's ever-expanding pop catalogue include Phil Collins, Genesis, Anna Nalick, Temper Trap, Vampire Weekend, M.I.A., Bombay Bicycle Club, and Daft Punk. Imagem is proud to represent such a variety of writers, catalogues, and copyrights, combining the knowledge of experienced music publishers with the newest opportunities for exploitation. Imagem: Making the difference! Website: www.imagem.com.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.