Widely recognized as one of hip hop’s greatest female lyricists of all time, MC Lyte will be honored for her trailblazing contributions to the hip hop genre and community with the iconic “I AM HIP HOP” Award presented by Sprite at this year’s “BET HIP HOP AWARDS.” Filming at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on Saturday, September 28, 2013 the special telecast premieres Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 8:00 P.M.*
MC Lyte first appeared on the scene in 1988 when she became the first solo female rapper to release a full album, “Lyte As a Rock.” A leader in many areas, Lyte received a gold single and a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance for the classic anthem “Ruffneck.”
With eight studio and four compilation albums, plus several guest appearances and soundtrack entries, Lyte continues to add to her collection of music offerings and entrepreneurial endeavors with her most recent release, “Cravin’,” a hot new jam with an old school appeal, a fresh hook and Lyte’s signature lyrical style (http://www.mclyte.info).
A multi-faceted entertainer, MC Lyte is a noted actress, voice-over artist, radio show co-host, DJ, inspirational speaker, author and entrepreneur. Her signature style and recognizable voice can be seen and heard in dozens of films, TV shows, commercials, nationally syndicated radio airwaves and even video games. She’s also appeared in off-Broadway theater and was the first African American female to serve as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy.
The philanthropist is the founder of Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, which recently commenced its search, for the second year in a row, to find the “MC Lyte $100,000 First Wave Scholarship” recipient, who will earn a full scholarship to obtain a 4-year college degree at one of the nation’s top universities, undergirded in hip hop culture (http://www.hiphopsisters.org). Additionally, Lyte created Hip Hop Sisters Network, a platform for female artists to showcase their talents in an environment of encouragement and respect.
MC Lyte will join the elite club of “I AM HIP HOP” Award recipients, which includes Grandmaster Flash (2006); KRS-One (2007); Russell Simmons (2008); Ice Cube (2009); Salt N’ Pepa (2010); LL Cool J (2011) and Rakim (2012), and she is planning a series of events over the course of the weekend in honor of this great achievement (http://www.mclyte.com).
Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Music Programming and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials, will serve as Executive Producers for the BET Hip Hop Awards, along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
“BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013” will also air on Friday, October 18th on BET’s international network in the UK and Africa, reaching more than 17 million households in 50+ countries.
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*All times ET.
About “The BET Hip Hop Awards”
“BET Hip Hop Awards” is an annual celebration that pays homage to a culture that changed the world while highlighting the best in hip hop music. Year after year, BET Networks delivers the best in hip-hop for an unforgettable night of performances, cyphers and tributes honoring hip-hop legends that have and continue to make hip-hop culture a global force.
About Jesse Collins Entertainment
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service film and television production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. Over the past decade, Collins, the company’s CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in the music entertainment arena. Formerly Executive Producer/Executive Vice President of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced award winning television programming including the Grammy Awards, the BET Awards, BET Honors and BET’s Rip the Runway and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Kid Rock, Lil Wayne and many more.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET operates in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
