BET LAUNCHES NEW CHANNEL FEATURING RED MODELS

BET is set to launch a new cable network, CENTRIC, for the fall of 2009 and will premiere several original series in its first quarter. Amongst the list is MODEL CITY, a new series that takes a look at the world behind the runway into the lives of models trying to make it in New York City. It features the guys of Red Modeling Management.

Starring: Ibrahim Baaith/Nelson Nieves/Wendell Lissimore/Art Stroman Co-starring: Salieu Jalloh/Derek Keeton/ Julian Gonzalez/Makin Curry/Shawn Sutton

Scheduled for BET's new CENTRIC CHANNEL's FALL LINEUP.

LIL' KIM KILLS IT ON DANCING WITH THE STARS ROUND 6

LIL' KIM OPERATES ON CP TIME

This has got to be the funniest sh*t I heard all week.

Lil’ Kim’s timing is off - but not on the dance floor. The rapper-turned- "Dancing With the Stars”-hoofer is “late to everything,” says a show insider. “If she has a call time of 7, she doesn’t show until 10.” But producers are having the last laugh on Kim. Says the insider: “They’ve started telling her to show up two hours earlier than they need her - just to make sure she’s on time!”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Kim is really killin’ it right now on “Dancing With The Stars”… her footwork is improving tremendously and she’s shedding some weight.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | LIL' KIM ON 'DANCING WITH THE STARTS'

Watch Lil’ Kim as she gets her cha-cha-cha on!

Despite seeming a bit nervous, she did a good job overall.

LIL' KIM PREPS FOR DANCING WITH THE STARS

Lil' Kim was spotted rehearsing with her Dancing With The Stars partner this past weekend. Kim is set to make her debut along with the rest of the cast of has-beens on March 9th, on ABC. This should be quite interesting…

LIL' KIM JOINS DANCING WITH THE STARS

It’s official! Lil’ Kim is a has-been! She is set to join season 8 of ABC’s hit show, Dancing With The Stars, where she’ll join stars such as Jewel (singer), Belinda Carlisle (Go-Go lead singer), David Alan Grier (actor), Shawn Johnson (gymnast), Gilles Marini (actor/model), Ty Murray (rodeo athlete), Steve-O (tv personality), Nancy O’dell (TV host), Denise Richards (actress), Lawrence Taylor (football player), Chuck Wicks (singer), and Steve Wozniak (Apple computers). Hopefully her face won’t melt on the dancefloor. The only question I have is did Kim actually apply for this herself or has ABC finally consulted with VH1’s programmers?

KIM PORTER TO STAR IN REALITY SERIES ON LIFETIME

According to online reports, Kim Porter, ex-partner of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and mother to three of his children, has inked a deal with the Lifetime Network to do a reality series . The unnamed show will follow Kim as she adjusts to new life as a single mother in Los Angeles. Actor Blair Underwood is tapped to produce the series.

I guess my question would be why Lifetime thinks this worthy of a show... considering the insane amount of money she gets from Diddy to support those kids, I know that it couldn't be that hard to adjust to being a single mom. AND BESIDES... WHO CARES?!

PROJECT RUNWAY RETURNS

With all the drama around Project Runway's imminent move to more silver-haired pastures that is the Lifetime Network, we greeted last night's premiere of its swan-song season on Bravo with fear.

Fortunately, at first blush things are promising. Reprising old favorites like the grocery-store challenge, with corn-husk sorcerer Austin Scarlett judging it, reminded us why we fell in love with the show in the first place.

I was particualrly pleased that there are 3 black designers on the show this season and felt it appropriate that I introduce them to you.

Jerell
Age: 28
From: Houston, Texas
Favorite designers:
Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, and Karl Lagerfield
Fashion Must: Great shoes

Biography: With a unique eye for details, Jerrell's designs are intricate and creative. Jerrell found his passion for fashion by way of modeling. The former model admits to not being able to afford "the cool stuff" in his early career, and so he taught himself how to make what he wanted to wear. He describes himself as eclectic and bold and wants to create pieces that express people's individualities. Inspired by life, Jerrell classifies his designs as "raw beauty."

Terri
Age: 39
From: Chicage, Illinois
Favorite Designers:
Jean-Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, and Cristobal Balenciaga
Fashion Must: Low-waist, bell-cut black pants


Biography: Terri is as a freelance stylist and designer from Chicago. She has worked as an assistant designer to Barbara Bates, a stylist and merchandiser for Nordstrom, and a regional visual manager for Levi's. This Midwestern girl has determination -- while attending Columbia College, she started her own fashion organization where any student could display and debut their designs in competitions, exhibitions, and an annual fashion show. She is currently working as a Victoria's Secret visual manager and would like to break out with her own designs. She has eclectic and funky styles that compliment her own unique personality. Karl Lagerfeld is Terri's biggest fashion inspiration.

Korto
Age: 33
From: Liberia
Education:
Fashion School in Ottawa, Canada
Favorite Designers:
Tracy Reese, Valentino, and Randolph Duke
Fashion Must:Great bag


Biography: Originally from Liberia, Korto moved to Canada to attend fashion school. After school, she moved outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, where she now resides with her husband and daughter. Drawing from her African roots, Korto infuses tribal details into her classic designs. She is inspired by rich fabrics and textures and says her designs are intended for real, full-figured women. In her spare time, Korto works as a freelance fashion photographer, dances in an African dance troupe and does an African dance troupe and does African hair braiding and makeup. She says her family considers her to be fun and easygoing.

VOGUE AND IMG TEAM UP FOR WEB-BASED MODEL REALITY SERIES

Vogue and IMG may fill the void left by the MTV's Eighth and Ocean and VH1's The Agency, that gaping emptiness that no other model reality show has quite been able to fill . The magazine and fashion company will air an "elaborate" reality TV series about models on Vogue.tv starting August 19. The Internet show will also be syndicated on sites like Hulu.com and Veoh.com. Called Model.Live, the show will follow three models as they try to get work at Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris, Milan, and London. NOW THIS LOOKS GOOD!!!

T.I. Shooting a Reality Show for MTV

T.I. is turning his legal drama into an eight-episode MTV reality show.

Cameras will follow the rapper through many of his 1,000 hours of community service leading up to his yearlong prison sentence. Shooting will start this summer, T.I. will begin serving his sentence in early 2009, and MTV will air the series shortly after that. Shooting will respect his curfew of 1 am when working on a project, and 11pm otherwise.

The concept for the show apparently came about right after T.I. secured the plea bargain that brought his sentence down from four years to one.

T.I. said about the series, “Hopefully the mistakes I’ve made will be a lesson to today’s youth and they won’t go down that same path.”

The series will also follow T.I. through the August 12th release of his new album, Paper Trails.