'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' Salutes the Pioneers of Hip Hop Who've Reinvented the Sound and Look of the Genre on Monday, October 8 at 10PM*

'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' Salutes the Pioneers of Hip Hop Who've Reinvented the Sound and Look of the Genre on Monday, October 8 at 10PM*

Hosted By Tracy Morgan The Fourth Annual Hip Hop Celebration Will Feature Tributes To Snoop Dogg, Whodini, Missy Elliot, Wild Style's 25th Anniversary and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell For New Jack Swing

VH1 Searches For The Next Great Music Producer To Create The Official Score For This Year's 'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' With Online Contest 'The Score' Launching July 23 On HIPHOP.VH1.COM

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 Snoop Dogg, Whodini, Missy Elliot, Wild Style's 25th Anniversary and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for New Jack Swing.

Premiering on Monday, October 8 at 10 PM*, "VH1 Hip Hop Honors," will celebrate the players who broke new ground and pioneered the genre into a true cultural phenomenon. "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" will be taped at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Thursday, October 4. 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. Generations of hip hop will bridge the gap for one exceptional night to set it off with the original style and flavor that sparked and inspired the evolution of the music. Additional performances and appearances will be announced shortly.

On July 23, VH1.com is launching "THE SCORE," an online search to find the best, undiscovered hip hop producer in the country. VH1 will give one lucky producer the opportunity to heat up VH1's fourth annual hip hop celebration by awarding him or her with the opportunity to create and produce the official score of the annual, televised event. The winning score will be used during the broadcast of "VH1 Hip Hop Honors." The creator will receive show credit and the opportunity to be mentored by an industry executive/producer during a session where the winning score will be professionally produced.

From July 23 through August 20, contestants can post their 60-second beats for consideration at http://hiphop.vh1.com/. See site for official rules and guidelines. Three finalists will be selected by a panel of music industry judges. Viewers will then decide through online voting who has what it takes to create and produce this year's official score to "VH1 Hip Hop Honors."

Additionally, in early September, VH1.com will launch a dedicated "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" Web site with honoree profiles, exclusive online content and more.

"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" is executive produced by Lee Rolontz for VH1 and Jac Benson for Blackjac Entertainment. Louis J. Horvitz will direct. Nelson George and Fab Five Freddie are consulting producers.

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at www.vh1.com/press

* All times ET/PT

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 90 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and VSPOT, VH1's broadband channel. Connect with VH1 at 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.

Contacts: Tracy McGraw Toni Herron
212-846-7879 212-846-7528
tracy.mcgraw@VH1staff.comtoni.herron@VH1staff.com

Source: VH1

CONTACT: Tracy McGraw, +1-212-846-7879, tracy.mcgraw@VH1staff.com, or
Toni Herron, +1-212-846-7528, toni.herron@VH1staff.com, both of VH1

Web site:

http://www.vh1.com/
http://hiphop.vh1.com/
http://press.mtvn.com/tcajuly07

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