Rakim Receives BET's 'I AM HIP HOP ICON' Award Tonight, 9/29

Rakim's intricately intellectual lyrics draw their force from his worldly experience, inner faith and progressive contemplation.  His liquid and seemingly effortless delivery – often imitated but still unrivaled – from a fire fueled by a deep understanding of not just Hip-Hop, but also the Jazz and R&B influences that have surrounded his family since his youth.  His recordings – including the all-time classics Paid In Full, Follow the Leader and The 18th Letter - have sold in the multi-millions worldwide.  Billboard, Rolling Stone, MTV and a host of others consistently refer to Paid in Full as "the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time" – a claim that often repeated in audience polls.  In the history of the Hip-Hop, few artists have had as great an impact on the development and progression of the art forms lyrical style as Rakim Allah.   

Previous "I AM HIP HOP ICON" recipients include Grandmaster Flash (2006); KRS-One (2007); Russell Simmons (2008); Ice Cube (2009); Salt N Pepa (2010) and LL Cool J (2011).

Maybach Music's Rick Ross (Def Jam), and Meek Mill (Warner Bros. Records); G.O.O.D. Music's 2 Chainz (Def Jam); and Taylor Gang's Wiz Khalifa (Atlantic) are the first artists confirmed to perform on this year's BET HIP HOP AWARDS.

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.  BET.com will also give away BET Hip Hop Awards tickets exclusively to BET.com registered users and loyal readers of the BET newsletter. 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'.