While most acts go on the road in support of new albums, several Def Jam Records artists will launch a tour next month behind the release of a new video game.
Hosted by Method Man, the Def Jam Vendetta tour will encompass concert performances by Capone-N-Noreaga (CNN), Keith Murray, and Joe Budden, as well as a gaming contest where players will go head-to-head on the recently released “Def Jam Vendetta” video game.
The tour will kick off May 10 in Milwaukee and visit more than 20 cities through early June. In each market, Murray, CNN, and Budden, as well as Murder Inc./Def Jam artist Caddillac Tah will give away tickets, VIP passes, and game challenge entries via a local radio station. “Def Jam Vendetta” Challenge matches will be held in the afternoons at Gamestop retail stores, with the concert to follow in area nightclubs.
Electronic Arts’ “Def Jam Vendetta” pits likenesses of a host of the label’s artists, including DMX, Ghostface Killah, Redman, and Ludacris, against one another in the ring. There are more than 45 characters to choose from, each with signature moves, who fight through a series of underground hip-hop clubs as they work up to a fight with kingpin D-Mob. The game is available for Playstation 2 and Nintendo GameCube.
Along with the game, some of the artists on the tour also have new music to support or preview on the tour. Mixtape regular Budden is enjoying the success of his single “Pump It Up,” which is No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Tracks chart and No. 66 on the Hot 100. Murray’s “He’s Keith Murray,” his first album in five years and Def Jam debut, was originally due for release Tuesday (April 29) but has been bumped to July 15.
As N.O.R.E., Noreaga last year released his solo debut “God’s Favorite,” which debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and The Billboard 200. Capone is due to release his solo Def Jam debut later this year
Here Are The Def Jam Vendetta Tour Dates:
- May 10 – Milwaukee – Rave
- May 11 – Chicago – House of Blues
- May 12 – Pittsburgh – Laga
- May 13 – Columbus, Ohio – Brick Yard
- May 14 – Cleveland – Peabody’s
- May 15 – Philadelphia – Chrome
- May 16 – Baltimore – Hammerjacks
- May 18 – Washington, D.C. – VIP
- May 20 – Atlanta – Vision
- May 21 – Orlando, Fla. – Tabu
- May 22 – Tampa, Fla. – XS
- May 24 – Miami – TBA
- May 27 – Los Angeles – House of Blues
- May 28 – Anaheim, Calif. – House of Blues
- May 29 – San Francisco – Fillmore
- May 30 – Portland, Ore. – Roseland
- June 1 – San Diego – 4th & B
- June 2 – Phoenix – Cajun House
- June 5 – Norfolk, Va. – Boathouse
- June 6 – Raleigh, N.C. – TBA
- June 7 – Columbia, S.C. – TBA
