Thug Life Army

After whetting the public appetite with the soul stirring single “Sunshine To The Rain,” featuring Scarface and Anthony Hamilton and the slanguistic twist of the rap artists E 40 and Lil’ Flip heater “Sick With Da Flip,” the long awaited major label debut Miri Ben-Ari: The Hip-Hop Violinist, hits the streets on September 20th.

With an instrument that runs the gamut of emotions, Miri has composed inspirational instrumentals, which evoked conscious, heart felt renderings from her assembled all-star collaborators. “The artists on my album were all very talented and unique, and most have never worked with a violinist, so we pushed each other creatively,” she gleefully states.The end result, a groundbreaking fusion of her crisp, soulful violin and hard-edged hip-hop production, has the streets abuzz with the new single “ We Gonna Win” with one of the hardest lyricist in the game, Styles P. Of their creative coup, Miri says, “‘We Gonna Win’ is a song of triumph.  It represents my personal belief that with hard work, talent and dedication, everything is possible. It's a one of a kind marriage between rap and classical music, where the music doesn''t accompany the vocalist, but rather stands on its own.”

Adding a twist to the single is the Paul Schneider-helmed video, which launches a first-of-its-kind business venture between Universal Motown Records and footwear/apparel giant Reebok. Marking Reebok’s first foray into the actual creation of a music video, Ben-Ari and Styles P. wear customized RBK branded apparel, footwear and accessories.  The partnership will also highlight Israeli superstar, Ben-Ari, as the newest face of the brand’s global “I Am What I Am” advertising campaign, featuring print, online and retail components.  As the latest celebrity endorsee to be featured in Reebok’s “I Am What I Am” worldwide advertising campaign, Ben-Ari will join contemporary heroes of today’s global youth including Allen Iverson, Jay-Z, Yao Ming, 50 Cent, Nelly, Donovan McNabb, Christina Ricci, and Stevie Williams.   "Partnering with Reebok is a natural fit for me because they truly value artists who are not afraid to be different and stand out from the crowd,” said Ben-Ari. “I am excited to work with Reebok on my new music video and thrilled to be part of their ‘I Am What I Am’ campaign.”

Initially introduced to the hip-hop community by superstars Jay-Z and Wyclef Jean, joining them both onstage in front of packed houses, Miri’s live performances are becoming legendary.  While preparing her album, Miri has managed to share stages across the globe with Kanye West, thanks to her Grammy award-winning contributions to his multi-platinum, classic debut The College Dropout.

She has also wowed thousands more at numerous athletic events with her rousing rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”  In fact, it was her performance of the national anthem at a TJ Martell Foundation event in New York that brought her to the attention of Universal Music Group’s chairman and CEO Doug Morris and eventually led to her signing with Universal Records. 

Miri gets to show her wares with dynamic showman Busta Rhymes on The Kool New Jazz Philosophy Tour. Dates are as follow:

 10/3         Baltimore, MD             Ram’s Head

 10/6         Philadelphia, PA         Electric Factory

 10/8         Boston, MA                   Avalon

 10/10       Cleveland, OH            House of Blues

 10/14       New Orleans, LA        House of Blues

 10/17       Miami, FL                     House of Blues

 10/21       Atlanta, GA                    The Tabernacle

 10/24       Detroit, MI                      Royal Oak Theatre

 10/26       Milwaukee, WI              The Rave

 10/29       Chicago, IL                    House of Blues

 10/31       St Louis, MO                 The Pageant

 11/3         Houston, TX                   Hush

 11/5         Dallas, TX                       Gypsy Tea Room

 11/10       San Francisco, CA        The Grand