2017
http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/shanti-das-heart-healthy/
Shanti Das, aka the Hip-Hop Professional, is best known for her work on the careers of Usher, Outkast, Toni Braxton, and TLC. But now she’s working to make sure our communities are heart healthy.
(Image: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shanti Das)
A former executive at LaFace, Arista, Columbia, and Universal Motown, Das is now a National Power Ambassador for the American Heart Association. She’s bringing awareness to its EmPOWERED to Serve campaign to improve health in multicultural communities.
“One of the goals for me being the national ambassador is to really help bring about as much awareness as I can particularly for the American Heart Association with this being a multicultural initiative,” said Das in a press release.
“I want to use my influence in the entertainment industry to spread the message and to help create healthier lifestyles and open up opportunities and access in our urban communities.”
In the first episode of “Take Me Home,” a documentary series for the American Heart Association, Das goes back to her Atlanta neighborhood to explore food deserts and the link between unhealthy diets and heart disease.
With a family history of high blood pressure and heart disease, Das felt called to speak out about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. She’s also beginning to work with local leaders in Atlanta to bring healthier food options into urban neighborhoods.
Earlier this year, Das stopped by the Black Enterprise office to talk about her heart healthy mission:
Shanti Das, aka the Hip-Hop Professional, is best known for her work on the careers of Usher, Outkast, Toni Braxton, and TLC. But now she’s working to make sure our communities are heart healthy.
(Image: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shanti Das)
A former executive at LaFace, Arista, Columbia, and Universal Motown, Das is now a National Power Ambassador for the American Heart Association. She’s bringing awareness to its EmPOWERED to Serve campaign to improve health in multicultural communities.
“One of the goals for me being the national ambassador is to really help bring about as much awareness as I can particularly for the American Heart Association with this being a multicultural initiative,” said Das in a press release.
“I want to use my influence in the entertainment industry to spread the message and to help create healthier lifestyles and open up opportunities and access in our urban communities.”
In the first episode of “Take Me Home,” a documentary series for the American Heart Association, Das goes back to her Atlanta neighborhood to explore food deserts and the link between unhealthy diets and heart disease.
With a family history of high blood pressure and heart disease, Das felt called to speak out about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. She’s also beginning to work with local leaders in Atlanta to bring healthier food options into urban neighborhoods.
Earlier this year, Das stopped by the Black Enterprise office to talk about her heart healthy mission:
ELEAGUE and GEICO announced today they are teaming up for a Amateur Series video game tournament starting with Street Fighter V at PAX West this September. Full press release below.
Amateur Gaming Circuit’s Inaugural Schedule to Feature Three Events,
Beginning with Street Fighter® V Tournament at PAX West, September 1-4, in Seattle
August 1, 2017 — ELEAGUE, the premium esports tournament and content brand from Turner and IMG, has announced a multi-faceted partnership with GEICO to provide amateur gamers with a series of esports competitions to showcase their skills across a range of popular video games.
The GEICO ELEAGUE Amateur Series will begin with a tournament featuring Capcom’s acclaimed video game Street Fighter® V, to be held at PAX West, September 1-4 in Seattle, Wash., with live streaming coverage presented on both the ELEAGUE and GEICO Gaming Twitch channels.
“This partnership with GEICO provides an exciting opportunity for ELEAGUE to develop a deeper connection with the amateur esports community,” said Craig Barry, EVP and Chief Content Officer, Turner Sports. “We’re looking forward to broadening the reach of ELEAGUE, while providing an additional opportunity for amateur gamers to compete in an environment that closely mirrors the professional esports experience.”
“GEICO has been an incredible partner with ELEAGUE since its beginning, and the GEICO ELEAGUE Amateur Series builds on that through a very unique competition series that invites fans directly into the action,” said Seth Ladetsky, senior vice president of sales, Turner Sports. “Aligning with the vision for Turner Ignite Sports announced earlier this year, this initiative is another demonstrated example of how brand partners can harness the resources of Turner Sports in delivering fan experiences that truly move the needle.”
“The Fighting Game Community has grown by leaps and bounds into one of the most engaging and passionate fan bases in all of esports,” said Vince Giampietro, GEICO Senior Marketing Manager. “From day one, we’ve made it our goal to support the gaming community and we are excited to strengthen our relationship with Turner Sports in this new endeavor.
GEICO ELEAGUE Amateur Series | PAX West Format & Participation
Gamers interested in signing up to compete in the GEICO ELEAGUE Amateur Series’ Street Fighter V tournament at PAX West in Seattle can visit www.battlefy.com/geico-sfv.
The tournament will begin with three online qualifiers, with the top 16 finishers competing at PAX West and 16 additional players will be able to qualify on site. Those top 32 players will be entered into a playoff bracket that will be played out to determine the winner.
Additional details, including prizing, production and commentators, will be shared in the coming weeks.
GEICO is the official auto and home insurance of ELEAGUE and has been committed to bringing the enthusiasm and excitement of esports to ELEAGUE fans since its inception in 2016. GEICO ELEAGUE Amateur Series events will be organized and managed in association with RedPeg Marketing, an experiential marketing agency and live event organizer. Two additional events are part of the inaugural schedule and additional details will be announced at a later date.
The GEICO ELEAGUE Amateur Series represents the latest expansion of ELEAGUE’s portfolio of industry-leading premium live event and content experiences. Since its 2016 launch, ELEAGUE has presented two live seasons of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO); the first-ever Overwatch® Open in partnership with Blizzard Entertainment; a record-setting ELEAGUE Major; the ELEAGUE Street Fighter® V Invitational; and ELEAGUE Clash for Cash: The Rematch. TBS will also showcase ELEAGUE’s recently announced feature series ELEAGUE: Road to The International Dota 2 Championships with coverage beginning Friday, Aug. 4, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TBS.
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About ELEAGUE
ELEAGUE is the premium esports tournament brand formed in partnership between Turner and IMG that officially launched in 2016. A leader in the delivery of live event experiences, ELEAGUE content is widely distributed across leading digital platform Twitch, along with showcase programming airing on Turner’s TBS, a fully-distributed cable television network. In its first year, ELEAGUE produced two seasons featuring Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, along with the first-ever Overwatch® Open. As recognition of its industry-wide impact, ELEAGUE was awarded its first-ever CS:GO Major, originating from Atlanta in January 2017. The ELEAGUE Major Grand Final drove ELEAGUE’s Twitch channel to a record peak of more than one million concurrent streams, in addition to a reach of 3.6 million total viewers on TBS throughout the tournament. ELEAGUE received a Sports Emmy® nomination for Outstanding Studio Design and Art Direction in March 2017.
About GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the second-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO, which was founded in 1936, provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 15 million private passenger customers, insuring more than 24 million vehicles (auto & cycle). Using GEICO’s online service center, policyholders can purchase policies, make policy changes, report claims and print insurance ID cards. Policyholders can also connect to GEICO through the GEICO App, reach a representative over the phone or visit a GEICO local agent. GEICO also provides insurance quotes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), boats, travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available. For more information, go to www.geico.com/.
About RedPeg Marketing
RedPeg Marketing is reinventing the way brands connect with their consumers, creating experiences that inspire extraordinary moments. RedPeg’s campaigns bring brand ideas to life, emphasizing the power of interactivity and delivering palpable excitement to every event. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, the agency activates at over 1,500 events each year for clients like GEICO, Enterprise, TD Bank, Jagermeister, Loot Crate and Francis Ford Coppola Winery.
About Capcom
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games including ground-breaking franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Monster Hunter™, Ace Attorney®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry®. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Tokyo, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or www.capcom-unity.com.
Capcom, the Capcom logo, Ace Attorney, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Monster Hunter and Resident Evil are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
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(Image: London on da Track and Kevin Liles courtesy of LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS)
Music mogul Kevin Liles knows a thing or two about hip-hop. He started his career as an intern at Def Jam before climbing the ranks to become CEO of the paramount record label, which signed artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Ludacris. After he left Def Jam in 2004, he served as executive vice president for Warner Music Group. When he stepped down in 2009, he formed his very own record label, KWL Management, which represented such artists as Trey Songz and Mariah Carey. In 2015, his passion for hip hop led him to co-found another record company called 300 Entertainment, which represents rap stars Migos, Fetty Wap, and Young Thug.
Despite leading an extraordinary career in music and lasting imprint in hip hop, Liles has never stopped his hustle. He’s currently on a mission to find the next big voice in hip hop through a national freestyle competition that he launched in partnership with Verizon called #freestyle50. Now in its second year, the competition is accepting submissions from aspiring artists with the chops to freestyle over the beat from Tee Grizzley’s hit single “No Effort.” To enter, participants must upload their freestyle video on Instagram or Twitter and tag @300Ent and @Verizon and include “#freestyle50challenge” in the caption. The grand prize winner of the competition will be awarded a single record deal with 300 Entertainment, a song produced by London on da Track, $10,000, and the opportunity to open for a 300 Entertainment artist.
According to a press release sent to Black Enterprise, “eight national finalists will be selected to compete live at the #freestyle50 cypher in Los Angeles on Aug. 30, where the 2017 #freestyle50 challenge champion will be crowned.” The challenge was inspired by Verizon’s 8GB for $50 prepaid offer, which is available exclusively at Walmart. The deadline for entry is Friday, Aug. 4.
To promote #freestyle50, Liles teamed up Verizon and London on da Track to host a launch event at Marquee in New York City. The exclusive party featured performances by hip-hop icon Busta Rhymes, rising rap star Tee Grizzley, and Hot 97’s DJ Enuff. Tre’ Da Kid, the winner of the 2016 #freestyle50 challenge, also hit the stage.
While at the event, Black Enterprise spoke exclusively to Kevin Liles about the talent competition, what it takes to maintain longevity in the music industry, and the evolution of hip hop. BE also spoke to London on da Track. Watch the interviews below.
Click here to learn more about the competition.