Style, Substance and Swagger at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2007

- Kanye West, Nelly, Common, Dr. Cornel West, MC Lyte, David Banner, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Lil' Wayne, Soulja Boy and Hurricane Chris, Among Others, Brought Style, Substance and Swagger to the BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007
- Hosted by Katt Williams, with Appearances by LL Cool J, Ciara, Wyclef Jean, Keyshia Cole, Jermaine Dupri, Hill Harper, Lauren London, Lil Mama, Lil Boosie, Dizzee Rascal, Twista, Phonte, Kardinal Offishal, Stat Quo, Cee-Lo, Melyssa Ford, Rocsi, Terrence, Ras Kaas, Flo, Cassidy and Joell Ortiz, BET Paid Homage to Today's Hottest Urban Music Artists
- KRS-One Received the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Award
- Two of the Jena 6 Expressed Thanks to the Hip Hop Nation for Its Mobilization and Support

ATLANTA, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Featuring talented lyricists, infectious beats, crowd-pleasing performances and powerful affirmations of unity, the BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007 celebrated the universal appeal of hip hop at Atlanta's Civic Center on Saturday, October 13. Hosted by actor/comedian Katt Williams, the two-hour awards show will premiere on BET Wednesday, October 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Kanye West kicked off the night performing two hits from his new album Graduation, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and "Good Life," which immediately brought the audience to their feet. Crowd favorite Lil' Wayne world premiered a new song, the fiery "Gossip," which had fans mesmerized, and Nelly didn't hold anything back for his world premiere of "Go Lil Mama," bringing out an entire female drumline to accompany his dancers.

Hurricane Chris represented Louisiana with his catchy and entertaining performance of "Ay Bay Bay", and was later joined by fellow Louisiana rep Lil Boosie performing "Wipe Me Down." Common showed off his smooth lyrical prowess with "Drivin' Me Wild," while Playaz Circle featuring Lil' Wayne and surprise guest Ludacris (who wrote his verse especially for this performance) brought "Duffle Bag Boy" to the stage. Though T.I. was absent, Wyclef Jean, DJ Drama, Alfamega and Busta Rhymes held him down, performing a special set, including an ode to free speech and T.I.'s "Hurt." Rounding out the night was Soulja Boy, whose "Crank That" performance featured Superman capes and the wildly popular dance -- with countless audience members dancing along with him.

In addition to its sizzling performances, the BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007 was, in essence, an extension of BET News' recent special HIP HOP VS. AMERICA, offering insights into the state of hip hop today. The show featured appearances by David Banner, MC Lyte and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, who shared the reasons why they love hip hop. Katt Williams, host for the second year in a row, once again delivered with hilarious and smart commentary, while the influential Dr. Cornel West presented the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Award to living hip hop legend KRS-One. Also participating in the BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007 were two of the young men of the Jena 6, Carwin Jones and Bryant Purvis, who presented the Video of the Year award and thanked the hip hop community for its support.

THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007 is sponsored by General Motors and Alltel Wireless.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: 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 85 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 businesses 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, a service venture into the lucrative world of ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

SOURCE BET Networks

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