Monday, November 26, 2007

Viacom & Kaiser's “KNOW HIV/AIDS” Initiative Supports 2005 Black August Hip Hop Concert As Tickets Go On Sale Today At Ticket Master

Viacom & Kaiser's “KNOW HIV/AIDS” Initiative Supports 2005 Black August Hip Hop Concert As Tickets Go On Sale Today At Ticket Master

Viacom and the Henry J. Kaiser Family FoundationÂ’s KNOW HIV/AIDS INITIATIVE sponsors the major upcoming hip hop concert highlighting HIV/AIDS awareness to be headlined by artist Mos Def.

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 8, 2005

Known for its major youth targeted HIV/AIDS media campaign using PSA’s featuring Grammy© award winning artist Common, Viacom and the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation’s KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative has signed on to support the 8th Annual Black August Hip Hop Benefit Concert as a media sponsor. This year’s concert highlights HIV/AIDS prevention awareness as its theme for its shows in NYC and Tanzania, East Africa. Avid Hip Hop fans and Black August devotees can head to Ticket Master starting today to purchase tickets to see headliner and Emmy© nominated actor/Hip Hop artist Mos Def along with Smif N Wessun, Black Moon and a growing roster of major Hip Hop artists take the stage as they help to further spread the message of HIV/AIDS prevention to young adults of the Hip Hop community here and abroad.

Concert attendees will receive effective HIV/AIDS resource materials as well as view the KNOW HIV/AIDS InitiativeÂ’s customized PSAÂ’s throughout the show.

“With the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the US recently hitting the one million mark for the first time since the 1980’s and the overwhelmingly rapid spread of HIV/AIDS related deaths among youth in Africa, it’s imperative that we assist in reaching out to as many young people as possible, especially in the Hip Hop community to make them aware of HIV/AIDS and the necessity of prevention,” says Black August concert co-coordinator Meron Wondwosen. “We are happy to have the KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative on board with our efforts this year.”

Black August, whose annual Hip Hop benefit concerts highlight human and civil rights issues dear to the Hip Hop Community such as political prisoners in the U. S., education reform, the voting rights of parolees and police brutality is one of the largest annual benefit concerts in Hip Hop where artists and personalities such as Fat Joe, Talib Kweli, David Banner, Dave Chappelle, Grammy© award winning artists Erykah Badu, The Roots and Common have taken the stage in recent years to move the crowd nationally and internationally at no cost for a good cause. In addition to its New York show this year to be held on Sunday, August 7, 2005 at B. B. King Blues Club in Times Square, the show will also be held in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, Tanzania in East Africa on August 18th and the 20th.

Tickets for the August 7th show in NYC are on sale and may be purchased by going to www. ticketmaster. com.

For all press related inquiries and media interview requests regarding the 8th Annual Black August Hip Hop Benefit Concert, please contact Jennifer Williams or Loren Hearst of J Sharpe Agency Public Relations at 718.774.6264.

About Black August:

Black August, is an annual Hip Hop benefit concert that utilizes Hip Hop to highlight human and civil rights issues dear to the Hip Hop community such as education reform and political prisoners in the U. S. as well as connecting members of this community throughout the Diaspora.

About KNOW HIV/AIDS:

Viacom, one of the largest media companies in the world, and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health information and research, have created an unprecedented media campaign to eradicate ignorance about HIV/AIDS. Launched on January 6, 2003, the KNOW HIV/AIDS initiative runs public service messages across the full range of Viacom's TV, radio, and outdoor properties. The initiative also encompasses AIDS-related themes woven into Viacom-produced entertainment series, a free educational guide and other resources. In the United States, the campaign is aimed at the public-at-large as well as those groups that are most at-risk for the disease, including youth, people of color, women, and men who have sex with men.

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