It's Must See TV on BET on Thursday, October 23 with the Premieres of the 'BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08' and the Critically Acclaimed 'AMERICAN GANGSTER'

It's Must See TV on BET on Thursday, October 23 with the Premieres of the 'BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08' and the Critically Acclaimed 'AMERICAN GANGSTER'

Tune in to BET Starting at 7:00 P.M.* on Thursday, October 23 for "THE BLACK CARPET" Pre-show, Followed by the "BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08" at 8:00 p.m.* and "AMERICAN GANGSTER" at 10:00 p.m.*

NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- BET is the place to be on Thursday, October 23, as the network premieres the hottest show in hip hop, the BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08, as well as its critically acclaimed docu-drama, AMERICAN GANGSTER. All the action starts with THE BLACK CARPET's coverage of the BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 red carpet at 7:00 p.m.*, with the main show starting at 8:00 p.m.* Rounding out the night is the premiere of the third season of AMERICAN GANGSTER at 10:00 p.m.*

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )

THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08

The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 was full of non-stop, mind-blowing performances, talented lyricists and incomparable collaborations, but above all, the night was an empowering tribute to the upcoming presidential election, giving back to the community and the reigning ladies of hip hop. With the ever-present T-Pain serving as the surprise ringleader (with scheduled host Katt Williams unable to attend), the third annual show was taped at Atlanta's Civic Center on Saturday, October 18 and will air on BET Thursday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m.*

The show's most unforgettable moment was the ladies of hip hop medley, featuring the reigning queens of the mic -- MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, The Lady of Rage, Salt-n-Pepa and Spinderella. From MC Lyte's "Cha Cha Cha" to Yo-Yo's "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo," the performance was an inspiring reminder of how amazing female MCs are and can be. Salt-n-Pepa brought the house to its feet with a number of songs, including "My Mic Sounds Nice," "Shoop," "Big Girls," "Push It, and "Whatta Man" (which included a photo montage of a certain presidential candidate and his wife!).

The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 featured other sizzling performances and collaborations, with ATL native T.I. kicking off the show with "What's Up, What's Happening" and later teaming up with Swizz Beatz for "Swing Your Rag." Nas showed off his lyrical skills with "Queens Get the Money" and "Hero," while Young Jeezy gave a high-energy rendition of "Crazy World." Plies was joined by Ne-Yo for "Who Hotter Than Me" and "Bust It Baby," and Rick Ross treated the crowd to "Here I Am" with Nelly and Avery Storm. Other performances included N.E.R.D., Common, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, Soulja Boy and one big surprise performance that viewers will have to wait until Thursday night to see!

A star-studded line-up of the biggest names in hip hop made appearances at the BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08, including 50 Cent, Kerry Washington, Keri Hilson, Jim Jones, Derek Luke, Lil Cease, Big Boi, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Jamal Woolard and Wu-Tang Clan members GZA, Raekwon, Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck and RZA. Adding to the hype, rapper Jadakiss pumped up the crowd as celebrity announcer, while the famed DJ Drama played all night.

AMERICAN GANGSTER

BET's critically acclaimed docu-drama AMERICAN GANGSTER returns for another compelling season Thursday, October 23 at 10:00 p.m.* Gangsters have been traditionally portrayed in films and television as European; AMERICAN GANGSTER expands this theory by focusing on authentic, bona fide criminals and sheds a different kind of light on the minds of America's worst offenders. Narrated by Ving Rhames, this season returns to probe the lives and crimes of America's most dangerous criminals, including "Monster" Kody, Larry Davis, Mutulu Shakur and J. Edgar Hoover and COINTELPRO, among countless others.

The first episode of AMERICAN GANGSTER will profile Larry Davis, who made headlines when he wounded six NYC police officers in a dramatic 1986 shootout after officers raided his sister's Bronx apartment to arrest him for murdering five drug dealers.

For all BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 information, please visit http://www.bet.com/hiphopawards.

For more on AMERICAN GANGSTER, please visit http://www.bet.com/americangangster.

*All times ET/PT

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), 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 87 million households according to Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. 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; BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08: Lyntina Townsend, +1-202-608-2745,
lyntina.townsend@bet.net, or Marcy Polanco, +1-212-975-3327,
marcy.polanco@bet.net, or Voncella McIntosh, +1-310-481-3732,
voncella.mcintosh@bet.net; or AMERICAN GANGSTER: Marcy Polanco,
+1-212-975-4048, marcy.polanco@bet.net, or Zabrina Horton, +1-310-481-3737,
zabrina.horton@bet.net, all of BET Networks

Web site: http://www.bet.com/hiphopawards
http://www.bet.com/
http://www.bet.com/americangangster

NOTE TO EDITORS: To access photos of the show, please visit http://www.assignmentservices.gettyimages.com/BETHH2008 (User ID: VIEW (case sensitive); Password: 65Ag3nt!).

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