Thug Life Army

Melee Entertainment and Atlantic Records have signed an agreement whereby the two companies will work together to develop a series of motion picture, soundtrack, and recording projects.

Melee's pedigree originates in the music world, where Bryan Turner founded and operated the influential hip-hop / rap label Priority Records, home of the culture-changing gangsta rap group, Eazy-E’s N.W.A., among many others.

Under terms of the new Atlantic-Melee pact, Melee will develop feature films starring Atlantic recording artists, while Atlantic will bring creative input and/or financing to the projects. When appropriate, Atlantic will also market companion soundtrack recordings. In addition, the agreement gives Atlantic a first look at any recording artists signed by Melee.

Melee, established in 2003 by Priority Records founder Bryan Turner, currently has a multi-picture deal with Paramount Pictures to produce feature-length music-based movies starring recording artists.

"This exciting new deal with Bryan Turner and Melee is a logical and important expansion of our mission to develop true multimedia stars, and to aggressively explore every avenue of exposure for our artists," said Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman. "There is a rich history of musicians who have proven to be gifted and charismatic performers on screen as well as on record, and we believe that the transition from music to movies will be a natural move for many of our artists."

"Craig Kallman, Julie Greenwald, and the whole Atlantic team recognize the value of multimedia exposure for their developing as well as their established artists," said Melee Entertainment President Bryan Turner. "We are very excited to be joining forces with such a forward-thinking group of people who are focused on the big picture."

More recently, Melee was a producer of the 2004 smash "You Got Served" (released by Sony/Screen Gems), starring B2K, which grossed over $40 million theatrically. Next year, Melee will be releasing the horror/thriller feature, "The Furnace," which will include hip-hop artists Paul Wall and Ja Rule in supporting roles.

Melee Entertainment, LLC, is a Los Angeles-based multimedia production and distribution company that has positioned itself to be a market leader in developing, producing, and releasing theatrical films, DVDs, and music recordings.

Atlantic Records will celebrate its 60th Anniversary in 2007. Founded in New York City, the label grew from literally a one-room operation into one of the world's preeminent music companies. Atlantic has released a string of recordings that have had a profound impact on the course of modern music, its rich history including such musical icons as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, and Led Zeppelin.

The Atlantic roster today includes many of the world's most popular recording artists from R&B to Hip-Hop and Rap; among them Björk, James Blunt, Ryan Cabrera, Tracy Chapman, Phil Collins, The Darkness, Death Cab For Cutie, Missy Elliott, Fat Joe, Hard-Fi, Jet, Jewel, Juvenile, Kid Rock, Lil'' Kim, matchbox twenty, Jason Mraz, Sean Paul, P.O.D., Pretty Ricky, Rush, Shinedown, Staind, Sugar Ray, Rob Thomas, T.I., Trick Daddy, Twista, and many more.