MIMS Earns Virgin Mobile USA Award

Capitol Records RIAA platinum-certified artist MIMS is being honored by Virgin Mobile USA with a special award for being the 50-millionth ringtone purchased by Virgin Mobile customers. The milestone was reached earlier this year. Last year, Virgin Mobile customers downloaded 14.8 million ringtones.

The song that reached the milestone threshold was, of course, MIMS's Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash "This is Why I'm Hot," which has itself sold more than 2 million ringtones, 200,000 of which were downloaded by Virgin Mobile customers, having topped the Billboard Ringmasters chart for two consecutive weeks. The song continues to hold the No. 2 spot on the current Ringmasters chart.

MIMS's single has also taken the national No. 1 position in Canada and Japan. "This is Why I'm Hot" made the fourth-greatest advance to the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 position in chart history to date, by moving from No. 32 to No. 1 in its sixth week. It held at the chart summit for two consecutive weeks. "This is Why I'm Hot" remains top 20 on the Hot 100, months after its No. 1 peak in March.

MIMS's Capitol Records debut, MUSIC IS MY SAVIOR, released March 27, 2007, debuted on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at No. 2, and on the Billboard national Top 200 album sales chart at No. 4.

Washington Heights, New York-born MIMS began DJ-ing in his early teens, and at age 20, appeared in Baby Blue Soundcrew's Much Music Awards Best Video nominee "Love Em All." Last year, his independent release of "This is Why I'm Hot" attracted local New York radio play, and a Capitol Records deal.

Virgin Mobile USA's wireless service with no annual contracts is powered by the nationwide Sprint PCS Network. The company, which launched in 2002, is a joint venture between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Sprint Nextel. For more information, visit http://www.virginmobileusa.com.