DMX, Snoop Dogg, T.I., Eve, A.$.A.P. Rocky, Cassidy, Mystikal, Talib Kweli and B.O.B. Are Among This Year's Featured Artists for The Hip Hop Awards Cypher 2012

ON OCTOBER 1 & 2, 2012, BET PREMIERES "CYPHER REPLAY," AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES TWO PART SPECIAL AIRING AT 8:00 P.M.* LOOKING BACK AT THE PAST 7 YEARS OF THE HIP HOP AWARDS CYPHER

Hosted By Comedian Mike Epps, "THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS" Premieres October 9, 2012 at 8:00 P.M.*

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2012 -- DMX, Snoop Dogg and T.I. return to the BET HIP HOP AWARDS as 2012 cypher participants representing the East Coast, West Coast and Down South alongside Eve, A.$.A.P. Rocky, Cassidy, Mystikal, Talib Kweli, B.O.B and more. The BET HIP HOP AWARDS, filmed at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on Saturday, September 29, features six highly anticipated on-air and three digital cyphers exclusive to BET.com.

Among the six cyphers unveiled at this year's exciting show, fans can look forward to another year of 16 tantalizing bars that cannot be seen nor heard anywhere else other than the BET HIP HOP AWARDS. As audiences at home anticipate the 2012 cyphers, BET takes a look back at some of your favorite moments from previous years on a two-part "Cypher Replay" special airing October 1 and 2 at 8:00 P.M.* "Cypher Replay" features memorable past Hip Hop Awards performances from top emcees including Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, KRS One, Juelz Santana and Eminem. With exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, the special includes insightful interviews provided by DJ Premiere, Pusha T, Jadakiss, Slaughterhouse, Big Sean and many more chronicling their journey into The Cypher.

BET.com/HipHopAwards is the official site for the BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2012 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. To become a BET.com member and register for our BET Newsletter log on to http://www.bet.com/register.html.

BET's inaugural HIP HOP AWARDS APP is available now for iPhone and Android. It provides a detailed history of the show since its inception in 2006 - hundreds of artists, past winners, cyphers, acceptance speeches and more. "The Lineup" allows app users to predict the order of this year's show performer and a real-time Tweet map shows you what the country and your favorite artists are saying about the show. And for the first time ever, one award - the Best Hip Hop Online Site - will be determined solely by app users.

Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET's multiple social media platforms:

On Twitter by using hashtag: #HipHopAwards; and following us @HipHopAwards and @BET

On Facebook by liking the fan page at facebook.com/HipHopAwards

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.

Official sponsors of The BET HIP HOP AWARDS include Sprite, Verizon, Reese's, Ubisoft/Hip Hop Dance Experience, Dodge Dart, NBCU/'Man with the Iron Fist'.

*All times ET/PT

About Jesse Collins Entertainment

Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service film and television production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. Over the past decade, Collins, the company's CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television's most memorable moments in the music entertainment arena. Formerly Executive Producer/Executive Vice President of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced award winning television programming including the Grammy Awards, the BET Awards, BET Honors and BET's Rip the Runway and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Kid Rock, Lil Wayne and many more.

About BET Network

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), 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 operates in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.