HOT 93.7 Presents LOVE & LAUGHTER at Bushnell Center, 2/14

HOT 93.7 presents LOVE & LAUGHTER -  the Ultimate Valentine's Night Out at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts on February 14. The event brings together the best of R&B, Hip-Hop and and Comedy for a date night you won't want to miss; hosted by motion picture and television star, comedian Aries Spears, and starring Grammy Award-winning R&B sensation Monica, along with Hip-Hop pioneers Naughty By Nature, and very special guest, Olivia, from the hit TV show Love & Hip-Hip. 

TICKETS:  $38, $48, $58 & $68 – All seats reserved.  Tickets are available through www.bushnell.org, The Bushnell box office, or charge-by-phone at 860-987-5900.  All dates, acts and ticket prices are subject to change without notice.  All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. 

Singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur Monica makes her first-ever appearance in Hartford. With a career lasting over 15 years, Monica became the first artist to top the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. She has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, including over five million units in the United States alone. In 2010, Billboard listed Monica at number 24 on its list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years. 

Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child, and at age thirteen released her debut album Miss Thang in 1995. With "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" and "Before You Walk Out Of My Life," Monica became the youngest female ever to have two #1 back-to-back hits on Billboard's R&B chart. By 1998, her next album The Boy Is Mine, garnered Monica pop success when she paired with Brandy to record the single of the same name. Spending a record breaking thirteen weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts, the duet earned a Grammy Award to add to Monica's existing collection of American Music, Soul Train and Billboard Awards. The album boasted two more #1 hits ("The First Night" and "Angel of Mine") while establishing Monica as an undeniable voice of her generation. In 2003 Monica's chart-topping success continued when her third album, After The Storm, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Album chart and spawned her fifth #1 single "So Gone." Monica's follow-up album, 2006's The Makings Of Me, entered at #1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and added yet another achievement to the songstress' extraordinary career. Her album Still Standing, whose recording was tracked by a BET reality series of the same name, was released in 2010 and produced the hit singles "Everything to Me" and "Love All Over Me", the first of which became Monica's sixth number one hit. The Album was nominated for two Grammys, including Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Performance. Her new album, entitled "New Life" is set for release this Spring. 

Ever since Chicago native Aries Spears was 14 years old, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the comedy scene throughout America.  His quick wit, charisma and ferociously aggressive style of comedy have earned him critical acclaim, high accolades, and above all, a busy schedule. From being a regular on Fox's Mad TV, starring in feature films, appearing on a number of national talk shows, and continually touring the country with his stand-up, Aries' talents are becoming recognized and appreciated throughout the entertainment industry.

As a principal cast member on Fox's hit sketch comedy show Mad TV, Aries brought a fresh, hip style to the already-edgy program from the third through the tenth season. The producers made full use of many of Aries' talents by calling on him frequently to create new hilarious characters and write sketches. Some of the many recurring characters that Aries is famous for on the show include: Belma Buttons, Bill Cosby, Jesse Jackson, Mike Tyson, Walter (Crackheads), Reggie (Erascist), Dollar Bill Montgomery, Shaquille O'Neal, The Klumps, Michael Jackson, Sisqo, Evander Holyfield, El Diablo Negro and more.

Aries has also found great success in the world of feature films. At the age of 17, after being spotted in a Comedy Club, Aries landed a part in the movie Home of Angels, which also starred Abe Vigoda and Sherman Helmsley, but never saw a theatrical release. He then appeared in Out-of-Sync, and portrayed Red Foxx in Warner Bros.'s Why Do Fools Fall In Love. In addition, Aries starred alongside John Leguizamo in TriStar's The Pest and delivered his most notable performance to date as Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s brother in Columbia's blockbuster hit Jerry Maguire.

Few groups in music can boast a near twenty-year career that has been both consistent and history

making. Naughty By Nature, the multi-platinum selling, Grammy and American Music Award winning Hip-Hop trio began performing at talent shows and were discovered by fellow New Jersey native and then emerging Hip-Hop artist, Queen Latifah. Eventually signing the group to her management company "Flavor Unit Management," Latifah helped them land a deal with Tommy Boy Records. Naughty By Nature's self-titled debut album was released in 1991 and quickly assaulted the music charts with the instant mega #1 hit"O.P.P." The group quickly became crossover stars, and followed up their success with 1994's anthem "Hip Hop Hooray". Naughty By Nature went on to produce follow-up albums that have become part of America's Hip-Hop legacy: 19 Naughty III, Poverty's Paradiseand Nature's Fury.

To date, their success and longevity as a Hip-Hop group has been unparalleled. In 2008, VH1 bestowed their coveted "Hip Hop Honor" award to the group as innovators of our culture. The group continues to tour globally, ripping stages from Australia to Canada and New Jersey to South Africa. Still setting trends, the group recently struck a deal with media-giant Microsoft, to cross promote their new single "Get To Know Me Better" with the release of the HTC Touch Pro 2 Windows Mobile device.

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