Back for the Second Year, VH1 Partners With NYC & Company to Celebrate VH1’s 4th Annual ’Hip Hop Honors’ Show With ’VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend’

Special Events and Performances Throughout NYC Begin Friday, October 5th
’VH1 Hip Hop Honors’ Will Pay Tribute To A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg,
WHODINI, Missy Elliott, and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for New Jack Swing
and the Seminal Hip Hop Film ’Wild Style’

NEW YORK.- VH1 and NYC & Company have come together once again to create VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend, a jam packed weekend of events, performances, exhibits, and workshops throughout the five boroughs to celebrate the history, culture and style of hip hop. Inspired by the success of last year’s collaboration with NYC & Company, the official marketing and tourism organization for the City of New York, which kicked off with a press conference with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and propelled into a full week of activities throughout NYC; VH1’s Hip Hop Honors Weekend is a celebration of the heritage and tremendous impact of hip hop since its birth decades ago on the streets of New York City.

Beginning Friday, October 5 and culminating with the premiere of the 4th annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors telecast on October 8, VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend will be anchored each day by events throughout NYC. Highlights of VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend include the VH1 Hip Hop Honors tour featuring The Roots with Big Daddy Kane and MC Lyte at the Nokia Theatre in New York City on Friday, October 5 at 8PM, and our 2nd annual Hip Hop Honors Celebrity Hoops exhibition, which will take place at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University on Sunday, October 7 at 3PM.

Players for this year’s VH1’s Hip Hop Honors Celebrity Hoops “Old Skool vs. New School” game include Common, Fatman Scoop, MIMS, Lyfe Jennings, Nuttin’ But Stringz, Matthew Knowles, Luv Bug Starski, Grand Master Caz, LA Sunshine, DJ Envy, CL Smooth, Positive K, Chubb Rock, Dana Dane, Mike C, Stevie D., Saigon, DJ Unk and more. Celebrity coaches include Grandmaster Melle Mel, Tyrone Williams, and HOT 97’s EBRO. Special guests in attendance will be Salt N’ Pepa, Irv Gotti, Tiffany Pollard (aka Ms. New York) and Melyssa Ford as celebrity MC. Halftime performance by Swizz Beatz, and the national anthem will be rendered by Chrisette Michelle. The game is presented by VH1, Entertainer’s Basketball Classic, Long Island University and HOT 97 with proceeds to benefit the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club. Tickets will be on sale beginning Wednesday, September 12. The price is $10 for general admission and available through Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171 or at Ticketmaster.com.

This special weekend also includes over 20 hip hop-themed events with over 60 partners throughout the weekend at venues throughout New York City. For information on additional activities throughout the weekend, please visit hiphop.vh1.com.

The 4th Annual Hip Hop Honors show will tape on Thursday, October 4th at New York City’s famed Hammerstein Ballroom and will premiere on VH1 and VH1 Soul on Monday, October 8 at 10PM*. Hosted by Tracy Morgan, this year’s show will honor A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg, WHODINI, Missy Elliott, and Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for New Jack Swing as well as a tribute to the seminal hip hop film “Wild Style.” VH1 will once again pay tribute to the hip hop luminaries who broke new ground and pioneered the genre into a true cultural phenomenon and will feature performances by the honorees, along with Ciara, Eve, Pharrell Williams, The Game, T.I., Timbaland, Bow Wow, Busta Rhymes, Common, T-Pain, Keyshia Cole and Nick Cannon as well as an appearance by Chris Rock.