NEW YORK, NY - September 16, 2014 – For eight years, the BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” has remained the most prominent hip hop culture showcase on television.  This year will be no different as Uncle Snoop joins Common, Birdman, DJ Premier, DJ Mustard, Rich Homie Quan, Bobby Shmurda, Young Thug, Vince Staples, Jay Electronica, Migos, YG and Rae Sremmurd as confirmed performers for this “Hip Hop Awards.”  BET’s “Real Husband of Hollywood” and Grammy award winning rapper, Nelly and the “first lady” of G.O.O.D Music, Teyana Taylor are confirmed to be presenters.
The “I Am Hip Hop Icon” Award, recognizing legends in hip hop music, returns to honor renowned MC, Doug E. Fresh. As a distinguished beat boxer and rapper, he has redefined hip hop time and time again with notable achievements and all-time classic hits such as “La Di Da Di” and “The Show.”

Doug E. Fresh has served as a forerunner for hip hop culture for a whopping 29 years.  He proved to be a powerful force by 1985, with his dope rhymes, clever lyricism and extraordinary beat boxing skills. Since then, Doug E. Fresh has respectfully been known as “The Human Beat Box” and “The World’s Greatest Entertainer.” Throughout his career, he has pushed boundaries and undoubtedly earned the well-deserving title of a hip hop legend.

Previous “I Am Hip Hop Icon” Award honorees include MC Lyte (2013), Rakim (2012), LL Cool J (2011), Salt-N-Pepa (2010), Ice Cube (2009), Russell Simmons (2008), KRS-One (2007) and Grandmaster Flash (2006).

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.

Taping of the awards show will take place at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, GA on Saturday, September 20, 2014 and will premiere on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The “Real Husbands of Hollywood S2: Reunion Special” will follow directly after, at 10:00 p.m. ET.

BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2014 will also premiere on Friday, October 17, 2014 on BET’s international network in the UK and Africa, reaching more than 17 million households in 50+ countries (check local listings).

BET.com/HipHopAwards is the official site for the BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2014 where fans can visit to get up-to-date info on this year's show and take a look back on past BET Hip Hop Awards.  In the coming weeks, BET.com will launch a series of interactive timelines, exclusive video content, games and quizzes leading up to the show.

The BET “Hip Hop Awards” is fresh, legendary and, as always, a memorable night that you don’t want to miss!
Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET’s multiple social media platforms:
• On Twitter by using hashtag: #HipHopAwards; follow us @HipHopAwards and @BET
• On Facebook by liking the fan page at facebook.com/HipHopAwards

Follow Snoop Dogg on Twitter (@SnoopDogg), Instagram (@SnoopDogg), Facebook.com/SnoopDogg, YouTube.com/WestFestTV and SnoopDogg.com.

*Note:  BET “Hip Hop Awards” is a private event and tickets are not available for purchase to the public.  Talent tickets are reserved for BET “Hip Hop Awards” show talent and nominees.
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ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, 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 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 Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

ABOUT 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 television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins.  For more than a decade, Collins, the company’s CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment.  Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, The UNCF Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins currently Exec. Produces “The Real Husbands of Hollywood,” (now going into its 4th hit season) alongside industry Icons Stan Lathan and Ralph Farquhar; and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince, Mariah Carey and many more.

ABOUT  UNCLE  SNOOP :
An entertainment icon and with more than 20 years in the business, Snoop continues to pave the way in the hip-hop industry, serving as a mentor to many new and established artists. Being the trendsetter he is, Snoop stands at the forefront of popular culture with award-winning and multi-platinum albums and songs, critically acclaimed films and television shows, lifestyle products, philanthropic efforts and digital ventures, including his YouTube original series “GGN News.”  Snoop defines hip-hop history. He’s set records with his seminal album Doggystyle, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 800,000 copies in the first week. Throughout his career, Snoop’s produced chart-topping hits including “Gin & Juice,” “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?),” “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” “Next Episode,” “Beautiful,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Signs,” “Sensual Seduction” and “I Wanna Rock.”  He continues to awe millions of fans around the world with innovative initiatives, including his recent Coachella performance with longtime friend Dr. Dre and the infamous Tupac hologram, as well as releasing one of the most popular celebrity mobile apps Snoopify, reaching nearly one million users within the first week. Through his film production company, Snoopadelic Films, Snoop has produced an array of movies, including his film with Wiz Khalifa, Mac and Devin Go To High School, featuring the three times platinum and recent Grammy Award Nominee song, “Young, Wild and Free.”  Furthermore, he produced his latest Snoopadelic release in conjunction with VICE Media, Reincarnated, which documents Snoop’s journey through reggae culture and Jamaica while recording his latest album (of the same title) with executive producer Diplo and Major Lazer.  Snoop’s non-profit work in the community is commendable, as he established the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL) in 2005 to give children between the ages of five and 13 the opportunity to participate in youth football and cheer. SYFL teaches them the values of teamwork, good sportsmanship, discipline, and academics. Today, SYFL boasts 30 teams, more than 1,200 players and over 75 cheerleaders.  

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