Mike Epps has been named as the latest in a line of Black comics to host BET’s annual Hip-Hop Awards. Coming live from Atlanta’s Bousfeuillet Jones Civic Center, the famed comedic actor will help the world celebrate some of the biggest names and personalities in the entertainment business today with the hopes of topping the star-studded affair that was last year’s show. Stephen Hill, President of Music and Programming at BET, stated:
“We are very happy to be coming back to ‘The A’ for the fourth go at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. We embrace the opportunity to amplify all aspects of the Hip-Hop culture; the music, the dance, the sense of community and as we have before, we expect to do so with excitement…and with my man Mike Epps on board as our new host, we’ll do it with reckless abandon. And we don’t stop.”
The funny man from Indianapolis will provide a popular fact to an award show that is still in its infancy, a fact that often adds to its unpredictability. Last year saw megastar T-Pain assume hosting duties after Kat Williams, whom was originally slated to host the affair, walked out on the show after a spat with several BET executives.
Not one to be pigeonheld, Epps is releasing a comedy album on the same day as the premiere of this year’s show. Entitled “Funny Bidness,” the Indianapolis native will be featured alongside Hip-Hop heavyweights such as Snoop Dogg and Slim Thug as well as share an interesting track with rapper-turned-rocker, Kid Rock.
Fans with cable or satellite access will also be able to catch Epps performing his trademark stand-up comedy stylings on a Showtime Network entitled “Under-rated and Never faded-Live from Detroit,” which will premiere on October 3rd.
The BET Hip-Hop Awards will be held on October 10 and initially air on October 27 at 8 p.m.
