Former Priority Records head Bryan Turner’s new
company, MELEE has entered into a joint venture deal with DreamWorks to release
DVD’s, that will be distributed by Universal Music & Video Distribution
(UMVD).
The first release under the new deal will be
"Entertainer’s Basketball Classic At Rucker Park: The Second Season,"
due March 4. It is documentary style look at the famed street basketball tournament.
The Entertainer’s Basketball Classic, held every summer for nine weeks at Harlem’s
Rucker Park, presents some of the most popular NBA stars, the most accomplished
street ballers and various hip-hop artists.
The DVD features L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant, Phoenix
Sun Stephon Marbury, New Orleans Hornet Baron Davis, Golden State Warrior Jason
Richardson, Denver Nugget Mark Jackson, Philadelphia 76er Allen Iverson and
Indiana Pacers Jamaal Tinsley and Ron Artest, along with rappers Fat Joe and
Jadakiss and radio personality Ed Lover. It boasts music from Fat Joe, Clipse,
Xzibit, Mobb Deep and a roster of rising underground emcees; a bonus CD with
tracks from Fat Joe and Mobb Deep, among others, will be included in the "Entertainer’s"
package.
During Turner’s 16 years as Priority’s chairman,
the label racked up over $1.3 billion in sales of recorded music and released
historical records from N.W.A., Eazy E, Master P., Rap-A-Lot Records, etc.
"This reminds me of where the record industry
was in the ’80s. It was full of independents and we could do whatever we wanted;
there were really no rules," Turner told AllHipHop.com in a statement.
"I started Priority back in 1985 because I saw a lot of frustrated creative
people who weren’t getting the opportunities they deserved. There were so many
restrictions. It seemed like nobody was ever willing to say, ‘Yeah, let’s just
try something.’ I still see that."
