BET's Hot Summer Music Series, 'RISING ICONS' Shines The Spotlight On Eight Up & Coming Music Artists

New York (Top40 Charts/ BET Networks) - On Monday, August 31 at 12:00 a.m.*, BET premieres a new episode of GREY GOOSE ENTERTAINMENT AND BET PRESENT: RISING ICONS featuring rapper Wale. The music series showcases some of today's most talented and gifted artists currently dominating the music scene, including Kid Cudi, The Dream, Melanie Fiona and Ryan Leslie. Created by GREY GOOSE Entertainment and produced by BET Networks, GREY GOOSE ENTERTAINMENT AND BET PRESENT: RISING ICONS chronicles each artist's life both on the road and the stage.

Born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin and dubbing himself the "Ambassador of Rap for the Capital", rapper and producer, Wale hails from Washington, DC. Effortlessly fusing DC's authentic and unique Go-Go music genre with a streetwise hip-hop sensibility, he takes samples from all genres and blends them together with lyrical dexterity. In 2005 he released his debut mixtape, Paint a Picture, and has since released four more. In 2006, Wale signed to local start-up imprint Studio 43, owned by a former VP of Roc-a-Fella Records, and enjoyed a string of hits in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area that year.

The use of social media platforms like MySpace was a significant factor contributing to his success and notoriety, eventually leading him to British uber-producer and deejay Mark Ronson, who caught wind of the Go-Go MC in 2007. Wale then struck a production deal with Ronson's Allido imprint and released the 100 Miles and Running mixtape that summer. Despite not being signed to any major label yet, tons of press, ranging from XXL magazine to The New York Times, started to cover the Washington, D.C. sensation. After a bidding war that included Epic, Atlantic, and Def Jam, Interscope successfully signed Wale to its stellar roster in early 2008.
For more information, visit www.BET.com/risingicons for air times, studio audience participation, tour dates and more and www.Complex.com for more information on the local rising icons and artist downloads.
*All times ET/PT