Today, BET announced that DJ Cassidy’s groundbreaking, virtual series “DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic” returns to television for six new specials this year. The first installment of the specials, “DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic: The BET After Party,” premieres Saturday, March 27, 2021, following the 52nd “NAACP Image Awards.”
“BET is excited to expand our relationship with DJ Cassidy and continue to unite people through music across our platforms,” said Executive Vice President of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, Connie Orlando. “We look forward to creating a one-of-a-kind experience with ‘Pass The Mic’ that connects generations and combines musical genres. We hope that these specials continue to uplift and entertain viewers, bringing together our favorite musical heroes in a unique way.”
“When I created ‘Pass The Mic’ last spring in my living room, I simply wanted to connect people through music and never imagined I would soon be producing it for television on BET,” said DJ Cassidy. I grew up watching my musical heroes on ‘Video Soul’ and ‘Rap City,’ shows that defined the deejay I became. I am truly honored to collaborate with visionaries like Connie Orlando, Jesse Collins, and Steve Rifkind and partner with BET to elevate ‘Pass The Mic’ to an even higher plane of inspiration and celebration.”
DJ Cassidy and BET have transformed how we experience music through “DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic” television specials. From his turntables in his living room, Cassidy connects virtually and intimately with legendary R&B and Hip-Hop icons, as they sing along seamlessly to their classic records, each “passing the mic” to the next. The result is an emotionally uplifting, technologically innovative musical experience.
This announcement comes on the heels of last year’s highly-rated and viral “DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic: Soul Train Edition.”
During the special, DJ Cassidy “passed the mic” to more than a dozen of his legendary musical heroes including Chaka Khan, Jody Watley, Deniece Williams, Morris Day and The Time, George Clinton, Sheila E, Ready For The World, Shannon, Lisa Lisa, Cameo, Evelyn Champagne King, Alicia Myers, and El Debarge. “DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic” specials have now featured more than one hundred legendary superstars including Earth Wind & Fire, Nile Rodgers, Sister Sledge, Kool & The Gang, New Edition, Boyz II Men, Harlem’s Teddy Riley, En Vogue, LL Cool, Run DMC, Public Enemy, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Salt ‘N Pepa, and countless others.
Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE), JCE’s Dionne Harmon, music industry mogul Steve Rifkind, and DJ Cassidy will Executive Produce “DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic” specials on BET.
For more on the first installment, “DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic: The BET After Party,” visit BET.com and follow the conversation across social platforms using #PassTheMicOnBET.
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), 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 is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France.
BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service television and film production company and has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment.
JCE has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. On the theatrical film side, the company also has a first look on JCE’s film development projects which could include Viacom’s film entities such as Paramount Players.
The award-winning and critically acclaimed television that JCE has produced includes miniseries—The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story; scripted series—American Soul and Real Husbands of Hollywood; children’s series—Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices; award shows—BET Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, BET Hip Hop Awards, ABFF Honors and Soul Train Awards; specials—John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today, Stand Up for Heroes, Dear Mama, Amanda Seales I Be Knowin’, Def Comedy Jam 25 and Leslie Jones: Time Machine; as well as competition/game shows—Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares, Nashville Squares, and Rhythm & Flow.
Jesse Collins, founder, and CEO of the company is the executive producer of all programming. He is also a co-executive producer for the iconic Grammy Awards and executive producer of The 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show.
He will next produce The 93rd Annual Academy Awards in April 2021.
Go to jessecollinsent.com for more information on the company.
Photo credit: Teddy Riley.
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