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New Juvenile Video Shot in New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward

1/23/05 Kontinuous Events/Atlantic Records Press Release

UTP/Atlantic recording artist Juvenile has just wrapped up work on an emotionally wrenching, politically charged video for his next single, "Get Ya Hustle On/What's Happenin'." The first artist granted access to film in New Orleans' devastated Lower Ninth Ward, Juvenile spent a four-day period shooting just blocks from where a levee breach had sent water pouring into the streets.  Both the video and a companion documentary currently in production capture the monumental tragedy that has been visited on the city's poorest neighborhood, and dramatically spotlight the governmental neglect that the area and its citizens have experienced since Hurricane Katrina hit more than four months ago. The lyrics to "Get Ya Hustle On," written in the wake of Katrina, directly address the plight of the storm's most affected victims.

A New Orleans native and the foremost voice on the city's hip-hop scene, Juvenile's own home was destroyed by Katrina. Through this moving video, he is now speaking out on behalf of those disenfranchised New Orleans citizens whose voices are not being heard. Directed by Ben Mor, the storyline revolves around three children who find three masks in the midst of the city's rubble - with the words "Help Is Coming" on one side and the faces of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Mayor Ray Nagin on the other. The video is introduced with the following words: "This is a tribute to those who died in the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. The storm may have passed, but for thousands the struggle is just beginning."

Juvenile's first album for UTP/Atlantic, "REALITY CHECK," will be released on March 7th.