BET's RIP THE RUNWAY Season 8 Premieres Tonight

BET's annual fashion spectacular, RIP THE RUNWAY returns with the fiercest group of breakout designers showcasing their collaborative collections to some of the hottest names in music. Premiering Wednesday, March 21 at 10 p.m., this year's RIP THE RUNWAY hosted by Selita Ebanks and The Game's Pooch Hall boasts electrifying performances by musical titans Estelle, Wale, Robin Thicke, Meek Mill, B.o.B., Jeremih and Diggy Simmons, along with Dubstep DJ Araab Musik, making his world television premiere. To top off the night, Queen Bee Lil' Kim storms the stage, bringing down the house with her newest single "If You Love Me" followed by her chart-topping hits "All About The Benjamins" and "Crush On You."

RIP THE RUNWAY celebrates its eighth year with a theme of "Fun, Freedom, Fashion!" showcasing such designers as LaQuan Smith, Monif C, Samantha Black, Tannielle White as well as SASS BY SELITA, the debut swimwear line from Selita.

BET has teamed with Cossette Productions, the famed producers of the GRAMMY(R) Awards and the record-setting BET AWARDS, to produce RIP THE RUNWAY. Stephen Hill, president of music programming and specials for BET Networks, along with Lynne Harris-Taylor, vice president of specials for BET Networks, will executive produce the telecast.

BET.com's companion site BET.com/riptherunway, is the ultimate online destination for all things fun, freedom and fashion. Highlights of the RIP THE RUNWAY '12 companion site include:

The Red Carpet Rundown: the latest exclusives with VH1 reality star Emily B. as she chats with this year's hottest stars and cutting edge designers, and reality star and model Cynthia Bailey's backstage interviews.

How to Walk with "America's Next Top Model" Nik Pace and Miguel Perdomo: Runway walking tips for the ladies and gentlemen to RIP THE RUNWAY.

Model Casting: Behind the scenes look at prospective RIP THE RUNWAY models participating in the casting session.

Sneaker Head: Wale's ultimate sneaker guide and Dome Piece: B.o.B.'s diverse hat looks.

Photo flip books of the evolution of the black supermodel, this year's hosts, designers and performers.

Behind the scenes look at the RIP THE RUNWAY and Afro-Punk promo shoot.

After the show, users will be able to go to the website to see all the looks presented on the runway and watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. Viewers can also find series updates on Facebook by liking the fan pages at www.facebook.com/BETstyle. Also, join the conversation about the special on Twitter by using hashtag: #RTR; follow the show for all updates & special surprises @BETstyle. For more information about this special visit www.BET.com and @BET_PR.

*All times are ET/PT

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), 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 reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and Production Company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.