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VH1 Celebrates Hip Hop Throughout October With a Slate of All-New Series, Documentaries, Movies and Specials

"Bridging The Gap: Queen Latifah and Eve," "Rags To Riches: Nick Cannon," "Bridging The Gap: Snoop Dogg and The Game," "Classic Albums: Jay-Z," "The Salt -N- Pepa Show," "Gotti's Way," "Rock Docs: Fade To Black," and the Fourth Annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" Highlight VH1's October Programming

VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1.com and VH1 Mobile Also Join The Celebration With Specials, Documentaries, Exclusive Online Content, Movies And More

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1 Honors the legacy of hip hop and the men and women who created the beats heard around the world with all-new series, documentaries, specials and movies throughout October that will leave you cheering: Hip Hop Hooray!

Premieres:

"BRIDGING THE GAP: QUEEN LATIFAH & EVE" & "BRIDGING THE GAP: SNOOP DOGG & THE GAME" PREMIERE MONDAY, OCTOBER 1 STARTING AT 11 PM*

"Bridging The Gap" documents what happens when two established artists come together to explore their shared musical passions. In each half-hour episode, two artists who share a mutual admiration and respect for the other will share a day, discussing their lives while creating a new track produced by one of today's hottest producers. Queen Latifah and Eve are featured in the premiere, while The Game and Snoop Dogg collaborate in the second episode at 11:30 PM.

"RAGS TO RICHES: NICK CANNON" PREMIERES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2 AT 11 PM*

Award winning talent Nick Cannon has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with, and he shows no signs of slowing down. From a successful TV and film career, executive producing two MTV hit series ("Wild N' Out" and "Short Circuitz") and creating chart topping music hits, Nick has flourished into a one-man entertainment conglomerate. Join Nick Cannon, as he takes viewers through the streets of South East San Diego to expose his touching and personal account of early struggles and humble beginnings. Now he is giving back to his community and to the people who helped him realize his stardom. Nick's current success will be brought to life in the critically acclaimed "Rags To Riches," a new documentary series on VH1. Watch Nick as he celebrates the best aspects of human nature: the capacity to overcome hardship through dedicated work and the joy of giving back to those in need.

  "VH1 ROCK DOCS: FADE TO BLACK" & "CLASSIC ALBUMS: JAY-Z"
  PREMIERE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 STARTING AT 8:30 PM*

Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) has been one of the most influential figures in black American music since the mid-nineties. "Fade To Black" reveals the multiple Grammy Award winning artist as never before, from his background and rise to fame to the recording of his last album. The film chronicles his legendary concert at Madison Square Garden in November 2003 that featured guest performances by Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, R. Kelly, Foxy Brown, Pharrell, and ?uestlove and The Illadelphonics along with appearances by hip hop icons Damon Dash, Rick Rubin, Slick Rick, P. Diddy and many others. Viewers get the rare glimpse into Jay-Z's creative process as he searches for inspiration, poetry, and perfection in his songs. Narrated by Jay-Z himself, his account of the night takes on reflections of his entire musical career and his journey that led to this one astounding, fabled evening -- rightfully called "Fade To Black."

And premiering at 11 PM is VH1's latest addition to the "Classic Albums" franchise that takes us back through the whole creative process behind Jay-Z's stunning first release "Reasonable Doubt." Initially as a performer racking up an incredibly successful string of hit singles and albums and later as an executive, having taken on the presidency of Def Jam Records in 2004. "Reasonable Doubt" is still considered by many to be his finest achievement. A much harder hitting and edgy record than his later more polished and pop orientated releases, it announced to the world that a new rap star had arrived.

  "VH1 HIP HOP HONORS"
  PREMIERES MONDAY, OCTOBER 8 AT 10 PM*

VH1 will once again honor the hip hop pioneers and legends that have made significant contributions to all aspects of pop culture with the fourth annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors." Hosted by Tracy Morgan, this year's honorees include A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg, WHODINI, Missy Elliott, the film Wild Style and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for New Jack Swing. The music and influence of each of the honorees will be recognized through performances by classic artists in collaboration with today's hottest new talent. The honorees are set to take the stage and showcase their legendary talent, along with Ciara, Eve, Pharrell Williams, T.I., Timbaland, Bow Wow, Busta Rhymes, Common, T- Pain, Keyshia Cole, Nick Cannon, Nelly Furtado, Ne-Yo, KRS-One The Teacha, Jermaine Dupri, Grandmaster Caz, Nelly, Mos Def, Kool Moe Dee, Grand Wizzard Theodore and The Chief Rocker Busy Bee, as well as appearances by Chris Rock, Harvey Keitel, LL Cool J, Salt -N- Pepa, Kerry Washington and Diddy. "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" will be taped at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on October 4.

  "THE SALT -N- PEPA SHOW" & "GOTTI'S WAY"
  PREMIERE MONDAY, OCTOBER 15 STARTING AT 10 PM*

"The Salt -N- Pepa Show," will follow the ladies as they attempt to reunite on and off the stage in this funny, often touching reality series. They soon discover however, that achieving this is easier said than done since most of their past issues are still unresolved. Salt is angry about being unappreciated when they were together and Pepa blames Salt for breaking up the group. Their lifestyles are also polar opposites: Salt is a devout Christian and is living a quiet life in Long Island with her husband, while Pepa is still the party girl and desperately wants to re-capture the glamour of Salt 'N Pepa's glory days. Can they overcome their differences long enough to heal their friendship and perform again?

"Gotti's Way" starting at 10:30 PM* will provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at Irv's company and the music machine that he is, working with artists such as Vanessa Carlton, Lloyd, Ja Rule and more. After being investigated for 3 years by the federal government and acquitted, on charges of money laundering, Irv Gotti is now attempting a comeback with his label, The Inc., while also juggling his responsibilities as a husband and father. The show will also focus on the raw emotions between Irv and wife, Debbie, by exposing their struggle to mend a severed relationship and make it functional for the sake of their family.

  Additional Programming includes:
  Thursday, 10/4: Brown Sugar, 8 Mile, and Krush Groove
  Friday, 10/5: Dave Chappelle's Block Party

For more information on all these shows, please log on to http://www.vh1.com/.

  On VH1 Soul:
  "New Jack Swing Weekend" Beginning Monday, Oct 1 at 6 AM*

In conjunction with the fourth annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors show, VH1 Soul will pay homage to New Jack Swing, the hip hop genre created by two of this year's VH1 Hip Hop Honors honorees, Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell. New Jack Swing rose in popularity in the 1980's when R&B/Hip hop artist and producer Teddy Riley integrated hip hop rhythms, samples and production techniques with the urban sound of R&B. To celebrate the impact of this hip hop genre, VH1 Soul presents "New Jack Swing Weekend," a special weekend full of signature programming to celebrate the New Jack Swing era of hip hop music, including:

  -- New Jack Swing A to Z, a video marathon of every New Jack Swing video
     in alphabetical order starting from After 7 to Zhane
  -- Teddy Riley's Top 10: Best in Soul, an hour-long block hosted by Teddy
     Riley, featuring his Top 10 favorite "New Jack Swing" videos
  -- The BBC original documentary, "Urban Soul: Stories on the Making of
     Modern R&B" on Saturday, October 6 at 8PM*.

Making its U.S. premiere, Urban Soul takes an in-depth look at R&B music since the 1970's, covering everything from the New Jack Swing movement, hip hop soul, neo-soul and mainstream R&B. This two-hour documentary is a groundbreaking journey through contemporary American music culture with a combination of rare archival footage and thought-provoking interviews with the greatest performers, producers, musicians and commentators of the genre. Urban Soul boasts a stellar cast of interviewees including Beyonce Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, Bobby Brown, TLC and Chaka Khan.

  On VH1 Classic:
  "And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop"
  Premieres Wednesday, October 3 from 8-12 PM

From its humble beginnings in the South Bronx to the global, cultural and economic powerhouse it has become, hip hop has reshaped the world. VH1 documents this cultural explosion with never-before-seen footage that traces the history of this art form. This five-part series begins with the origins of hip hop to the meteoric rise and success of Russell Simmons' Def Jam label, the gangsta rap wars to how hip hop and Eminem conquered America. The documentary concludes with the new moguls who have come to define "bling bling."

  "Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music"
  Premieres on Saturday, October 6 from 2-8 PM

Soul music has been the soundtrack to some of the most extraordinary social, political and cultural shifts of the second half of the 20th Century. Through a combination of rare archival footage, over 100 contemporary and never-seen-before interviews, each episode of this six-part BBC original documentary explores a different era of the evolution of "soul music" from the creation of R&B, via gospel, southern soul, Motown, funk and hip-hop soul through the words and performances of its greatest artists, producers, musicians and commentators.

For more information on these shows and to learn more about these classic artists visit http://www.vh1classic.com/.

On VH1.com

VH1.com recently launched a dedicated "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" site, HIPHOP.VH1.COM, filled with honoree profiles, video playlists and much more. The site will also be home to exclusive online content such as sneak peek performances and on-site interviews with all of the honorees, performers and presenters during rehearsals and red carpet arrivals, hosted by Spinderella of Salt -N- Pepa.

VH1 Mobile

VH1 Mobile will offer "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" content including original ringtones from select honorees recorded exclusively for VH1 Mobile, original wallpapers, video footage from "The Score" session with ?uestlove and a dedicated WAP site available by entering HIPHOP.VH1.COM into your mobile's browser. Select video footage from "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" will be available on VH1 Mobile following the on-air broadcast.

  *All Times ET/PT

Source: VH1

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

MAJOR HIP-HOP ICONS EMBRACE NEW MOVEMENT

New Social Media Platform -- StreetCred.com -- Empowers Hip-Hop Culture

Screen shot of StreetCred.com homepage

Atlanta, GA (9/20/07 BlackNews.com) - StreetCred.com, a new 'Movement' within hip-hop, was announced today with the support of several hip-hop icons, including T.I., Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Common, and T-Pain. StreetCred.com is a hip-hop centric, online interactive social media network that aggregates the hip-hop culture onto a single global platform. At www.StreetCred.com, members can establish their own 'Block', reside on a virtual 'Street', build their 'Squad of friends', build and sustain 'Cred' and express themselves in the form of audio, video, images and blogs. The platform consists of social networking, content publishing and sharing, and digital content distribution, all for the hip-hop culture.

Celebrity spokesperson T.I. affirms, "I am honored and privileged to be a part of such a significant movement. StreetCred.com is history in the making; it's a movement that will make contributions to hip-hop that will be remembered forever." StreetCred.com allows members to express themselves in ways that are only limited by their creativity, imagination and willingness to make a difference. Members can participate in chat, forums, theme clubs, and more. Additionally, members are rewarded when they express themselves through the site with its patent pending StreetMeter(TM) feature. The StreetMeter gauges a member's 'Cred' ranking based on three key factors: a member's popularity, activity and contribution within the StreetCred.com community. Members attaining the highest levels of 'Cred' are eligible to participate in special StreetCred.com events and promotions.

Since its soft launch in mid-July 2007, StreetCred.com has received significant traction; logging more than 2.5 million page views with traffic originating from more than 100 countries around the world. Registration is free and open to all, allowing everyone the opportunity to participate. The platform enables the hip-hop culture, perhaps the most powerful culture in the world, to coalesce, better communicate and engage. "StreetCred.com aggregates hip-hop in a virtual, seamless and scalable way, truly empowering the culture, creating a participatory democracy that gives everyone an interest, voice, and opportunity in shaping the future of hip-hop," says Rocky Williform, Founder and CEO of StreetCred Media Group. "The StreetCred 'Movement' transcends age, gender, geography, socio-economic status and ethnicity," added Williform.

In addition to many hip-hop notables, other industry powerhouses have also embraced the 'Movement'. The company has inked content deals with music distribution companies (WMG) Warner Music Group and Sony/BMG and is currently in discussions with Universal Music Group, BET, and others. These are just a few of the many ways the company is executing on its commitment of establishing an all-inclusive hip-hop platform.

About StreetCred.com:
Developed by StreetCred Media Group, a new media company, StreetCred.com is an alternative to other networking portals and content publishing websites. StreetCred.com was developed to provide an online 'Home for Hip-Hop Culture', extending beyond hip-hop music. Content consists of hip-hop, R&B, pop and rock genres. The company also operates StreetCred Mobile, the proprietary digital content distribution channel, allowing mobile content distribution via its vanity mobile short codes 'HIPHOP' and 'STREET'.

StreeCred.com...It's a Movement.

The inside story on 50 Cent's relationships

by Shlomo Tommer

Secretive and inclined to brooding silences, it is difficult for others to really know 50 Cent's inner core, for he trusts and opens himself to very few. Allowing himself to be vulnerable and to relinquish control in relationships is not easy for him.

He has intense, passionate loves and hates and is a jealously loyal and protective friend - or a fearsome foe. He has a nasty habit of holding on to past hurts, resentments, and guilt - and to keep such feelings to himself. It is important for 50 Cent to learn to forgive and let go, as well as to express his feelings openly and directly, rather than hiding or repressing them.

He is not content with superficial appearances and is always probing beneath the surface of things for hidden motives. He has a great deal of emotional depth.

50 Cent is likely to be a great collector of things - a real pack rat in fact - for his belongings give him a sense of security and continuity with the past, which is important to him. Antiques or things with sentimental value from his past are especially dear to him.

He may also cling rather tightly to both money and possessions, keeping them "in the family" rather than sharing freely with those outside of his immediate circle.

He is subject to strange emotional experiences which could relate to the supernatural. Very sensitive, he immediately responds to every influence, resulting in frequent changes of mood. He may be interested in the occult, psychic studies and spiritualism.

Sensitive and sentimental, 50 Cent is deeply attached to his family, old friends, familiar places, and the past. He is romantic and tender in love, and the remembrance of birthdays, anniversaries, family rituals, and other days of personal significance is very important to him. He seeks caring, emotional support, and security in love. He likes to be needed, to cherish and protect his loved ones, and is somewhat possessive of them.

Promoting beauty, the arts, or entertainment can make 50 Cent very happy. He wants to contribute something positive and loving to the world at large and he wants to be recognized for his beauty, artistic gifts, or loving generosity. He may "marry" his work - that is, be more involved in his career than in his private life. He is a natural host or diplomat.

He loves to laugh, celebrate, and enjoy himself with his companions. Emotionally open and easygoing, he considers just about anyone a friend or potential friend. His good humor and friendliness make him quite popular and well-liked. At times, he overdoes the festivities, but rarely regrets this.

Chronically discontented, 50 Cent is likely to be somewhat unstable in matters of love and affection. He tends to be on the defensive and fears rejection and lack of acceptance. He has to learn to overcome his fears and general shyness with people.

Shlomo Tommer (born 1956), is a veteran Astrology Researcher, IT Executive, Channeler, Mathematician, and the developer of Top Synergy's popular analytical paradigm for relationships analysis - http://www.topsynergy.com/.Shlomo Tommer may be contacted at http://www.topsynergy.com/ or webmaster@topsynergy.com

Highlights from Last Issue . . .

HIP-HOP'S SOUTHERN JEWEL SET TO SPARKLE ON NEW CD

La Toya "Tragedy" Burns

Houston, TX (BlackNews.com) (2/1/06) - The attraction to precious diamonds has been spreading rampant throughout the world of hip-hop leaving its mark and influence. The exuberant stones are one of the most coveted material possessions and serve as a symbol of status and suggest a certain level of success within the culture. It is evidenced by the varying but widespread references of glaring diamonds blinding unsuspecting onlookers, wrists and necks being iced-out or diamonds being pressed against wood-grain steering wheels while rollin expensive foreign automobiles up and down the block. Bodily real estate also seems to be scarce as the number of artists making bling bling apart of their dental records is visibly increasing. This expanding fashion is known as wearing grills, yet another method for displaying the dazzling jewels as teeth serve as the billboard for advertisement. But what makes a diamond truly priceless and invaluable?

The answer lies deep beneath the surface and darkness of the earths core. To truly appreciate a diamond you must first appreciate the process. It takes eons for a diamond to form in the midst of constant exposure to extremely intense pressure and unbearably hot temperatures. Its that contrasting process that has made La Toya "Tragedy" Burns, a petite but sightly, powerful yet humble, female rap artist out of Houston, Texas, such an inestimable find.

From the moment she was crowned as the Roll Call Queen, over 11 years ago on Houston's KBXX 97.9 (Mad Hatta Show) in 1994, she has had to endure many fiery tests as well as overcome the constant pressures by many industry movers and shakers, to compromise.

Early experiences working with several production powerhouses including super-producer Jazzy Phae and P. Diddy's then Bad Boy Hit Man J-Dubb, had the potential and promise to propel her rap career fast forward. However, a change of heart and change of direction led to a change of pace!

A renewed commitment to a higher purpose for her life and music led to many delays, struggles and challenges along the way. Success as many viewed it, was slowly slipping out of her grasp. It would take another eight years and many uphill battles, but her tenacity, determination and above all her faith, would not prove false in the end.

Now armed with the multi-platinum production of Sean Blaze Henderson (50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin) and national distribution through Holy Hip Hop/EMI, The stage has once again been set for this Southern Jewel to Sparkle on her upcoming release - Princess Cut.

To hear the single Man Upstairs or for more information on the sophomore release and national debut Princess Cut please visit www.sgrmusicgroup.com

Caption: Platinum selling recording artists Kanye West (center), Ludacris (right), and West Coast newcomer The GAME (left) are asking hip-hop fans around the nation "Where You At?" in a new Boost Mobile music video style television commercial. (Photo: Business Wire)

Hip-Hop Stars Kanye West, Ludacris and The GAME Ask "Where You At?" in New Boost Mobile "Anthem" TV Ad

Anthem Campaign Includes Original Music Recorded by Hip-Hop Artists, Alliance Benefiting Youth Charities, and Contest to Win a Weekend Trip to Kanye West's, Ludacris' or The Game's Hometowns

September 2004 (Newstream) -- Separated by City. United by Music. Connected by Boost Mobile. Platinum selling recording artists Kanye West, Ludacris, and West Coast newcomer The GAME are asking hip-hop fans around the nation "Where You At?" in a new Boost Mobile music video style television commercial directed by Chris Robinson. Boost Mobile's new "Anthem" spot, which began airing this week on MTV, BET, FUSE, SPIKE and other youth-oriented national networks, showcases the hip-hop all-stars using nationwide Boost(SM) Walkie-Talkie service to perform freestyle rhymes that pay tribute to their respective hometowns. [continue article]