Philly Fourth Of July Jam Hosted By Comedian Kevin Hart

COMEDIAN KEVIN HART NAMED AS HOST OF PHILLY 4^th OF JULY JAM

VH1 AND PALLADIA TO SIMULCAST AND LIVEDSTREAM ON JULY 4^TH FROM 8-11PM ET/PT

New York, NY- June 4, 2013 –Comedian Kevin Hart has been named the host of the third annual Philly 4^th of July Jam, as part of the Wawa Welcome America! Festival. The event will be simulcast on VH1 and Palladia on Thursday, July 4 from 8-11PM ET. In addition, the event will be live streamed on VH1.com with frequent editorial coverage across MTV, VH1 and CMT news and blogs. Hometown favorites, The Roots, will once again serve as musical curators for the event, they will play their own set and also perform along with special guests John Mayer, Jill Scott, Demi Lovato, Ne-Yo, Grace Potter and J. Cole. Capping off the musical event, the evening will include a spectacular fireworks display over the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art.

"We are excited to bring Kevin back home to Philly to host the Largest Free Concert event in America", said show Executive Producer Shawn Gee.  "With Kevin, The Roots and Jill Scott, the show will definitely have a Philly flair to it, however with the other great talent on the show, this is guaranteed to be the best Philly Fourth of July show ever. And now with our new partners VH1, the entire country will be able to experience the annual party we have been throwing for 500,000 of our closest friends on the Ben Franklin Parkway each year.”

In addition to hosting the third annual Philly 4^th Of July Jam, the actor and comedian has a new movie, KEVIN HART: LET ME EXPLAIN, hitting theaters on July 3^rd. The movie captures the laughter, energy and mayhem from Hart’s 2012 “Let Me Explain” concert tour, which spanned 10 countries and 80 cities, and generated over $32 million in ticket sales. 

Billed as the “Largest Free Concert in America,” the Philly 4^th of July Jam is a celebration of freedom and music. The Philly 4^th of July Jam is an unforgettable, entertainment-filled night that has featured some of the top artists in the music industry. This is a one-of-a-kind concert, free of cost and fun for all ages, located right in the heart of the City of Brotherly Love. With 500,000 people jamming out on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway--- there is no other place to spend the Fourth of July.

The Jam is coordinated by Welcome America, Inc. and its Executive Director Desiree Peterkin-Bell, along with Executive Producers Scott Mirkin and Shawn Gee and produced with Live Nation. Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of The Roots serve as musical directors for the Jam. Executive producers for VH1 are Lee Rolontz, Rick Krim and Keshia Williams.

The Philly 4^th of July Jam takes place during Wawa Welcome America!, a multi-day festival that celebrates America’s birthday in America’s birthplace, Philadelphia.

About VH1

VH1 delivers the ultimate mash-up of music, pop culture and nostalgia for adults who still want to have fun.  VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S.  VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile and VH1.com and @VH1, the hub for all things music and pop culture.  VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.vh1press.com, VH1.com, or the VH1 Facebook page.  Follow us on Twitter @VH1PR.    

About Palladia

Palladia, MTV Networks’ high-definition music channel, launched in January 2006 and features original music-based programming for a variety of music genres, including hip hop, rock, country, pop, reggaeton, soul and more, as well as HDTV acquisitions and original content from MTV Networks Music Group’s MTV, VH1, and CMT family of services.  The channel has grown to 12 million households and is available on major U.S. carriers including Comcast, Cox, Verizon FiOS, Time Warner, Dish, DIRECTV, Charter, AT&T u-Verse and Insight.

About Wawa Welcome America!

Wawa Welcome America! is a multi-day festival that celebrates America’s birthday in America’s birthplace, Philadelphia. In 2013, Welcome America, Inc. is proud to celebrate 20 years as the producer of Philadelphia’s Fourth of July festival. For more information, please visit www.welcomeamerica.com, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wawawelcomeamerica and follow us on Twitter at @July4thPhilly.

About Live Nation Entertainment:

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation Management and Live Nation Media/Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.

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The Roots Have To Get NBC Clearance

The Roots' drummer/producer ?uestlove has revealed that NBC is now clearing the band's selections for walk-on music on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." The news comes after a recent incident in which the Roots played an instrumental of Fishbone's "Lyin' Ass B*tch" as Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann walked out for an interview on the show.

"it was a real bummer that it happened. We don't want to censor anyone, but...I don't know," Fallon said--before joking; "Maybe ?uestlove is a Romney guy."

"It's still a comedy show, so they promise not to step on my toes or that type of thing, but they definitely want to know the title of the song, the subject matter of the song – can it be seen as an insult?" ?uestlove told the Associated Press. "It was kind of wrong for me to throw [NBC] under the bus without telling them what it was, so I understand from a business standpoint."

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?uestlove Discusses Roots Album

Roots drummer/producer ?uestlove shared some details about the group's upcoming thirteenth album undun. In an interview with Billbaord, ?uest discussed the album's completion and the concept fueling the project.

"We actually completed [the album] at five [o'clock] this morning, so it's officially done," he said of the album. "It's essentially a biographical narrative about Redford Stephens. Stephens [is] a composite of four or five people that we've known over the past few years from Philadelphia."

?uestlove also shared details regarding his work on soul singer D'Angelo's long-delayed third album. “I'm on his [D'Angelo's] record as well," he said. "He's in the home stretch right now. I know that Fred Wesley and the JB Horns just did a cut that Q-Tip did; I know he's doing his vocals right now."

Questlove On Kim/Nicki

Roots drummer Questlove offered a unique take on the ongoing Lil Kim/Nicki Minaj feud. Just after a snippet of Nicki's Kim-dissing track "Tragedy" hit the web, Quest took to Twitter to share a different perspective on the bad blood between the boss ladies.

"It's my personal belief that dissing/verbal (well & actual) pugilism is the most intense form of LOVE," Quest tweeted. "Where your intent is to affect/infect em to the highest degree. i know that sounds contradictory (displaying harsh actions as a sign of affection) but if you see this in somewhat of a Shakespearean (or maybe the hero/sidekick narrative of The Incredibles) one can only conclude that if Nik REALLY hated Kim...... she would do the most painful act of hate....which i pretty much know from experience (as loved and hated) the surefire slow burning-last-scene-in-kill-bill-way-to get under ones skin....is to act like they never existed."