VH1 Delivers Its 'Hip Hop Honors' to the Digital Masses

VH1 Delivers Its 'Hip Hop Honors' to the Digital Masses

VH1's VSPOT Broadband Network Opens First Ever Event-Specific Channel With Exclusive After-Show, Red Carpet Pre-Show, Interviews and Performances

VH1 Launches Podcast Platform With Audio Files That Celebrate This Year's Hip Hop Honorees Including LL Cool J, Ice T, Big Daddy Kane and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as rap pioneers "scratched" vinyl records to take audio technology to a whole new level, VH1 is using the latest in broadband and mobile technology to reach all of the masses for its upcoming 2nd annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors.

To extend the Hip Hop Honors event into an interactive multiplatform experience, VH1 is creating its first ever event-specific channel for its new broadband network VSPOT, launching its podcast platform and developing exclusive content for mobile phones.

This year's event, hosted by Russell Simmons and Reverend Run, premieres Monday, September 26 at 9 PM ET/PT and salutes Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Notorious B.I.G., Ice T, Salt-N-Pepa and the film "Boyz N The Hood." Performers include Kanye West, Eve, Nelly, Common, Jazzy Jeff, Snoop Dogg, Biz Markie, En Vogue, Faith Evans, Fat Joe, Ciara, T.I., The Roots, DJ Cut Creator, DJ Jazzy Joyce and DJ Kid Capri with appearances by Anthony Anderson, Jermaine Dupri, Diddy, Nas, Jerry Ferrara, and Ludacris.

"VH1 has already been providing music and pop culture content to our viewers on a variety of platforms including broadband and mobile," said VH1 General Manager Tom Calderone. "But with VH1 Hip Hop Honors we are celebrating the pioneers of hip hop by creating an unprecedented amount of original and exclusive programming that allows music lovers to access what they want, when they want."

VH1 Broadband Network VSPOT Opens First-Ever Event-Specific Channel With Rich, Original and Exclusive Content

VSPOT's Hip Hop Honors channel is rich with exclusive programs such as the "VIP PASS" premiering just after the main show, all available on-demand.

-- The party keeps going when VSPOT broadcasts its exclusive "VIP PASS" once the main show wraps up on the VH1 linear network. VSPOT's "VIP PASS" features behind-the-scenes access hosted by MC Lyte, exclusive music performances, interviews with the artists, presenters and honorees as well as footage from this year's rehearsals.

-- VSPOT's "RED CARPET PRE-SHOW," will reveal all the drama, the fashions and the behind-the-scenes rush as the hip hop elite gather for their photo ops prior to the event.

-- The complete 411 on "FREESTYLE 59" -- VH1 and VH1.com's online contest to seek out the best undiscovered emcee in the country based on unsigned rappers' 59-second video entries. The package includes freestyle performances by the contest's five finalists, profiles with contestants, their workshop with freestyle guru Jin and outtakes from all contest entries.

-- Exclusive honoree packages comprised of tributes from their peers and other hip hop luminaries.

-- VSPOT's "Mix Tape" hosted by Hip Hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy. "Mix Tape" will feature music videos from the honorees, presenters and performers.

-- VSPOT's tribute to Hip Hop Honoree the film "Boyz N The Hood" featuring up to two minutes of clips from the movie and an interview with the director John Singleton.

-- VSPOT's "Box Set" on Hip Hop Honoree Notorious B.I.G. including his music videos and extended interview clips from the VH1 program "Driven."

-- VSPOT's look back at last year's Hip Hop Honors event and interview outtakes from VH1's critically acclaimed history of hip hop documentary "And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop."

VH1 Launches First-Ever Podcasts That Will Feature Each Hip Hop Honors

VH1 is launching its podcast platform for Hip Hop Honors creating audio files celebrating each honoree. The 15-minute files will include interviews with the hip hop honorees, including samples of their discographies and commentary about their impact on hip hop culture from Fab 5 Freddy and Nelson George.

VH1 Mobile

VH1 Mobile takes Hip Hop Honors on the go with a variety of ringtones and ringbacks from Doug E. Fresh and Fab 5 Freddy, as well as exclusive, never before released ringtone tracks from Kanye West ("Gold Digger"), LL Cool J ("Rock the Bells - Break Edition), Young Jeezy ("Soul Survivor") and Reverend Run ("Mind on the Road"). Fans can also customize their handsets with authentic and original mobile wallpapers from graffiti artists such as Clutch, Avee and Fingers or with images of their favorite hip hop artists. Additionally, VH1 Mobile enables viewers to vote via SMS text messaging for their favorite emcee in VH1's "Freestyle 59" contest.

"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" are executive produced by Lee Rolontz for VH1 and Jac Benson for Blacjac Entertainment. Louis J. Horvitz will direct. Nelson George and Fab 5 Freddy are consulting producers.

"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" advertisers include T-Mobile, USA, Taco Bell(R) Corp, Ask Jeeves, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," a Paramount Pictures presentation of an Interscope/Shady/Aftermath and MTV Films production.

Accessible through VH1's web site (http://www.vh1.com/), VSPOT is VH1's new hybrid network offering three distinct channels of original and exclusive music and pop culture programming. VH1's newest screen offers both a linear viewing experience and video-on-demand capabilities in one web-based application. VSPOT also heightens visitors' broadband experience by delivering companion programming to the VH1 linear network as well as high- quality original video content right to viewers' computers. VSPOT launched this past July with the exclusive world premiere of the first episode of the new season of "The Surreal Life 5" -- three days before the series premieres on VH1.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in over 87 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH Uno, and VH1 Country. Connect with VH1 at http://www.vh1.com/.

VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

CONTACT: Brett Henne of VH1, +1-212-846-6752

Source: VH1

CONTACT: Brett Henne of VH1, +1-212-846-6752

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/

------- Profile: Ent