404 Gaming and Their First Title Reads Like a Whos Who of the HipHop...

January 21, 2005 -- While further information will be made available there, expect to hear even more in May, 2005. The list of collaborating artists and staff involved with 404 Gaming and their first title reads like a who's who of the hip-hop community. Here are some examples:

Ad Rock

Adam Horovitz, best known as Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys. The Beastie Boys have both challenged and changed the music industry since their inception, with several ground-breaking albums, including Check Your Head, Ill Communication, Intergalactic, and To The 5 Boroughs.

D.M.C.

Darryl McDaniels, immortalized as D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., has the distinction of being one of the fathers of modern hip-hop, having helped start the ground-breaking trio in 1982 along with Joseph Simmons (Run) and Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay). Run-D.M.C. essentially kicked in the doors of the record industry and declared how rap was going to sound from then on, combining edgy lyrics with driving beats and unafraid to mix with other genres (most famously in collaboration with Aerosmith in 1986's Walk This Way). Their list of singles and albums reads like speech script that any current artist would cite as major influences: It's Like That, Hard Times, King of Rock, Raising Hell, Tougher than Leather, and Crown Royal.

Jam Master Jay

Constituting one third of perhaps the most revolutionary hip-hop group of all time, Run-D.M.C., Jam Master Jay proved his talents beyond the shadow of a doubt over the years dominating his position at the turntables. Staying loyal to his hometown of Queens , NY , Jay also lent a helping hand to many other future talents, earning him a reputation as one of the most kind-hearted individuals in the business. Just weeks after a successful U.S. tour with Aerosmith, he was murdered at his music studio in Queens . Several tributes have been organized and performed in his honor, most of which count numerous icons of the music industry as contributors and attendees, ensuring that Jam Master Jay will always be remembered for pioneering the emergence of hip-hop.

Chuck D

Widely known as one of the most connected, intellectual, and inspiring pillars of the rap community, Chuck D built the foundations of his reputation by starting the outspoken, often controversial group Public Enemy. After leaving his undeniable mark on the industry with It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, Apocalypse 91' The Enemy Strikes Back, he went on to release a solo album called Autobiography of Mistachuck in 1996 and a written version the following year. Chuck has become a popular speaker on the college lecture circuit and an active proponent of mp3 technology, even going as far as to release an entire album in that format, 1999's There's a Poison Goin' On. Chuck D also launched www.rapstation.com in 1999, which serves as a central hub of the hip-hop world, with radio and television stations, interviews, mp3 downloads, and more.

Flava Flav

Perhaps the only artist in history with fans that never, ever have to wonder what time it is, Flava Flav could just be categorized as Chuck D's sidekick in Public Enemy, but that assumption would be a vast understatement. A classically trained pianist, Flava Flav also plays the drums in addition to providing vocals for the group. Flava Flav has once again blitzed back into the spotlight with his appearance on the third season of VH1'sThe Surreal Life, where his on-screen relationship with Brigitte Nielsen proved to be so simultaneously dramatic and comical that it alone fueled a spin-off series: Strange Love.

Notorious B.I.G.

At the time, Notorious B.I.G. (born as Christopher Wallace and otherwise known as Biggie Smalls) was a classic Cinderella story of in the hip-hop scene, rocketing from high school dropout, crack dealer, and convict all the way to a rap phenomenon in only a few years. Under the watchful eye of Sean "Puffy" Combs, he was able to shrug off the mantle of his shady past and emerge straight onto the billboard charts. His first album was eerily prophetic, titled Ready to Die, posthumously followed up by his second release, Life After Death. Outshining his musical career, the Notorious B.I.G. is often referenced as one of the most notable casualties of the East-West conflict in the hip-hop community, along with rival Tupac Shakur, who was also murdered.

Marlon Campbell (404 Gaming)

Educated in Strategic Marketing and Spanish, Marlon Campbell has led a vast and diligent career in the entertainment industry, first as a member of Shy Shy & The Crime, then holding the positions of President/Managing Director for Allilee Promotions & Campbell and Cojoe Presentations, Inc., President of BMEG, Inc., President of Artist Resource Network, Inc., Managing Director of PIMGO, Inc., President/Managing Director of Majer Film Werks, LLC., Co-Owner of Made-4-Playe Entertainment & Consulting LLC, and most recently as President of 404 Gaming. Marlon brings with him an enormous stockpile of contacts in entertainment as well as his years of leadership experience.

Marc Ghetti (404 Gaming)

Marc Ghetti is a co-founder and Vice President of Operations of 404 Gaming, LLC. After serving in the United States Air Force as a subject matter expert for the development of integrated avionic attack control systems for the F-111, F-15 and the F-16 platforms, he engaged as a Master Instructor and course writer, completing over 57 comprehensive courses for the instruction and training of thousands of Airmen, Marines and Sailors involved in the understanding of integrated computer languages, architecture, and programming. Ghetti is also a decorated Gulf War Veteran. He has helped develop and patent ballistics technology that is currently invaluable to our nation's defense.

DJ Hurricane (404 Gaming)

Forging his illustrious career alongside such artists as Run D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys, DJ Hurricane had already secured his position as a cornerstone of New York 's hip-hop scene, but further solidified it with the release of his own albums, including The Hurra (1995), Severe Damage (1997), and Don't Sleep (2000). Back when the genre was still coalescing, he formed the groups Solo Sounds and The Afros. After touring with Run D.M.C. as a DJ, he became friends with the Beastie Boys and he was later asked to join them as their exclusive DJ. Through the 1990's, Hurricane enjoyed enormous success with the Beastie Boys, but left to pursue his own projects in 1998 after the release of Ill Communication. Most recently DJ Hurricane has joined 404 Gaming as their Senior Vice President of Talent, and is also a company co-founder.

Adam Ghetti (404 Gaming)

After developing several applications for the MMORPG market, allowing users to experience unique aspects of various games, Adam Ghetti co-founded 404 Gaming at the age of 17, where he now serves as Senior Creative Director. He's experienced every aspect of the industry, from top to bottom, on countless individual titles. Having been involved in online gaming since 1997, he has literally lived half of his life with access to virtual environments, giving him a unique perspective on the industry that often eludes other developers. At 404 Gaming he hopes to usher in a new generation of MMORPGs that alter the status quo.

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