Game On! The 'BET HIP HOP AWARDS' Starting Lineup Includes Performances By Lil' Wayne, The Game, Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Common, T-Pain, N.E.R.D. and Lady of Rage, Along with Presenters Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon, GZA, Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck and RZA

Iconic Women in Hip Hop Will Be Featured in a Special Tribute The 'BET HIP HOP AWARDS' Premieres Thursday, October 23 at 8:00 P.M.*

NEW YORK, Oct. 8 -- BET today announced that nominee MVP Lil' Wayne, multi-platinum rapper Ludacris, West Coast boss The Game, and dirty south stunner Young Jeezy will top off an all-star roster of performers, including Common, T-Pain, Lady of Rage and N.E.R.D. Delivering nothing less than an electrifying show, the BET HIP HOP AWARDS will take place at Atlanta's Civic Center on Saturday, October 18 and premiere on BET Thursday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m.*

Showcasing past and present music icons, this year's BET HIP HOP AWARDS takes the competition to a whole new level with scheduled appearances by a slew of hip hop heavyweights including GZA, Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon, Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck and RZA. Adding to the hype, rapper Jadakiss will pump up the crowd as celebrity announcer, while the famed DJ Drama spins all night. A special tribute will also be paid to female pioneers in hip hop who have paved the way for women in a predominantly male industry.

As previously announced, actor/comedian Katt Williams will host the BET HIP HOP AWARDS, and legendary hip-hop veteran Russell Simmons will be honored with the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Award.

BET will team up with Cossette Productions, the famed producers of the GRAMMY Awards(R) and the seven record-setting BET AWARDS shows, to handle production of the telecast. Stephen G. Hill, BET Executive Vice President, Music Programming & Talent and interim head of Entertainment, along with Lynne Harris-Taylor, BET Vice President of Specials, are executive producers of the telecast.

For more information about the BET HIP HOP AWARDS, please visit http://www.bet.com/hiphopawards.

*All times ET/PT

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 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 ring tones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.