MUSIC MOGUL TIMBALAND DROPS THE MIC WITH NEW MUSIC COMPETITION SERIES "THE POP GAME," PREMIERING FEBRUARY 21st ON LIFETIME

Series Comes From Executive Producers Queen Latifah and Jermaine Dupri

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 13, 2017) - On the heels of the hit unscripted series, The Rap Game, Lifetime keys into the world of pop music this winter with, The Pop Game (#ThePopGame), premiering on Tuesday, February 21, at 10 PM ET/PT. The series won't miss a note, following music industry icon Timbaland as he works with five aspiring young vocal artists, all vying to be the next big thing on the charts. Timbaland's team of writers, producers and top celebrity guest artists including JoJo, Macy Gray, Nelly Furtado and Jordin Sparks, will assist the kids and their manager parents in challenges designed to teach and test the skills they will need to grace some of the world's biggest stages.

Timbaland, a multi-platinum Grammy winning super-producer and artist, has stamped his indelible imprint on the music scene since the mid-1990s, having helped create career-defining hits for artists such as Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott, Destiny's Child, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Drake, Katy Perry and Jay-Z, among others. From developing a distinct vocal style and image, to collaborating with other artists, maximizing vocal talent and handling their paces with rigorous choreography, Timbaland will teach these young artists how to take command of the audience, but only one will walk away with a record contract with his label, Mosely Music Group.

The Pop Game artists include:

Ashlund, 13, Riverton, UT - Ashlund Jade may be the youngest in the competition, but her near 22 million YouTube views makes her one to watch. In addition to singing, Ashlund has danced competitively from a very early age and puts that talent on display in her own popular music videos for DreamWorksTV. This singer/dancer/model is a multi-talented pop star in the making, with an effortless charisma that separates her from the crowd. Her mother Mindy, along with owning the dance studio where Ashlund choreographs her music videos, is also her manager. Together they'll try to prove they're a force to be reckoned with.

Cravetay, 16, Atlanta, GA - This singer/songwriter from Atlanta has one focus - to win, and she has the talent to back it up. She's a self-starter who created her own name, Cravetay, and started posting music videos on YouTube in 2014. Since then she has quickly gained a legion of fans, and released her debut album, IMF, in 2015. In life and in music, Cravetay and her momager Deneen, believe in never holding back, and they want to show the world that Cravetay's the next big thing on the scene.

Grant, 17, Joplin, MO - At just 17-years-old, this mid-west heartthrob has accomplished more than other artists twice his age. He's headlined two sold out tours (Bedtime Stories and Grant Landis Live), has co-written with country music superstars Sugarland, and his YouTube videos have attracted millions of views. With his committed, outspoken dad, Michael, managing his career, Grant is determined to show he's a bonafide pop star on a collision course with superstardom.

Ian, 15, San Antonio, TX - Singer/songwriter Ian Grey has been playing music since he could first hold a guitar, and has since added the piano, bass, ukulele and drums to his musical repertoire. At just 12 years old he performed at the legendary SXSW Music Festival. Sacrificing the comforts of his home and his family, Ian relocated to Los Angeles in 2014 to pursue a full-time career in music. Ian takes his music seriously and is ready to unleash his talents on a national scale.

Madysyn, 15, Huntington Beach, CA - When Madysyn Rose was 13 years old her father posted a 36-second video on Facebook of her practicing the song "La La La." That video received 10 million views in two days, and she's been turning heads ever since. From that moment forward, she's been on a mission to show the world her incredible vocal range and soulful voice. She has millions of followers across her social media channels, and recently released her first album, Butterfly, on iTunes. With her dedicated, meticulous momager Sherry at her side, this duo will be tough to beat.

Produced by Intuitive Entertainment, The Pop Game is executive produced by Kevin Dill and Mechelle Collins, and EP/Showrunner Danny Salles. Grammy and Emmy award winner, Queen Latifah and her partner, Shakim Compere will executive produce under the Flavor Unit umbrella along with Grammy winner and producer, Jermaine Dupri, and Timbaland on the series. Lifetime's Mariana Flynn and Mary Donahue also executive produce.

ABOUT INTUITIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Intuitive Entertainment is a TV & film production company that embodies its motto of "storytelling with style and character". Owners Mechelle Collins and Kevin Dill opened their doors in 2006, and since then they have produced thousands of hours of television for networks such as Bravo, E!, Discovery, A&E, MTV, TLC, BET, Oxygen and Lifetime; among others. In 2014, Intuitive Entertainment received the Realscreen Award for an "Outstanding Achievement in Reality/Docuformat" for Millionaire Matchmaker, which ran for eight seasons on Bravo. Their most recent hit, The Rap Game, will premiere its third season on Lifetime this January. Intuitive Entertainment will have five new series appearing in 2017, as well as a fourth season of The Rap Game. Intuitive's current projects include Curvy Style for BET, Married with Secrets for Discovery ID, Little Miss Atlanta and The 685lb Teen both produced for TLC.

ABOUT FLAVOR UNIT ENTERTAINMENT

Flavor Unit Entertainment is a production company owned and operated by Queen Latifah and her partner, Shakim Compere and is quickly establishing itself as one of the most important production companies in the film industry. They began by executive producing Disney's box office # 1 hit Bringing Down the House and then continued with Beauty Shop for MGM and The Perfect Holiday for Paramount. They have also produced The Cookout with Lionsgate, as well as the film Just Wright with Fox Searchlight. On the small screen, they executive produced HBO's critically acclaimed film Life Support which garnered a number of awards including an Emmy nomination and Golden Globe win for Queen Latifah . Flavor Unit Entertainment made a multi�year deal with BET to create new original programming including the original movie The Cookout 2 and its first�ever scripted romantic comedy titled Let's Stay Together which premiered with 4.4 million viewers. In 2011, Flavor Unit Entertainment's original film Single Ladies, was expanded into VH1's first hour� long scripted series with approximately 3 million viewers throughout its two season run. Flavor Unit produced Latifah's film Joyful Noise. Most recently, Flavor Unit produced Lifetime's Original Movie, Steel Magnolias which stars Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad, Jill Scott and Alfre Woodard. The movie premiered in October 2012 as the third most�watched telecast ever on the network, averaging 6.5 million total viewers. Flavor Unit most recently struck a multi�year licensing deal with Netflix. Their first release includes the thriller, House of Bodies which stars Terrence Howard and Peter Fonda. Most recently, Flavor Unit co�produced HBO's original movie Bessie, which premiered on May 16th. Bessie stars Queen Latifah in the title role of Bessie Smith, who overcame her tempestuous personal life to become one of the most acclaimed performing and recording artists of the 1920s and '30s, earning the nickname "Empress of the Blues."

ABOUT LIFETIME

Lifetime is a premier entertainment destination for women dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning scripted series, non-fiction series and movies. The critically acclaimed UnREAL, Devious Maids, Project Runway, Dance Moms, Bring It!, The Rap Game and Little Women franchises anchor the network's programming, in addition to its over 25 original movies annually that continue to define the TV movie genre. In 2015, Lifetime launched Broad Focus, a major global initiative dedicated to supporting and hiring female directors, writers and producers to make its content which totals over 450 original hours. Lifetime's Fempire positions the network as a curator of feminist content and conversations, as well as a place where women connect, learn and are entertained. Lifetime Television(R), LMN(R), Lifetime Real Women(R) and Lifetime Digital(TM) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation. #ThePopGame @Timbaland @Ashlund_Jade @Cravetaymusic @realgrant @itsiangrey @madyysynr