Jay-Z will be the
first rapper to perform on pay channel Showtime, Saturday, February 22, 2003
from Memphis Tennessee. Jay-Z and other Roc-A-Fella family members are slated
to perform before former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson returns to the ring to
fight Clifford Etienne.
The concert is
being held at the Mid South Coliseum and is the first in a series of musical
events that will be presented on the channel. An extensive television and print
campaign is planned, utilizing all of the Viacom family of companies, including
MTV, BET, Westwood One, CBS and UPN and Showtime.
"Jay-Z is
the perfect performer to kick off Showtime’s return to the musical event business,"
Jerry Offsay, Programming President, Showtime Networks, told AllHipHop.com in
a statement. "With the triple threat of Jay-Z, followed by Mike Tyson,
followed by our new series, "Family Business," Showtime will display
the full range of original "No Limits" programming on February 22nd
for our subscribers and distribution partners."
Jay-Z’s newest
album, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse is double platinum. Jay-Z also
signed a deal with Reebok, giving him his own line of sneakers, the S. Carter.
