Independent music distributor Central South Distribution has formed a partnership with Lataillade Entertainment, headed by Vicki Mack-Lataillade and her husband, Claude Lataillade, and GRAMMY-nominated songwriter-producer Rene Moore, head of Ruff Town Entertainment Group.

The multimillion-dollar stock purchase marks the first time in history that African-Americans will have a principal stake and partnership in a major contemporary music distribution company.

"The paradigm for the way contemporary music is sold on the retail level is in a constant state of flux and is extremely challenging at the moment," said Randy Davidson, founder and CEO of Central South. "The merger with Lataillade Entertainment and Ruff Town Entertainment Group is a natural progression for Central South, and the vast experience and expertise of our unparalleled management team will help us to expand our dominant market share."

Mack-Lataillade, Lataillade and Moore will serve on Central South's board of directors along with Davidson; Chuck Adams, co-founder and president of Central South; and Greg Davidson, the company's vice president of finance.

Aside from being a leading distributor of faith-based music, Nashville-based Central South has built a chain of 90 retail stores that have grossed $100 million in volume, the company said. Its product line is comprised of 80% urban contemporary gospel and faith-based music.

The Lataillades built the independent gospel label Gospo Centric Records and with several other companies generated more than $100 million dollars, a company statement said.

"We share a common vision with Central South of maintaining our independent spirit, staying streamlined, and seeking viable partnerships with other companies that will help us grow a multi-media distribution platform for a wide range of faith based and secular products," Lataillade said. "We also intend to take an aggressive posture in expanding and our digital strategy, and further developing our roles as creators/providers and distributors of digital content."

Since selling Gospo Centric to BMG/Sony/Zomba, Vicki, CEO, and Claude, CFO, have built a wide spectrum of entertainment properties under the banner of Lataillade Entertainment, which include Mack Entertainment, a record label; Lilly Mack Publishing; and Soulaughable, a comedy/variety show on The Word Network.

Moore, from the R&B and hip-hop duet Rene & Angela, also was a writer and producer for the late Michael Jackson, and received a GRAMMY nomination for Song of the Year. In 1997, he launched Ruff Town Entertainment Group with radio mogul Kevin Wagner and rapper JT Money. The company includes a record label and a successful publishing company.

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