Hennessy Announces Q-Tip and The Roots as 2010 Hennessy Artistry Curators, Bringing the Hottest Ticket to U.S. Cities This Fall

NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Hennessy, the number one selling cognac in the world, will bring cities around the U.S. a truly unique experience that blends the world's best music, culture and art through Hennessy Artistry 2010. Hosted exclusively by Hennessy, the five-city, invite-only tour will be co-curated by Grammy Award-winning group, The Roots and multi-faceted artist, producer, singer, and actor Q-Tip. Making stops in Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York City, each show will feature special emcees and musical guests and friends of the curators.

Now in its fifth year, Hennessy Artistry promises to be an innovative musical platform that brings together emerging performers and the most popular music artists of today, giving fans a once in a lifetime experience. To keep the energy going from city to city, feature performances will vary at each show with several iconic artists and surprise guests slated to appear including Big Krit, Daniel Merriweather, DJ Irie, Jay Electronica, Kat DeLuna, Kid Sister, Marsha Ambrosious, Mike Posner, Travie McCoy, YahZarah, and more.

"I am thrilled to be curating this electrifying tour," said Q-Tip. "Hennessy and the Hennessy Artistry series is all about the experience of blending together cultural, musical and artistic talents - and as a curator for this tour, this is what I'm going to bring to life in each city for the fans."

"For us, it's not just about curating at the events. Our bond with Hennessy grew stronger with our trip to Cognac, France in July where we experienced first-hand, and really learned to appreciate, the art of how Hennessy is created," said members of The Roots. "The process of blending Hennessy cognac is similar to the process of putting together a new song or album – it takes the right amount of each element to reach perfection."

This year's Artistry Series builds on the successes of previous years with a new component called Artistry GIVES. This charitable partnership with Americans for the Arts recognizes and fosters arts education. It also supports local emerging artists and art organizations, and creates an opportunity for them to display their works at Hennessy Artistry events.

"Hennessy's art of blending goes far beyond the talent of the cellar master to include Hennessy Artistry – unforgettable experiences of world-class music, art and culture," said Andy Glaser, senior vice president Hennessy Business. "Working with this year's curators, Q-Tip and The Roots, Hennessy Artistry and Artistry GIVES is all about the understanding of how these unexpected blends help bring more to life."

These not to be missed events kick off at the Blackhawk Building in Chicago on September 18 followed by performances at the Ice Palace in Miami on September 25, Bert's Warehouse in Detroit on October 2, and conclude at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on October 14.  Additionally, fans across the globe will be able to view a live feed of the New York performance on October 14 via Ustream on the Hennessy Facebook page, http://facebook.com/hennessy. The tour will also feature the brand's signature cocktails showcasing the cognac's classic and contemporary flavor celebrating Hennessy's art of blending.

For more information on Hennessy Artistry, visit www.Hennessy.com or Facebook.com/Hennessy.

About Hennessy

Hennessy is imported and distributed in the U.S. by Moet Hennessy USA, Inc. and is produced by Jas Hennessy & Co., a subsidiary of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A.

Hennessy distills, ages and blends a full range of marques, including Hennessy V.S, Privilege V.S.O.P, Hennessy Black, X.O, Paradis and Richard Hennessy.

SOURCE Moet Hennessy USA