violator

Being a part of Violator is just like being a part of family. Violator has been the best thing to happen to me, both personally and professionally. Mona and Chris have looked out for me from all angles. They've secured my well being both as a person and as an artist. -Busta Rhymes From a management company to a record label to a marketing group to a multi-media entertainment conglomerate, Chris Lighty, Mona Scott and Todd Moscowitz have built an impressive empire in Violator. And, most importantly, this success has been earned by the powerhouse trio without compromising their integrity, nor the integrity of hip-hop music and culture, the very thing that got the ball rolling 10 years ago.

Running with a rebel posse called the Violators back in the Bronx, Lightys roots in rap are grounded to his days as an apprentice disc jockey; carrying crates in local clubs for legendary DJ Red Alert and the late Scott La Rock of Boogie Down Productions. It was a soldiers in-the-trenches, do-what-has-to-be-done-to-get-it-done mentality back then, and that philosophy carried over to managing careers and releasing hit records. When Mona Scott joined the company, she took over the day-to-day responsibilities of running Violator Management, as she sees it, making the impossible possible. Most recently Todd Moscowitz has joined the company after 10 years as the GM of Def Jam Records bringing his extensive experience from the label side of the business.

Violator Records/Management has sold an average of 10 million records a year for the past 6 years, and Violator has seen the last 7 CDs by Violator related artists enter the Billboard Top 200 Pop Album Charts in the Top 10. Superstar client Busta Rhymes went from hawking Mountain Dew on television to co-starring in major motion pictures (Gus Van Zants Finding Forrester with Sean Connery, John Singletons Shaft with Samuel L. Jackson and NARC produced by Ray Liotta). He also single handedly increased the sales of Courvoisier brand cognac 20% last year with his hit record Pass the Courvoisier and the related marketing campaign that he spearheaded. The musical roster bounces from those still watching the streets like Noreaga and Mobb Deep to new R&B sensation & Verizon spokesperson Tweet, to 50 Cent whose debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin has sold over 9M copies.

For Violator, there would be no commercials, films or TV shows without maintaining a focus on the music. Platinum and gold are the norm for each artist CD on the roster. In an effort to demonstrate the continuity of their acts and familial loyalty, Violator tied together their street artists and mainstream stars on 1999s VIOLATOR THE ALBUM, the million-selling CD that featured a reunited Capone-n-Noreaga, some of the last music from Big Pun, new tracks from Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J and introduced the first solo record from Q-Tip since his Vivrant Thing. The albums solid material and savvy marketing strategy got Hollywood and Americas attention. Following those accomplishments, Violator put together a successor in 2001 that demonstrated the growth of the Violator brand with VIOLATOR THE ALBUM V2.0, and coming this year will be the third installment which will be the first album in a new Violator/Jive Records distribution deal with singles by Missy Elliott & new Violator Records artist Dirtbag.

Having successfully marketed hip-hop from the hood to Hollywood, Violator brought their street marketing skills to the film and television world when newly-formed Violator Marketing Group (VMG) landed the promotion contract for New Line Cinemas summer picture, Blow, starring Johnny Depp and directed by Ted Demme. VMG was not defined by ethnicity, but rather by lifestyle. Theirs will be a grass-roots team that furthers what Lighty, Scott & Moscowitz learned from convincing Mountain Dew to move Busta Rhymes soda sales pitch beyond urban radio and into multiple mainstream television and magazine advertisements. Since then, Busta has successfully moved on to work with brands like Miller and Courvoisier, Missy Elliott has successfully sold Gap and Reebok clothing, and Vanilla Coke and 50 Cent has launched his clothing line with Ecko and a sneaker line with Reebok. The rap culture has gone mainstream, adds Scott. Its not about color. Its about the music you listen to, the activities you enjoy doing, the kind of experiences you claim as your own.

Violator has already made inroads into such areas as TV and film, with Busta Rhymes roles in Higher Learning, Shaft, Finding Forrester and NARC. Busta is also collaborating with screenwriters like Tiger Williams (Menace to Society) and Darryl Quarles (Big Mommas House) on his own film ideas, while Noreaga has sold HBO on his hosting role for his hip-hop documentary, What What, which the rapper created, will star in and Ted Demme produced. Violator has also begun to manage film and TV talent, and produce tours like the forthcoming Where My Girls At urban lifestyle tour hosted by Missy Elliott, and produce films, like Bloodmoney starring Busta Rhymes, and Prodigy. Violator, and the artists Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, will also be represented in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue by talent powerhouse CAA to exploit the Violator brand both in and outside music.

We have always considered ourselves and the artists we represent to be progressive, and leaders in our field, adds Scott. This is just another chapter in our growth and we accept the challenge!

Leave it to Chris Lighty to sum it all up. Lets face it. Right now, its a very interesting time to be young and black And a Violator.

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