Hennessy Artistry 2009 Series Kicks Off with Nothing But Love; Performances by Common, The Roots, Heavy D, Jeremih, Colin Munroe and Elevator Fight

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - Hennessy Artistry 2009 Series - a four-city slate of musical performances that delivers an electrifying experience of unexpected blends: musical, artistic, cultural - and flavorful - is off to a winning start! The first show kicked off on Saturday night at Chicago's The Shrine with a freestyle introduction made by Common and backed by The Roots that frenzied Chi-town concert goers - even before surprise guest Heavy D made his unannounced appearance before the roaring crowd. Check out a taste of the night at:

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_pzArUIfXk
PHOTOS: https://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====390529

"Hennessy does well to blend a cocktail of talented veterans with new artists," noted Time Out Chicago in a review. "One got solid performances, along with a few other surprises-as promised."

The Hennessy Artistry event in Chicago mixed Hennessy cocktails (in Apple, Berry, Citrus and Ginger flavors) with a concert that blended performances from Common and The Roots with everyone from Zoe Kravitz and Elevator Fight, to Colin Munroe, surprise guest Jeremih, and the big finale with icon Heavy D. Heavy D took the stage with Common and The Roots in front of a packed house (which included SNL's Tim Meadows and Law & Order's Anthony Anderson) performing fan favorites "Overweight Lova," "Nothing But Love" and "Now That We Found Love."

Hennessy, the bestselling Cognac in the world and one of the most celebrated and storied brands in history, delivers unexpected blends of music, artistry, culture and flavor with this year's fourth annual Hennessy Artistry Series - upcoming events include:

The Velvet Room, ATLANTA - September 19
The Corinthian, HOUSTON - October 3
"HALO" NEW YORK @ Terminal 5 - October 7

About Hennessy:
Hennessy is imported and distributed in the U.S. by Moet Hennessy USA. and is a subsidiary of LVMH (Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton). 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.