News Archive
Born and raised in Toronto, August Rigo absorbed pop R&B readily; the tunes of Boyz II Men, Jodeci and, of course, Michael Jackson shaped him. He taught himself piano, drums and guitar, and then went on to performing arts high school, where he was occasionally shoved out of his comfort…
Pre-BET Awards Reception Celebrates BMI Nominees
BMI partnered with BET.com, The Stereotypes, August Rigo and Alpine Entertainment group to co-host a private pre-BET Awards reception on Friday, June 25 at Philippe Chow to toast BMI’s songwriters, producers and artists nominated for BET trophies. In addition to The Stereotypes and Rigo, the private affair attracted chart-topping game-changers…
Chavito
A toy guitar and microphone given as gifts by his parents were all it took to spark a young boy’s musical dreams. Meet Latin hip-hop artist Daniel “Chavito” Cortes, a fiery contender with major ambitions and equally prodigious lyrical talents. Chavito cut his musical teeth playing local neighborhood parties in…
BMI Celebrates Grammy Week 2007
BMI executives headed to Hollywood to celebrate Grammy Week in honor of its many nominated artists and songwriters. From events including MusicCares honoring BMI songwriter Don Henley, to the BMI/L.A. Times “How I Wrote That Song” panel, BMI supported the many achievements of its talented songwriters, including Grammy-winning…
Latin Urban Showcase Explores the ‘Other Side of Hip-Hop’
The fusion of Latin and urban elements in hip-hop has led to the creation of a genre that continues to mark the Latino presence in the realm of music. In tribute to the growth of this genre, BMI presented "Al Otro Lado del Hip-Hop: A Celebration of Urban and Latin…
Cool & Dre
The spotlight that has shined on urban centers ranging from New York to Los Angeles to Atlanta, where some of today’s hottest r&b and rap songs have been produced, is now focused on Miami, where two of today’s hottest producers — Marcello Valenzano and Andre Lyon, better known as Cool…
BMI Salutes Top Urban Music Makers at Star-Studded Gala in NYC
BMI saluted the premier r&b, rap and hip-hop songwriters, producers and publishers at its 6th Annual Urban Awards held Aug. 30 in New York City. Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Atlanta Writer/Publisher VP Catherine Brewton, the red carpet was hopping at the star-studded ceremony, which took…
Thunderkatz Storm BMI Atlanta Showcase
Hip-hop party rockers Thunderkatz stole the show at BMI Atlanta's annual unsigned urban music showcase held April 27 at Vision. The showcase, hosted by BME and 8th Grade Music Publishing's Lil Jon and Emperor Searcy, featured some of the country's most promising new talent, including Malachi,…
BMI Urban Showcase to Feature Top New Talent
BMI will team up with Atlanta nightclub Vision to present an urban music showcase featuring some of the country's most promising new talent. The showcase will be held on Thursday, April 27 from 8 p.m. to midnight at Vision (1068 Peachtree St. NE) and will be hosted by BME and…
BMI LA Hosts First Annual Holiday Mixer
BMI Los Angeles played host to a crowd of industry executives at the first annual BMI Urban Holiday Mixer. The company's urban music staff, including Catherine Brewton (Atlanta), Malik Levy and Aamina Gant (Los Angeles), and Wardell Malloy (New York) planned the successful event that featured top music execs, writers,…
Cool and Dre: Cool & Dre Interviewed at the 2004 BMI Urban Awards
Captured at BMI Urban Awards 2004