State Attorney Norm Wolfinger is releasing the "Rap Against Violence" CD Thursday at a reception honoring the winners and sponsors of the innovative contest which uses aspiring rap musicians to promote gun violence prevention.

The CD, which will be distributed free across Central Florida, is the culmination of a contest which chose the 10 best original songs for professional production at Lou Pearlman’s Trans Continental Studios in Orlando, one of the contest co-sponsors. The songs will be aired on 102 JAMZ and public service announcements featuring each of the winners will be broadcast on Bright House Networks channels. Both Bright House and 102 JAMZ are also contest co-sponsors.

The contest was the brainchild of State Attorney Wolfinger in an effort to address mounting gun crime by recruiting local hip hop artists to rap against gun violence.

"We have the right message—put the guns down or do hard time. Now we have the right messengers," Wolfinger said. He added, "Tony Dungy, coach of the Indianapolis Colts, said it best at his son, Jamie’s, funeral in December when he commented that ‘our boys are getting a lot of wrong messages about what it means to be a man in this world. And about how to act.’ He called upon those attending the service to continue sending the right message and to become even bolder as positive role models for our youth."

"Hopefully, our talented rappers will be able to do just that and spread a word-of-mouth epidemic against gun violence throughout Central Florida, making every community safer from gun violence," Wolfinger said.

The 10 winning songs come from a diverse group and represent people who live in six Central Florida counties. The winners include a U. S. Airman stationed now in Iraq, a rap-writing grandmother from Deltona, high school students from Seminole, Osceola, Orange, Lake, and Brevard counties, and a business man from Orlando.

The messages on the songs are powerful.

Wolfinger offered a challenge to Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and the rest of Florida to promote similar gun violence prevention rap competitions, as well as challenging the hip-hop community to change direction. "Leaders in the hip-hop world should expand their influence to address real problems and real solutions to make communities better and not just glorify violence. From what I have experienced in working on this competition, I think that day is here," Wolfinger said.

Downloadable versions of the songs, the lyrics, and background on the contest are all available on the office website at www.sa18.state.fl.us

In addition to Trans Continental, Bright House, 102 JAMZ, and the Brevard-Seminole State Attorney’s Office, sponsors included Brevard and Seminole County Weed and Seed, CrimeLine of Central Florida, Brevard and Seminole Sheriff’s Departments, the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office, and Project Safe Neighborhoods.